Notes from Ney: The Ney Nature Center Blog

Throughout the first couple weeks of 2025, like many people, I have found myself recalling some of my favorite memories from 2024 and wondering what the new year has in store. In my personal life, 2024 was full of incredible travel experiences from visiting Glacier National Park to driving to Saint Louis, Missouri to watch Minnesota United defeat the home team in a late MLS season game. I am grateful for all the long-lasting memories I was able to make last year.

At the same time, life at Ney offered its fair share of memorable moments. We planted 500 fruiting tree seedlings with the help of our community, bonded with kids during action-packed summer camps, welcomed over 400 people to our Fall Festival, and successfully hosted an online silent auction to raise funds for the Fall Fling. While each of these experiences is undoubtedly positive, there is one particular memory that blends happiness and fear, I suppose, in its own unique way. 

I was declared the 2024 Staff Tick Count winner with a total of 12 ticks picked up while working at Ney. 

Between cutting down invasive Amur Maples, walking through grasses to plant trees, or simply enjoying program time outside, it is pretty clear to see that I had many opportunities to come into contact with ticks. Although I certainly don’t miss the feeling of ticks crawling through my hair, finalizing the results of our 2024 tick count did lead me to wonder what my eight-legged companions are up to now that it’s winter.

After feeding on and then being frantically flicked away by a human during the summer and fall seasons, fully fed ticks find ground cover, like the forest floor, to live in during their dormant winter stage. However, not all ticks are fully fed come winter, and not all winters provide adequate cover for ticks, so the life of a tick can be complicated during this time. 

There are a couple scenarios that can play out for an underfed tick in the wintertime. First, if they do not eat at all during the summer or fall, they’ll die in the winter. Many people may cheer at that fact, but remember that ticks are an incredible food source for many of our beloved birds, frogs, and small mammals. A second possible scenario for ticks in the wintertime is a bit more frightening for us. If a tick was able to feed, but not feed enough, they do stand a chance to survive the winter. In order to make it to spring, an underfed tick waits for days when the temperature rises above freezing. During those days, a tick can crawl out of its winter cover and finally feed. Luckily for us, our layers of winter gear likely protect us from a winter tick feeding, but on those warmer days, it might be a good idea to do a tick check at the end of your time outside, just in case. 

Weather, more specifically, snow accumulation can also impact a tick’s chances at surviving a Minnesota winter. An abundance of snow can serve as additional layers for the ticks to take cover in. Like this year and last year, if we are lacking snow, the ticks do not have the cover they need to stay dormant. As a result, they could either die off or be more active and in need of food. 

Now that I have learned a little bit about ticks’ winter living patterns, I’m surprised to know that any member of our staff could potentially add a tick to our count earlier in 2025 than I previously thought possible. With this in mind, it is important to always remember the value of a good tick check. Although I did not enjoy having 12 total ticks crawling around on me, I am very glad that I found and removed each of them. Let’s hope that like 2024, 2025 has memorable personal and work moments to balance out the finding of future ticks!  

As someone who feels like December is going by so quickly – I also love the slow down of the winter season. If you are looking for some good advice on surviving and thriving in the cold season, NPR’s LifeKit released a great episode called “How to thrive, not just survive in winter”. One of the pieces of advice they have is to find things you love to do in the winter and are more fun when it is cold outside. At Ney Nature Center, we have so many things we can only do in winter, and that is the joy we have surrounding all of our seasonal activities.

While the park is open year-round, and we are always in support of a hike, only in winter can you enjoy the park via snowshoes or cross-country (nordic) skis. With a few miles of groomed xc ski trails and many more miles of snowshoe & hiking trails, we love the new visitors that we only get during these months, drawn in by the new way to enjoy the park. If you’ve never snowshoed or xc skied before, no problem! We have equipment for rental once the snow has settled and the trails are groomed, so you can try it out at a low cost before investing in your own pair. Open 7 days a week, with late hours on Thursdays, there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of. In addition, if you would rather take a class, we have options for youth and adults. Starting on January 23rd, we will have once-weekly Youth Nordic Ski Club for 4 weeks for ages 8-14 years. Those 15 and up are welcome to join us for a 3-hour workshop on January 25th covering the basics of xc skiing, focusing on technique. 

Not into skiing but want to enjoy the outdoors as a part of a class at Ney? Families may be interested in our upcoming winter break classes, listed below in the graphic. Otherwise, we also have monthly Tiny Trekker (4-6yrs) and Nature Detective (7-11yrs) classes covering a variety of topics, including Snow, Crows, and Maple Syrup!

