Dear Friends,
Sweater weather is beginning to gradually creep in, starting with cooler, crisper mornings. Goldenrod stands sway lazily in the wind while Goldenrod Soldier Beetles and Ambush Bugs cling to the yellow blooms. Rain has become a more common occurrence. Apples ripen and fill the Minnesota orchard with lush red hues. Anticipation for opening the Apple Shack and the coming fall season is tangible at CNC.
Attached you’ll find the upcoming autumn issue of the St. Croix Current Newsletter. Please consider adding our upcoming programs and events to your calendar. Space is limited and registration is required at most programs, RSVP by calling 651-437-4359. Thank you.
AL & LAURIE HEIN VISITOR CENTER IS NOW OPEN
Thank you to all those who helped us celebrate the grand opening of the Al & Laurie Hein Visitor Center on July 9 & 10. Now open to the public, the Visitor Center, parking lots, and north woods trails are open daily 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. You can walk the through prairie and wooded trails, see our ambassador animals, or relax in the family room overlooking forest habitat. Our team is working to fine-tune directional signage, echo mitigation, and other quirks of a new building. If you have suggestions, please leave a note in our guest book by the front desk.
Please visit our website to learn more about the new Visitor Center and to see pictures of the building progress. You can also read the Pioneer Press article highlighting the new building by clicking here.
There’s Still Time to Be Part of This Incredible Project
Thanks to incredible community support, we’ve been able to raise 3.75 million dollars to fund the building of the Al & Laurie Hein Visitor Center and install most of the planned exhibits. However, due to supply chain shortages, inflation, and delays due to weather, the cost of the multi-faceted project increased beyond what we have raised. Please consider making a donation to help us raise the additional $250,000 needed to complete the project. Some projects still underway include the construction of a pavilion shelter on the north end of the campus, updates to the trail system, additional indoor educational exhibits, and more. Looking to support a specific project? There are many sponsorship opportunities still available. Please reach out to Erika@CarpenterNatureCenter.org or Jennifer@CarpenterNatureCenter.org for more information.
Matching dollars are available for new gifts! From now through September 11, new gifts and pledges to the project will be matched 2:1 by the generosity of local families. That means for every $100 donated, CNC will receive an additional $50 for the project. To learn more about donating, please visit our website.
UPCOMING EVENTS
20th Autumn in the Valley Gala Seats still available!
MN Campus: 12805 St. Croix Trail South, Hastings MN
Sunday, September 11
Carpenter is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Autumn in the Valley Gala this September. Funds raised at this event keep CNC open & free to the public, while protecting wildlife habitat and providing environmental education in both MN & WI. This year we are hosting an in-person event with limited attendance. Tickets for the event and dinner start at $110. Event sponsorships are available.
Unable to attend in person? All are welcome to support Carpenter by participating in the Online Auction part of the fundraiser, which is NOW OPEN for bidding. Click here to visit the auction website, and explore the incredible items featured, today.
For more information please visit the event webpage or contact Erika Jensen at erika@carpenternaturecenter.org or 651-437-4359.
Apple Festival
MN Campus: 12805 St. Croix Trail South, Hastings MN
October 9-10
Celebrate the harvest at Carpenter Nature Center’s annual Apple Festival. This event is held snow or shine, with several activities being adjusted to accommodate the colder weather.
Enjoy pick-your-own apples, cider-making demonstrations, live music, live animal programs, children’s activities, and more! Learn about the animals of the St. Croix River Valley in our Visitor Center, and take a hike with your family on the trails! For more information please call 651-437-4359.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Apples & Ales
MN Campus: 12805 St. Croix Trail South, Hastings MN
Thursday, September 8
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Enjoy a fall evening in the Apple Orchard at CNC. We will learn about the interworking of an orchard, see an old-fashioned cider press, and even pick a few apples to take home! In addition, we will stop in our apple shack, where you can purchase more apple varieties, local honey, and more.
After the orchard tour, we will join the staff at Spiral Brewery for a guided tour of the flagship flavors and styles of their beers on tap at the moment in the taproom. The tasting includes a beer flight for each participant and a staff member leading a discussion around each beer sample. Enjoy the atmosphere of the bright and fun taproom while you learn about the history of Spiral Brewery and its beer. This experience will take approximately 45 minutes, with the option to stay for another beer you can purchase on your own. Cheers! Program fee: $30. Please RSVP by calling 651-437-4359.
WI Campus Bird Hike
WI Campus: 279 South Cove Road, Hudson WI
Saturday, September 10
8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Hike various trails on our Wisconsin Campus and learn to identify birds with local experts from the St. Croix Valley Bird Club. Meet at the CNC Community Garden parking lot at 300 East Cove Road, Hudson, WI. Program fee: $5 per participant or free for SCVBC members and 'Friends of CNC'.? Please RSVP by calling 651-437-4359.
Preschool Story Time: Spectacular Spiders
MN Campus: 12805 St. Croix Trail South, Hastings MN
Friday, September 16
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Monthly preschool story-time programs are designed to introduce children ages 2 – 5 to nature in a fun and safe environment. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Program fee: $6 per child or $4 per child for ‘Friends of CNC.’ Please RSVP by calling 651-437-4359.
APPLE SHACK UPDATE
The Apple Shack will open for the season on Wednesday, September 7. The store will be open on Wednesdays – Sundays, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. This allows our staff and volunteers time to pick, sort, and restock apples at the beginning of the week. Curbside pick-up will be offered this year by request.
