Another year has gone. We are either ending a decade or starting a new one depending on who is counting and who is keeping track. We are done with “00” and are now into 2010s. The Ney Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the parent name for the Ney Nature Center (NNC), also starts a new calendar year with new Board Members and some Officer changes.
We, at the NNC, are optimistic about the New Year — 2010. The Board is excited about the programs we have run at the NNC and are looking forward to improving the old and expanding into some new areas. We are excited about the involvement of NNC new members and the expansion of our volunteer base. Memberships and volunteers are two key elements that enable the Ney Nature Center to move forward.
However, the best excitement comes from just being at the NNC and experiencing Minnesota’s great outdoors whether through staff and volunteer “expert” programming, or on your own as you wander parts of the 450 acres that make up this Le Sueur County Park.
I wandered part of the Center this winter day on snowshoes. There are many designs for snowshoes today and they are made with a wide variety of materials. The ones I used were of a traditional Native American (Ojibwa) design, long and narrow, made with ash pieces laced together with nylon stripping, then covered with a marine varnish. The bindings were a leather material which is made to fit various boot sizes.
The snow wasn’t deep, the temp was about 10 above, the sun was shining, and no wind. It made for a perfect winter day to be out and about. The pond is lightly snow covered so that made for good snowshoeing as I checked some of the wood duck boxes. Animal tracks and signs abound and the deer trails are already well worn.
Come and visit us at the NNC sometime this winter and enjoy Minnesota’s Wonderful Winter Season. We have indoor programs, hiking, sledding, X-country skiing, possible skating on the pond, bird watching and other events. Visit our website calendar or call the Center to check on programs, weather and snow conditions.
Winter sunsets from the NNC looking across the MN River Valley are often spectacular. Come and see for yourself.
