Courses

Hobby beekeeping is growing as people realize how rewarding it can be to collaborate with the amazing honey bee. A few pieces of equipment, a little bit of training, and a lot of patience can lead to not only delicious honey for you and yours, but a new relationship with…

Let’s face it, the news from nature hasn’t been uplifting lately. One of the most potent ideas out there pushing back against the doom and gloom is biomimicry, a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges—and finds hope along the way.…

Most birds are not known for sitting still. By learning to recognize their songs, calls and the habitats they live in, you can have a satisfying birding experience every time you step outdoors, with or without your binoculars! In this one-day workshop we’ll travel to various habitats and birding hotspots…

Spring in northeastern Minnesota is truly alive with life. After a winter of cold and white, there is a veritable explosion of all things feathered. The Boreal Birding Workshop is field focused, offering students a rare opportunity to immerse in this world and develop an appreciation for the wide range…

Head up the Trail and experience the unique and ancient geology of the Gunflint area. We are pleased to partner with Gunflint Lodge to offer students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich history of this special area using one of Minnesota's premier wilderness resorts as a home base…

Often overlooked and clearly underappreciated, our lichens are wonderfully diverse and surprisingly beautiful. We will explore habitats from the shore of Lake Superior to inland forests and rocky outcrops. Practice with tools and techniques that will catapult you from nerdy novice to local respected authority (you’ll amaze friends and family).…

North House Folk School is excited to partner with Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association and University of Minnesota-Extension to host the Northwoods-Great Lakes Master Naturalist Volunteer Training Course on the spectacular North Shore of Lake Superior. Dig into northern ecology in this five-day immersion course that offers a wide…

Late summer brings on a plethora of mushrooms, and the North Shore and Superior National Forest are great places to see myriad species. From the fairytale Amanita to the mysterious Lobster mushroom to the unusual Ramaria species, there’s no shortage of beauties to find and identify. Michael Karns, a certified…

It can be intimidating to begin a method of documenting what you notice in nature. Nature journaling books imply you’ll need to be an accomplished artist. Identification of species of insects, lichens, and more almost seems impossible. A journey of a 1000 miles begins with the first step. Let’s start…

Spring offers excellent birding opportunities on the North Shore: with the arrival of warblers and other migrants, there is the potential to see an unusual number of species in a short amount of time. Join Michael Karns, avid outdoorsman and life-long birder (and fountain of knowledge on many topics) for…

Nature has its own rhythms and these days, it can be hard to predict! Phenology is the recording of the natural calendar—the arrival times of various migrating birds, lake ice-outs, blooming dates of wildflowers, harvest times for crops, and tree leaves changing color in the fall are all events that…

How many times have you walked along a cobbled beach or a rocky ledge along the North Shore and wondered, "What’s this rock? Where did it come from? Why is it here?” And Lake Superior agates—“What do they look like? Where do I find them? How do they form?" This…

The cobbled beaches and rocky cliffs of the North Shore can inspire some serious geological curiosity: What’s this rock? Where did it come from? Why is it here? Well, lace up some sturdy footwear and head into the field to be immersed in the fascinating geology of the northern part…