Interested in helping out at the orchard this fall? We are seeking volunteers who would be interested in picking apples, sorting & bagging, or helping to run the storefront. If interested, please reach out to Sverre Sundgaard at sverre@carpenternaturecenter.org or 651-437-4359.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteers are an important part of CNC and we are always welcoming new help. If you are interested in volunteering at the beautiful new Al & Laurie Hein Visitor Center, we are looking for trail maintenance teams, visitor greeters and more. If you are interested please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Alan Maloney at 651-437-4359 ext 104, or by email at Alan@carpenternaturecenter.org.
CNC also has a weekly Wisconsin Habitat volunteer team. For interest in habitat restoration on the WI Campus, contact Abbey Holden by emailing Abbey@carpenternaturecenter.org.
Please note if you have not received an email from either Alan or Abbey about upcoming volunteer opportunities, it may mean they do not have your current email address.
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Carpenter Nature Center is currently accepting applications for fall internships. College students or recent graduates can gain hands-on experience in working with professional staff, completing projects, and learning unique skills. CNC offers flexible scheduling for full or part-time positions.
- Orchard & Land Management: receive training and experience in conservation, resource management, and orchard management. Interns will work with our Natural Resource Manager in the CNC apple orchard and receive hands-on experience with current conservation practices.
- Avian Field Work: learn about bird banding, point counts, transects, and other methods for researching bird populations. Interns will assist with weekly songbird banding research on CNC’s MN and WI Campuses, handling our raptor ambassadors, and monthly guided bird hikes.
- Communications & Visitor Services: receive training to communicate effectively and professionally with the CNC’s target audiences. Interns will assist with providing customer services, social media posting, and event planning.
- Environmental Education: receive training from professional naturalists to teach a variety of programs to visitors of all ages. Interns will also assist with caring for animal ambassadors, complete a personal project, and help with reoccurring projects.
For more information contact Intern Coordinator?Mayme Johnson at mayme@carpenternaturecenter.org or 651-437-4359. More information on how to apply can be found on our Internship webpage.
SCIENCE BITE: A Genetic “Triumph”
Written by CNC Avian Field Work and Communications Intern, Delaney Osmond
As the season begins to change from summer into fall, the apple orchard at CNC fills with ripening apples. As of 2022, CNC’s apple orchard is home to 15 different varieties of apples. Some varieties, such as Zestar! and First Kiss, may be ready for picking as early as mid-August.
Currently, there are 7,500 varieties of apples are grown worldwide. In the United States, farmers produce 2,500 varieties of apples but only 100 of those varieties are grown commercially. When developing new varieties of apples, 45 traits are intentionally manipulated, including texture, sweetness, and longevity. When new apple cultivars, or varieties, are created, each trait must meet quality criteria before individual apples or the trees becoming available for purchase.
Developing apple varieties is a complex time-consuming process that can take up to 12 years. Once a tree is rooted and grafted with the ‘parent plant’, it can take 4-8 years before the tree produces fruit. After the fruit is formed, it takes several more years to perfect the desired characteristics of the fruit being produced. A recently developed variety of apple is called ‘Triumph’. The University of Minnesota started to develop this apple in 1991 and it was released in 2021. Triumph is a cross between a Liberty and Honeycrisp. It is characterized by its crisp texture, slightly tart flavor, and its resistance to Apple Scab.
Apple Scab is a fungal disease that attacks the leaves and fruit of apples and ornamental crabapples. The disease makes apples inedible, which negatively impacts apple growers. Liberty apples are bred to possess the Vf gene which previously showed disease resistance to Apple Scab. However, the overuse of this gene has led to some diseases that are able to overcome Vf resistance. Honeycrisp apples possess different disease resistant genes, called “R” genes which regulate the plant's interactions with external stimuli. The combination of both the Vf and R genes found in Liberty and Honeycrisp result in a “double firewall” of disease resistance in the new Triumph apple variety.
This apple is truly a “triumph” over Apple Scab and could lead to more disease-resistant apple varieties. While we do not have a Triumph apple tree in our orchard yet, Carpenter’s orchard is home to many of the parent Honeycrisp trees. Triumph trees are available for purchase at nurseries associated with the University of Minnesota as wholesale.
If you have any questions about the apples from CNC’s orchard, please reach out to our resident apple expert, Orchard Manager & Natural Resources Manager, Sverre Sundgaard by calling (651)-437-4359. The apple orchard store, the Apple Shack, opens for the season Wednesday, September 7th, and will run Wednesdays-Sundays from 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m..
PROGRAMS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
October 1: MN Campus Bird Hike
October 6: MN Campus Owl Banding
October 8: WI Campus Bird Hike
October 13: Apples & Ales
SUPPORT CARPENTER NATURE CENTER
As a private, non-profit organization, Carpenter Nature Center relies heavily on donations from generous individuals and businesses. Support from our donors enables us to educate families, conserve wildlife habitats, and support the physical & mental health of the community. Please consider donating through?GiveMN,?PayPal, or by becoming a?Friend of CNC. We also accept in-kind donations from the Wishlist for specific items our staff needs. If you have any questions, contact Development Coordinator Erika at erika@carpenternaturecenter.org or 651-437-4359.
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CNC is a community asset because of the many wonderful people involved throughout its 40-year history. Thank you for helping keep nature & environmental education a vital part of our children’s lives, and for helping keep Carpenter Nature Center open to the public 361 days a year.
Original source can be found here.
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