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Warner Nature Center

Warner Nature Center, MN

Founded in the 1950's, the Warner Nature Center is the oldest privately-owned nonprofit nature center in Minnesota. Warner's grounds adjoin a green corridor that runs along the St. Croix River, making it an ideal haven for Deer, Fox, Coyote, Mink, Beaver, Otter and thousands of migratory birds including Loons, Pelicans, Tundra Swans and Eastern Bluebirds just to name a few. They've even had a few bear sightings in the last decades, including a Black Bear that raided the Center's "bear-proof" feeders in 1995.

Warner is currently run by director Tom Andersen, who came to the nature center as a volunteer trail guide in 1977. Tom is not only the kind of master naturalist, tracker and all-around conservationist you're used to seeing on television, he's also an all-around great guy who has always taken the time to help us with our project. Whether we wanted to know about migration, tracking, or carniverous bog plants, he's been more than willing to jump in and let us benefit from his decades of experience.

The Warner Nature Center has one of the few bog habitats in the Twin Cities, and are a great place to find Royal Fern, Arrowhead, and such carnivorous plants as the Bladderwort and Pitcher Plant. The Warner Nature Center is a division of the Science Museum of Minnesota.

They participate in such research projects as bird banding and teacher workshops, and run such educational programs as nature hikes, snowshoe outings, canoe trips, summer camps, and a number of boyscout/girlscout programs that fulfill badge requirements. Most are open only to children, but an increasing number of programs are being offered to any age group, including a certification program for interpretive naturalists.

While there are some trained and certified staff, volunteers help tend the trails, clear buckthorn, run the programs, run the office, and log plants and wildlife. Unlike state or county parks, Warner Nature Center is not to the general public. Visitors are only allowed during special programs, or with the expressed permission of the staff.

Directions:

Address: 15375 Norell Avenue North, Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047

From 694, head East on 36. Take a left on Manning/CR-15. Make a right on Square Lake Trail. Make a left on Norrell Avenue (There are two Norrells, one that branches right and one that branches left; you want the second one. Warner Nature Center will be about a mile down on your right. Watch for the brown signs.

Distance from Saint Paul: 30 Miles

View Map

Direct Questions to: 651-433-2427

Regulations:

Multimedia:

Barred Owl | Warner Nature Center, MN American Kestrel | Warner Nature Center, MN Red-tailed Hawk | Warner Nature Center, MN Fox Snake | (2.11 MB MPEG-1 Video) | Warner Nature Center, MN Carniverous Pitcher Plant | Warner Nature Center, MN Carniverous Bladderwort | Warner Nature Center, MN     Terrapin Lake Trail | Warner Nature Center, MN

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