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Quarry Park SNA: A Return Hike to the Bedrock Outcrops, Wet Meadow/Prairie and Oak Woodland/Forest
Sunday, June 25, 2017 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Where: Quarry Park SNA, St. Cloud, Minnesota
When: Sunday June 25, 2017 (10AM to 1PM)
Leaders: Jyneen Thatcher, Naturalist and MNNPS Program Chair, and Stephen Saupe, Biology Professor at College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University
Come join other MNNPS members for a return trip to Quarry Park SNA to explore the granite bedrock outcrops found throughout the SNA as well as high quality wet meadow, wet prairie, oak woodland, and oak forest plant communities. This mix of natural communities supports rare birds and orchids and forms the most significant remaining example of the granite bedrock outcrop community in central Minnesota.
The site, located on the southwestern edge of St. Cloud, is the within the Stearns County Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, a 250-acre park depicting the granite industry, historically significant to the area. Look for one of Minnesota’s largest populations of the state-endangered tubercled reinorchid among the scattered willow and dogwood lining the margins of the site’s wet meadows.
Due to the nature of this hike into fresh wet meadows, wet conditions may be encountered along the way. Appropriate footwear is highly recommended. A park fee of $5 is required for entrance.
Field trips are open to MNNPS members only and pre-registration is required. To register, send an email to: Ken Arndt <ken.arndt@mnrinc.us>