Inspired Media

Houston Nature Center
215 West Plum Street
Houston, Minnesota, 55943
www.houstonnaturecenter.com
507-896-4668

Hours: Vary by season; check website for current hours
Admission: Free, but donations always welcome

The realistic taxidermy displays – have you ever looked a fox or an otter in the eye? – are impressive. The timber rattlesnake exhibit is fierce. But the real star of the Houston Nature Center is its natural playground, opened in 2013.

“Kids just love it,” says Connie Verse, center manager. “Actually, so do adults.”

Take a look at photos of the center’s latest addition and it’s easy to see why.

No swings or jungle gyms dot the decidedly untraditional play scape. Instead, pedestal pipes create opportunities for music. A sand pit (with hidden fossils!) invites digging. Stone tunnels and caves promote old-fashioned games of hide-and-seek. A wooden wall facilitates climbing. Straw bales invite stacking. And a slide provides plain, old-fashioned fun.

“The oldest person who has gone down our slide was over 80, and the youngest was riding in a parent’s arm,” says Verse. “The playground is just one of the ways we help people of all ages unplug from technology and get out and experience nature.”

Built in 2001, the center sits on 18 scenic, peaceful acres at Trailhead Park and functions as the eastern trailhead of the 60-mile Root River Trail System. In addition to its natural play scape, the park offers a native prairie and primitive walk-in camping facilities – nine tent-only sites, available on a first-come, first-serve basis – along with shower and restroom facilities that Verse proudly describes as “the best along the entire Root River Trail.”

For almost 15 years, the center was also synonymous with Alice, the great horned owl that now “works” at the International Owl Center in downtown Houston. And while the owl-based programming that was once a Houston Nature Center staple is now offered a stone’s throw away at the International Owl Center, there are plenty of other programs planned for the spring and summer sure to interest nature enthusiasts of all ages.

In June the center will begin offering its popular children’s summer programs – which include hands-on educational activities, play time, and (of course!) snacks – two Wednesdays a week. Family–friendly programs are offered every Saturday through the year and focus on a single topic each month. Wetlands will be spotlighted in May, pollination in June, biking and bike safety in July, and arts and nature in August.

“Our mission is to educate people – children in particular – regarding nature and its benefits and to help people experience the outdoors,” says Verse. “Between our natural playground, our camping facilities, and our programming, everyone is bound to find something of interest here.”

What not to miss: A guided walking tour to the Houston sign on the bluff will take place at the center during the Houston Hoedown, July 29–31.

See more Driftless Nature Center profiles here!

– By Sara Friedl-Putnam

Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center
28097 Goodview Drive
Lanesboro, Minnesota 55949
www.eagle-bluff.org
507-467-2437

Hours (for visitor center): Monday­-Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm, with weekends varying by season
Admission: Free for grounds; most programs and the ropes course have a fee

“Eagle Bluff rocks!!” proclaims one enthusiastic Tripadvisor reviewer. “Faaantastic!!” gushes another. “Great fun!!” exclaims a third.

Make the time to visit the sprawling 80-acre Eagle Bluff campus – located near Lanesboro in the beautiful bluff country along the Root River – and it quickly becomes clear why superlatives accentuated by multiple exclamation points seem to be the norm when describing this unique environmental learning center.

“The natural beauty really is unmatched,” says Stephanie Davidson, public programs coordinator. “It’s the perfect place to explore and learn about the outdoors – whether you’re two or 92, you’ll find something of interest here.”

That includes the center’s popular high ropes course, open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from June through August. (Reservations required, cost $25 per person.) A breathtaking view of southeast Minnesota – not to mention a healthy boost in self-confidence – awaits those brave enough to hitch on a harness and negotiate cables, logs, and planks 30 feet above ground.

Those who prefer to keep their feet planted firmly on the ground will find a geocaching course –cell phone or GPS required! – and nine miles of hiking trails that stretch from river’s bottom through tallgrass prairie to bluff’s top. “You might see deer, chipmunks, rabbits, and perhaps a river otter, but it’s the birds that we’re really known for,” says Davidson. “This area has bald eagles, hawks, turkey vultures, feeder songbirds, and forest and prairie birds – it’s worth the trip just to go birding.”

