Guest Blog: River Bend Nature Center
River Bend Nature Center: A Historic Circle for all Seasons
By Alyson Levig
All nature is historic, constantly adapting and changing for the needs of people and wildlife alike. The 743 acres of River Bend Nature Center in Faribault, Minnesota, are no different, as the land has been altered time and time again since humans discovered it.
Research has shown that the Wahpekutey band of the Dakota lived on the banks of the straight River in today’s Faribault area. At what’s now called River Bend Nature Center, they found a varied landscape, suitable for human settlement. Here, the combination of prairie, forest, and the access to water made for ideal hunting and fishing grounds. Along Rustand Road, researchers have discovered evidence of the Wahpekutey’s everyday life and their early fur trading activity.
My favorite trail – the Arbor loop – is the one I’d recommend. It’s a short but challenging hike through a mixed landscape of prairie and forest with a scenic overlook of Faribault. Here, you can witness the competition between nature and development, a rivalry that’s as old as the arrival of the first settlers in Minnesota.
River Bend Nature Center is a wonderful, protected area that reminded me of how all of nature is historic and that new history is being made every day, either by people or wildlife.
Source: River Bend Nature Center website
About the Author
Alyson Levig is a part-time freelancer based in the Brainerd Lakes Area who enjoys being out in nature. Her writing reflects this passion as all of her work engages Nature and the wildlife living in it from her point of view. She’s a graduate of Northwestern College located in Orange City, Iowa, with a Bachelor’s degree in both Ecological Science and Writing and Rhetoric. When she’s not writing, Alyson can be found working full-time on the plant care team at Jacobson Excavating and Landscaping, which is located in Brainerd and takes up most of her time. In her free time Alyson enjoys being outside with friends, family, and her husband, Jacob. Her favorite outdoor activities include hiking, hammocking, and kayaking as well as maintaining her garden at home. Alyson has always wanted to go hiking in all the state parks of Minnesota and she is finally making that dream into a reality. Her blog is a place for her to reflect on the beauty of God’s creation she saw within each hike, as well as a reminder of all the adventures she’s had while accomplishing this goal. Follow her adventures on her blog.
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About me
I’m Jan, the publisher of Minnesota Trails Magazine. I’m looking for that one trail, the next ride, a new discovery and other reasons never to sit still in Minnesota.
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