Everyone is welcome at Snowshoe Saturdays, a monthly program beginning in January where you can explore different parts of the park with a naturalist. We also welcome adults to look into our Lifelong Learner Lunches, another monthly program, with these taking place in the education building, focused on new topics each month, including Zoos, Chimney Swifts, and Extremophiles.

If you aren’t able to make our classes, we always love to see visitors enjoying the park. It is open for free to the public from 6am-10pm 365 days a year, and park maps are available on our website, as well as in the kiosks in the parking lots. In the winter, please make a note to only use the snowshoe/hiking trails when the xc ski trails are groomed. It makes it much harder to ski when the trails have been flattened! 

In summary, there is so much to do at Ney Nature Center in the winter, we hope you take at least some joy in this weather and appreciate the snow and cold while it lasts (it also kills off the ticks!) Don’t hesitate to reach out for trail recommendations or with any questions you may have. Happy Winter!

We are settling into the season with our annual Ney Winter Bird Count.  This will be our 28th year counting birds as part of the larger National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC).  The CBC is the longest running citizen science project in the world, with this winter’s count being the 125th CBC.  Our Winter Bird Count will be held on Saturday December 14th this year.  We will be meeting at the Education Building for a brunch and presentation to celebrate.  People are welcome to stay and count at our feeders, go out together in groups, or hike through the park with Ney Center staff to look for birds.  It is going to be an exciting day!

We are still coming up with our menu, so make sure that you specify any dietary restrictions that you have during the registration process.  You are welcome to register online or in person until December 10th.  Please register ahead of the event so that we can ensure that we have enough food for everyone.  We will, of course, have coffee.  🙂

We will kick the event off with a presentation by staff members on the history of the CBC as well as our count here at Ney before handing the floor over to Art and Barb Straub.  They will be giving us an update as to what they have observed already before moving on to talk about birds.  They will be focusing on Shrikes, Bluejays, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Snow Buntings.

The CBC started as an alternative to a tradition of “side-hunts” which occurred around Christmas in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.  What had started as a way to supplement a family’s winter food supply eventually became a competitive sporting day.  Hunters would gather up in groups and form teams.  The goal was to go out in these teams and see how many different animals the hunters could shoot in one day.  This was, understandably, devastating to wildlife populations.  Concerned by the reduction of bird populations, naturalist Frank Chapman convinced other hunters to participate in a bird count instead of a side hunt, and the CBC was born.  With only 27 counters, 18,500 birds from 90 different species were counted.  This kicked off a new tradition that has spread worldwide.

Our Winter Bird Count started 28 years ago thanks to Larry Granger, Barb & Art Straub, Ollie Heitkamp, and other passionate birders.  With the help of many dedicated naturalists and volunteers, we managed to establish a solid tradition here at Ney.  Over the years we have seen our winter bird populations change with many bird species that used to migrate now overwintering locally.  From Blue Herons to American Robins, we have seen a variety of different species that have started to delay their migration or skip it altogether.

Overall, this continues to be a wonderful opportunity to get involved in birding, and we are always happy to welcome new birders to the event! 

At Ney Nature Center, we’re all about growing, learning, and working together to create one-of-a-kind experiences for our community. Every year, we are so excited for the Minnesota Naturalist Association (MNA) Conference—a big event that brings together environmental educators, naturalists, and outdoor lovers from all over Minnesota. It’s a place to learn, connect, and get inspired. Over the years, our staff has been heavily involved, not just attending but also stepping up as Workshop Coordinator, Conference Coordinator, and even President!

The conference is always a treasure trove of knowledge, with sessions led by local experts diving into Minnesota’s biodiversity. Topics range from climate change and wildlife tracking to indigenous knowledge and how to engage diverse audiences. Plus, there are hands-on workshops where you can try out bird banding, nature journaling, and habitat restoration. We always come back with more ideas than we can count for the nature center.

This year’s conference, held November 15-17 at Deep Portage Learning Center in Hackensack, MN, didn’t disappoint. With over 6,300 acres of stunning landscapes—glacial hills, lakes, rivers, and bogs—it was the perfect spot. If you haven’t visited, add it to your list!