The center also offers a broad array of public programming throughout the year, with the spring and summer boasting a particularly rich schedule. Its “Becoming an Outdoor Family” weekends help family members reconnect in the great outdoors while learning about topics ranging from archery and fishing to geocaching and target shooting. Its “Dinner on the Bluff” series features engaging presentations on hot-topic issues and (of course!) a tasty gourmet meal. And its Skills School provides opportunities for individuals over 16 to learn new skills for more sustainable living. Ever wanted to bake bread, Amish-style? Interested in taking great wilderness photos? Curious about Saami bracelet-making? More than 60 classes covering those topics and more are on tap this spring and summer courtesy of Eagle Bluff’s Skills School.

Of course, youth summer camps have been a staple at Eagle Bluff since its founding, and that remains true to this day. “This year’s summer camps explore canoeing, biking, rock climbing, even raptor handling,” says Davidson. “You name it, and it’s probably on our schedule.”

What not to miss: Dinner on the Bluff series – a tasty opportunity to check out the facilities, learn, and enjoy great food.

See more Driftless Nature Center profiles here!

– By Sara Friedl-Putnam

Jim Schaffer, born July 14, 1934 on the family farm in Iowa, on what was one of the hottest days of that century. Interviewed by friend Gayle  Nielsen

Some people are just so interesting that you NEED to let others know. Jim Schaffer is one of those people. We first met Jim and his wife, Judy, when they became our neighbors, moving into the house across the road from us from when their son, Ed and his wife Vickie moved to the next house down the road. It was so nice being included in the family gatherings and getting to know everyone.

One of the things that people notice about Jim is that he never stops learning. Even after retiring from iron working, he continued making iron yard and garden sculptures and even an iron spiral staircase at the house. It looked like a pirate lookout. He taught himself to paint and to make guitars. He just keeps getting better and better and learning new things. Jim is one of the most real and kind folks out there. It was a sad day for us when Jim and Judy moved away, and even sadder when Judy passed last year, but it’s nice to stay connected through family and through music.

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I think I heard it from real estate folks… “get a lot while you’re young”.

How about the worst?

My advice to myself. I made a lot of bad decisions, but never anything with my family. I learned from my mistakes. I always did what I thought was “proper”. My family never heard foul language around the house even though I used it maybe 50 times a day around my fellow iron workers. I’m a product of the 1940s and I just don’t think cussing is proper (unless it’s in front of the cat).

What did you want to be when you grew up?

An iron worker. Always an iron worker. I also liked carpentry.

What do/did you do?

I was initiated into the iron workers union in 1962, at 21 years old. That was young. We worked as high as 1100 feet in the air, and there was no safety gear in those days. We iron workers were “the elite” then. I thought I could whip Ali (Muhammad Ali). I retired in 1996. Now I paint, especially portraits and play and build guitars.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?

Gin, vermouth, and olives.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.

I have the ability to laugh at myself.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Macaroni and cheese. Of course, it’s not the healthiest thing, but macaroni and cheese.

Name one thing you could not live without.

Music. I started making guitars because I wanted a 7-string guitar for myself, so I started with a classical guitar and lumber from the lumberyard to make it. Then made the next one, out of rosewood, for my son Jimmy, and now I’m making guitars for disabled veterans and custom guitars for other musicians. I’m booked for the next year with orders.

Tell us about your wedding day or your favorite memory.

My favorite memory is my wedding day. I married Judy, in a church, in 1955. I never really dated anyone else. That pastor didn’t want to marry us because we were too young; she was 17 and I was 21. Well, I spent 61 years with her and we never even had a violent argument. I remember my dad giving us a toaster as a wedding present. Back then, we didn’t have big, expensive weddings and the gifts were something we could use.
Every guitar I make now has a hand painting of a bluebird, from Judy’s china pattern, in her memory. Everyone who gets one of my guitars get a painting of a bluebird on it somewhere.