Rita Walaszek Arndt is a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and of Polish descent. Rita began working for MNHS as a cataloger in the collections department and soon supported the NAAIR program. Rita moved to the Native American Initiatives Department in 2020 where she continued to support NAAIR and other programming and […]

Don’t miss out on the FUN!!! This is the last Kids' Day for the season. Children 18 and under can visit the Chik-Wauk Campus free of charge. • Journal Making • Craft projects • Storytelling • Nature hikes A parent or guardian must always accompany children at the Nature Center. Donations are appreciated to cover […]

The USDA Forest Service naturalists present a different Northwoods-themed topic each week. The presentation will be located outside on the front porch of Chik-Wauk Museum or if in-climate weather the presentation will be moved inside Chik-Wauk Nature Center (masks will be mandatory if held indoors). The presentation is free and family-friendly – donations are always […]

Every Friday from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. bring yourself, a friend, or the family and take a guided nature hike on the Chik-Wauk trail system with Emma Adams. Rain or shine Emma will introduce you to the flora and fauna at Chik-Wauk. Each week is a different topic, you can view the list here. Donations […]

Ozzie Reif fell in love with the BWCAW on his first canoe trip at the age of 16. Hailing from Delaware, he has been fortunate enough to call Ely, MN home for the past five years. He has found a passionate and vibrant community in Ely, which also happens to provide a great base for […]

Chris Steele first came to the Gunflint TYrail 62 years ago when his grandfather, Robert Campbell, began construction of a one-room cabin on Seagull Lake. The cabin was built on property previously owned by Russell  Blankenburg, someone Chris would meet that summer. Chris retired 22 years ago and spends time in Tucson, Lake Elmo, and, […]

Old-Fashioned Pie and Ice Cream Social The annual Old-Fashioned Pie and Ice Cream Social at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center campus. The North Shore Swing Band will be on the front lawn of Chik-Wauk Museum to get us in the mood from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Bring a lawn chair along to sit and […]

Journalist and writer Joe Friedrichs lives near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota. His books, Last Entry Point: Stories of Danger and Death in the Boundary Waters and Her Island: The Story of Quetico’s Longest Serving Interior Ranger, focus on in-depth storytelling from the canoe-country wilderness. An environmental and outdoor writer, he […]

The Gunflint Trail Historical Society (GTHS), is excited to welcome two Artist-in-Residents to the Gunflint Trail. Kim Gordon and Don Luce'. With artistic eagerness, they will explore the Gunflint Trail looking for that special setting, composition, and golden hour light, which gives them inspiration for their next piece of creativity. Kim Gordon, who lives in […]

Try your hand at watercolor batik, a modern twist on the ancient Javanese art of batik. You will work with an image from an original winter watercolor batik of a chickadee. You will learn a little history and theory and then hands-on batiking. We will work with watercolor on the Kinwashi paper. This class will […]

Jan Sivertson founded Sivertson Gallery with her father Howard Sivertson in 1980, focusing on regional artists. Shortly after, Howard decided he preferred to focus on his art and Jan went on to expand the gallery's vision to 'art of the north, traveling to the Canadian & Alaskan Arctic to find Inuit & Eskimo art to […]

I am a Minnesota native and first fell in love with the BWCA as a high school student. I love traveling and lived and taught English in Japan, China, and eventually back to the United States. I enjoy spending time in the wilderness with my son and daughter. Now, recently retired from teaching, I’ve started […]