Note: The tour of the Center will take participants around our facilities and grounds, and provide a framework for the setting for the week's program.

Afternoon: After arriving and checking into your room at Crosby Dormitory, there will be a walking tour of the property. You will view buildings and grounds and become acquainted with the facilities, while learning about the history of the Center. Distance covered is about two city blocks.

Dinner: Blandin Dining Hall. Meals on site are served in the Blandin Dining Hall, just 40 feet from your Dormitory. Enjoy the exhibit displays, stained glass windows, local artwork, beautiful stone fireplace and view of the lake along with your meal. Our meals are served buffet style by our kitchen staff. Our signature shade grown, organic coffee and an assortment of teas are always available with every meal.

Evening: We will gather for introductions to one another, the Center and for a review of the week's schedule. Part of the orientation will include name games and other interactive games for all ages

Lodging: Audubon Center of the North Woods

Meals Included: Dinner

Canoeing Grindstone Lake/Minnesota Reptiles & Amphibians/Outdoor Survival Skills/Beaver Ecology/Wolf Behavior and Adaptations

Note: Canoeing is a popular Minnesota activity on our lakes and rivers. You will get first-hand instruction and the chance to paddle on beautiful, clear Grindstone Lake. At over 150 feet deep, it is quite impressive! You will also learn about the frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles and fish native to Minnesota, and see them up close and personal. During the evening learn about one of the most captivating animals in North America- the gray wolf. Minnesota is home to the lower 48's largest population.

Breakfast: Blandin Dining Hall

Morning: This morning you will participate in one of two classes. One will be covering canoeing techniques on beautiful Grindstone Lake. The other class will be on the area reptiles and amphibians. You will get to see our live specimens in our wildlife classroom, and also collect some in the field.

Lunch: Blandin Dining Hall

Afternoon: This afternoon there will participate in one of two classes. In one class you will get to find out about once-most important fur bearing animal in North America, the beaver. Learn about this amazing creature and all its adaptations that make it just as comfortable in the water as a fish! You will get to see old beaver dams and lodges as well as see how they change the habitat of an area. The other class is our outdoor survival class. Learn how to build shelters, what items to always carry with you in the woods, how to construct and build fires using multiple methods, and put all your skills to the test with a fun survival simulation of shelter and fire building.

Dinner: Blandin Dining Hall

Evening: This evening course will be focused on the most intriguing predator in the north woods- the wolf. In this interactive evening program learn about wolf behavior, social structure and communication, and the habitat and distribution of the wolf. Lots of materials and props make this a howling good time.

Lodging: Audubon Center of the North Woods

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Canoeing Grindstone Lake/Minnesota's Reptiles & Amphibians/Beaver Ecology/Outdoor Survival Skills/ Birds of Prey Program

Note: Explore our beaver area and see the impact beavers have on an ecosystem, and learn about their fascinating adaptations to water. Test your survival skills in our outdoor suvival class. We will go over the basics of what to do in a wilderness setting, tips and skills to use- and then let you put them to the test building shelters, fires and cooking over a campfire! During the evening you will be able to learn from our feathered staff members- including hawks, owls and falcons up close!

Breakfast: Blandin Dining Hall

Morning: This morning you will participate in the morning class you didn't take yesterday. If you took Canoeing on Monday, you will take Minnesota's Reptiles and Amphibians on this day and vice versa.

Lunch: Blandin Dining Hall

Afternoon: This afternoon you will participate in the class you didn't take yesterday afternoon. If you took Beaver Ecology, you will take Outdoor Survival Skills and vice versa.

Dinner: Blandin Dining Hall

Evening: Tonight's program will be Birds of Prey, using our own educational raptors which include falcons, hawks, owls, and a bald eagle. During this exciting program, learn all about what makes these "hunters of the sky" successful, their amazing features and adaptations. A program sure to delight all ages.

Lodging: Audubon Center of the North Woods

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: During this adventure day you will be able to challenge yourself on our 30 ft indoor rock climbing wall, and on our Skywalk High Ropes course, capped off by a trip down our zipline! This evening will be activities and games to enjoy.

Breakfast: Blandin Dining Hall

Morning: This morning you will participate in one of two classes. Our indoor climbing wall features eleven different ropes, featuring four overhangs, a chimney, and a vertical crack. Learn some basic climbing skills and test them out on our wall. The other class is our High Ropes Course. This course features seven different activities and a zipline to challenge yourself in a safe setting. This course is one that is sure to leave you feeling exhilerated!

Lunch: Blandin Dining Hall

Afternoon: A switch of the morning classes. Those who participated in Climbing will take High Ropes and vice versa.

Dinner: Blandin Dining Hall

Evening: Tonight you will get the chance to let your creative juices flow as you try Native American crafts such as quill work, twining, and shell work. There will also be Native American games you will learn and get to play as well.

Lodging: Audubon Center of the North Woods

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

North West Fur Post/Hinckley Fire Museum/Native American Crafts & Games

Note: On this field trip day, enjoy a visit to the historic Northwest Company Fur Post and learn all about the Voyageur -fur trade of the 1600-1800s. This authentic post has re-enactments and hands-on exhibits and materials. We will then enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch along the Snake River, and then journey to the Hinckley Fire Museum. It is here we will learn about one of the most catastrophic fires in world history. During the evening you will learn how to make traditional Ojibwe crafts.

Breakfast: Blandin Dining Hall

Morning: From the 1600s-1800s the North County was witness to the largest fur trade industry in our continent's history. The Voyageurs paddled up to 70 miles a day carrying goods to trade for animal pelts with Native Americans to be sold back in Europe. This morning we will go on a field trip to the North West Fur Post, a restored Fur trading company site run by the Minnesota Historical Society and learn about this colorful chapter in Minnesota's history. This engaging and realistic post is complete with costumed guides and a variety of indoor and outdoor exhibits, buildings and facilities. You won't want to forget your camera on this day!

Lunch: Picnic Lunch

Afternoon: Every year you hear about wildfires burning out west that eat up thousands of acres. Today you will learn of a fire that dwarfs those by comparison. The Hinckley Fire of 1894 burned over 400 square miles in less than four hours, with flames reaching 5 miles high! This afternoon we will visit the Hinckley Fire Museum and learn how this fire happened, the conditions that created it, and see original photographs and artifacts.

Dinner: Blandin Dining Hall

Evening: A group campfire with s'mores, stories, and a group-wide talent show. A great way to spend the last evening!

Lodging: Audubon Center of the North Woods

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: There is much to discover in the water! During this morning you will use buckets, nets and magnifying scopes to collect and examine all the amazing life in our streams and ponds. We will then conclude the program with a week wrap-up

Breakfast: Blandin Dining Hall.

Morning: Ever wondered what's in the water around you? This morning we will take a look at what is living in the Audubon Center ponds. We will collect water samples and bring them back to the classroom and examine them under the microscope. You won't believe all the things you find under the magnifying glass! You won't look at water the same way again. We will finish with a summation of the week and closing thoughts.

Lunch: Blandin Dining Hall

Afternoon: Shuttle and Departures at 1 pm

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch