Prairie Perspectives 2015: Explore the Des Moines River Valley
2 1/2 day retreat at Shalom Hill Farm
Co-sponsored by the Minnesota Native Plant Society
and the Minnesota School of Botanical Art
Friday, August 21 - Sunday, August 23.
Retreat team:
Nancy Sather, Plant ecologist and amateur landscape historian, 30 years’ experience in Des Moines River valley: retreat coordinator, Friday evening program, trips to hill prairies (Friday and Saturday PM), calcareous fens (Saturday AM), and Expandere WMA (Sunday AM)
Marilyn Garber, Minnesota School of Botanical Art, past president of the American Society of Botanical Artists: drawing workshop Saturday AM and Saturday evening program
Rosemary MacFarlane, Freelance fiber artist—natural dyeing, Saturday afternoon
Janeen Ruby, ecologist, Ruby’s Wetland Bank-- Sunday afternoon tour wetland tour (Jackson Co.)
Rich Perrine, Martin County SWCD—Sunday afternoon Bright Lake County Park forest tour (Martin Co.)
Location: Shalom Hill Farm, 42194 County Road 3, Windom MN. 3-4 hour drive southwest of the Twin Cities. To learn more about this facility, check out their web page at shalomhillfarm.org
Lodging: Single and double rooms are available in the earth-sheltered, climate controlled Commons and the more rustic Shed (windows open). Note that all bathrooms are shared. About 1 per every 2 rooms in Commons, 1 for each gender in shed. Costs are reflected on registration form. Please indicate preference.
Cost: Up to $120 (includes lodging for 2 nights, 6-7 meals, cost of producing handouts and supplying art materials). Actual cost per person will vary depending on room arrangements and arrival time (lunch or supper on Friday). Participants are expected to share meals prepared by SHF. $65 deposit is a partial payment.
Registration deposit: You are not registered until you have paid the registration fee. Register by June 15 (Plant Society members) or August 7 (botanical artists). 15 slots are available for each group and 10 for local day participants. Unfilled slots will be released to anyone on the waiting list after August 14. All registrations and checks should be sent to Contact. Bushclover87@gmail.com. 763 742 2729 for mailing address. Make checks payable to Shalom Hill Farm. Non-refundable after August 14. Unused checks will be returned if you want to hold a spot until the last minute. Special arrangements apply for local residents.
To reduce costs we will prepare our Saturday and Sunday breakfast lunches from our own groceries. Volunteers will be needed to set out and clean up. We will sign up on Friday evening.
Carpooling is encouraged. You need to arrange your own pools, but we will provide names and contact information for potential poolers. Please note on registration form if interested, as a driver or rider, and indicate willingness to have contact information released to other potential poolers. We will pass on your information but will not arrange carpools.