Bo and Sophia Christianson listen intently as Chik-Wauk Nature Center program director Jacqueline Mallison shows them how to identify an animal’s footprint. Bo and Sophia attended the Nature Center’s grand opening with their parents, Cory and Rachelle Christianson.
There was no ribbon to cut, but there were bars to cut and cookies to eat and lemonade and coffee for those in attendance at the July 3 Chik-Wauk Nature Center grand opening.
Located at 28 Moose Pond Drive, Chik-Wauk Museum and the new nature center was very busy on Sunday as nearly 200 people attended the grand opening of the nature center hosted by the smiling, friendly staff and hard working (and equally smiling and friendly) members of the Gunflint Trail Historical Society.
Ground was broken in May 2015 for the nature center and the new administration building, with the interior work for both buildings completed over the winter months.
Featured is a bird song exhibit by Suzanne Weber titled Heard but not Seen, which includes an interpretive panel and audio recordings of eight types of birds found on the center’s grounds.
Another fun feature is the new loon sculpture mounted on the ceiling in the center of the room designed and built by Gunflint Trail artist Keith Morris. Morris said it took him nearly as long to learn everything he could about loons as it did to build the sculpture, which depicts a mother loon diving for food as her two babies swim above her. Morris said the female loon is bolted into the sculpture but the babies are held in place by magnets, so they can be moved.
On July 3, almost 200 people turned out for the grand opening of the new Chik-Wauk Nature Center as well as to take a quick tour of the new administrative building. Those amenities are part of a plan to expand the programs offered to the public on the 50- acre site that also houses the Chik-Wauk Museum.
“The administration building has an office and a room for archival storage,” said GTHS board member Bruce Kerfoot, who took time off from his volunteer duties shuttling people from Saganaga Landing to the museum festivities on Sunday to show off the building.
Kerfoot also pointed out the new lakeside location and some of the logs that will be used to recreate a 1950s resort cabin that will be built in 2017 on the 50-acre museum grounds.
“Kent Anderson [a local logger] has been cutting and delivering the logs to us, but he needs to get us some more so we can peel them and let them dry,” said Kerfoot, adding that Anderson was no doubt a busy young man this time of year.
Also busy and smiling was Jacqueline Mallison, the program director of the nature center. With an undergraduate and graduate degree in environmental science, Mallison was a great hire as the program director of the nature center. She was more than happy to show off the many displays and activities to the throngs of visitors coming in to take a look at the pristine building, her English accent unmistakable.
“I was born in England and attended college in Manchester, England,” Mallison said. “I received my master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Sydney, Australia.”
Mallison, whose mother is from Minnesota, has spent 10 years as a seasonal waitress at Lutsen Resort while achieving her degrees. She also substitute teaches K-12 grades in Cook County and recently completed a Red List Internship in Washington, D.C. where she updated accounts of migratory South American fish species and Columbian amphibians. Mallison joins Museum Director Bonnie Schudy and Museum Assistant Kathy Lande as the erstwhile staff running Chik-Wauk.
Barb Bottger, president of the Gunflint Trail Historical Society (GTHS), gave a brief talk about the new projects, thanking the multitudes of volunteers who helped make it all possible. She also talked about the future plans to build a boat pavilion and storage building, as well as the 1950s replica cabin, which should round out the historical society’s ambitious plans for awhile.
“Our budget is between $500,00 and $600,00 for these projects,” Bottger said.
To help secure those funds Bruce and Sue Kerfoot went before the Minnesota State Legislature two years ago and made a case for the state to award $250,000 in Minnesota Legacy Funds to Chik-Wauk. The late Minnesota Congressman David Dill said it was the finest presentation he had ever seen before the House of Representatives. Bruce Kerfoot said about $250,000 has also been raised by private donations, and other grant money is currently being sought so the last projects can be finished.
While volunteers helped stain the nature center and building and cleared the grounds, Mjolner Construction built and finished the two new buildings. Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc. did a lot of the dirt work and Skadberg Masonry did the cement work, putting an eye-catching finish on the floors in the administrative office building. Hunt Electric installed the wiring and electric hook-ups and Gunflint Trail Excavating also contributed to the exterior work.
Split Rock Studios installed and designed the six new learning stations that feature birds, water, weather, plants, mammals and insects displays at the nature center. A Murphy (bed) style table can be pulled down with benches for activities or folded up and out of sight when no activities are planned.
Bottger said the GTHS has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service, Minnesota Historical Society, the State’s Historical Preservation Office and Cook County Chamber of Commerce to achieve the outcome presented at the grand opening. It was an outcome that pleased all who participated in the ceremony, staying to enjoy the treats with many walking the interpretive trails on the grounds or doing one of the activities in the nature center.
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