Our crew joined more than 130 other outdoor educators for the weekend, soaking up the sense of community and shared passion. Here are some of our favorite sessions:

• Eva: How to do a Raptor Program without Giving Folks the Bird by Brett Sieberer and Pam Welisevich
• Liz: Summer Camp for All: Amazing Parks Adventure Camp by Katie Frías
• Madi: Canids 101: Ecology of Minnesota’s Wild Dogs by Griffin Bray
• Sara: Culturally Responsive Teaching in Nature by Josh Leonard, Amanda Herrera-Gundale, and Oakley Biesanz
• Sam, and Beth: TBD—some folks weren’t in the office when this was written. Sorry, team!

Other highlights? Networking with amazing people, a cozy bonfire sing-along, hiking to the bog to check out beaver dams and carnivorous plants, and spotting so many porcupines.

Spending a weekend surrounded by nature and learning reminds us why we do what we do: to share our love for the outdoors and inspire others to protect it. Huge thanks to the Minnesota Naturalist Association for putting on such a fantastic event. We’re already looking forward to next year!

With the temperature outside slowly going down, bears are getting ready for winter. Not drown or black bears, woolly bears! You may have noticed more of what many refer to as woolly bear caterpillars in the fall, but how much do you really know about these adorable insects?

There are many different types of “woolly bear” caterpillars but the most common one and the one that we’ll be referring to is the banded woolly bear that becomes the isabella tiger moth. The scientific name of these caterpillars/moths is Pyrrharctia isabella. Isabella tiger moths range from southern Canada throughout the United States and into northern Mexico. Tiger Moths are a common species found in Minnesota but are more commonly found in the fall as their larval stage as caterpillars. With black bristles or “setae” on both ends and a ring of reddish brown in the middle, these caterpillars can easily be distinguished from others. 

While it has been said that the colors on a woolly bear caterpillar can be used to predict the winter, no evidence supports this theory. (The amount of black on the ends is more likely related to age.) While they may not help us prepare for the winter ahead, these amazing creatures are more than well-equipped for whatever Minnesota winters can throw at them. The setae that cover the bodies of woolly bears and give them their name are used to detect freezing temperatures. When these low temperatures are detected the caterpillar uses “cryoprotectants” to protect its vital organs. These cryoprotectants work like a natural antifreeze and according to the National Weather Service, can keep woolley bears alive at temperatures as low as -90℉. With this ability, woolly bears are even able to live in the Arctic! 

Winter is not the only challenge for the woolly bear though, many predators are undeterred by the hairs that cover their bodies. Parasitic wasps, mantids, and other insects feed on woolly bears. As an adult, the moth lacks the hairs and colors that prevent some larger predators like birds from eating them. The other dangers of course are habitat loss, climate change, and toxins such as pesticides. 

These moths will go through two life cycles each year, the latter being the generation that must survive the winter. After hibernating, the caterpillar will continue to eat and grow before pupating and creating a cocoon. It takes 1-3 weeks for the adult moth to emerge from the cocoon, find a mate, and lay eggs. As an adult, the female moths use a scent to attract a mate. The males fly in a zig-zag pattern to help detect this scent. Once ready the female will find a place to lay her eggs and the male will search for another mate.  After hatching out of the egg, the small larva (caterpillar) begins eating, growing, and shedding. When ready it will pupate and begin the cycle over again. 

At each life cycle these insects consume different food. As a caterpillar, they eat a variety of leafy plants and foliage. The adults, without the proper mouthparts to chew on plants, drink nectar from flowers. Nectar also has a high sugar content which can help give the moths the energy they need to fly. The eggs and pupal stages, of course, do not eat which makes it essential for the caterpillars to find enough food to give them energy for this transformation. 

While woolly bears are very common to find at this time, there are some lookalikes to keep your eyes out for as well. The caterpillar of the giant leopard moth looks similar to banded woolly bears but is all black. It curls in defense very similar to the woolly bear revealing red bands under its setae. 

This individual was recently found at Ney crawling through some leaf litter and grass:

Alternatively, you may encounter a “yellow bear” of an entirely yellow woolly bear that will become a Virginian tiger moth. No matter what the individual, I always recommend knowing what you are picking up before touching it. Some individuals such as the dagger moth have hairs that can cause stinging or itching. They can be identified by long black tufts that contrast the west of their yellow hairs. It’s important to remember that they don’t want to hurt you and can be observed with just a little space. 

Even though many of our insects have left for the year, we still have time to find some that will be spending the winter here with us. And, If you’d like to help these fuzzy friends stay safe over the winter, wait until next spring to remove the leaves from your yard!