Spring is an explosion of life in the North! Discovering the birds, wildflowers, insects and more of this dynamic and rich northern landscape is the focus of this festival. Participation in the festival is open to anyone interested in hands-on learning and curious about the dynamics of the northern landscape.

Schedule of Events

7pm: Wildfire: The Culture, Science and Future of Fire with Ferin Davis Anderson - Blue Building

As the North Shore climate changes, an understanding of the boreal forest we call home and wildfire has never felt like a hotter issue. We are pleased to welcome environmental scientist and resource manager Ferin Davis Anderson to discuss her book Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire, exploring the long relationship Indigenous people have had with fire, the ecological importance of burns and a reflection on fire’s regenerative and important benefits and destructive capabilities alike.

Ferin is an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa/Ojibwe/Anishinaabe/Mitchifs in North Dakota. Ferin is responsible for stewarding and restoring natural areas for the Shakopee Mdewakaton Sioux Community’s Natural Resources Department. She works to weave Indigenous knowledge and western science to practice holistic land stewardship. This includes using fire as an ecological and cultural tool to achieve beneficial and healing outcomes. Witnessing Indigenous people revitalize and reconnect with this practice has been one of the greatest gifts of her career. Ferin was also part of a team that helped bring bison back to the SMSC – a relative that will help the Community connect with the land and their culture.

9am-5pm: Foundations in Woodturning: Developing Finesse and Skill

Course Overview
This four-day course provides an opportunity to dive deep into woodturning, focusing on how to design, turn, and finish elegant side and end grain items on the lathe. Matt Monaco, a master production woodturner, will share some of his most effective methods for cutting side and end grain based on his formative years spent training as a working professional trade turner. Students will learn about the advantages of using both green and dry materials and how specifically focused practice and efficiency at the lathe directly mirrors the process of producing beautiful works. Matt will help students build their tool control and fine technique, showing them how correct body mechanics and a basic tool set can produce exceptional results. For those ready to elevate their turning, this class will offer ample individual instruction and opportunity for group learning. This course requires some prior experience in woodturning, but is open to those working at a beginner level.

Register Here

9am-5pm: Northwoods Nature Through the Lens

Course Overview
Due to an instructor change, this class has an updated description and revised dates.

Discover the art of capturing the stunning North Woods landscape through photography. While smartphones make taking pictures easier than ever, this course helps beginners transition to DSLR or mirrorless cameras to create more impactful images of the natural world.

This hands-on course introduces the fundamentals of photography, including essential camera settings like camera modes, aperture, shutter speed, white balance, ISO, and file formats. We'll dive deep into focus systems - often one of the most challenging aspects of modern cameras to master. The course also includes a brief introduction to Lightroom Classic for photo editing. For those interested in a deeper dive into Lightroom Classic, the instructor offers a comprehensive four-session online course each fall. Combining classroom instruction with field practice allows you to immediately apply what you've learned.

Weather and conditions will guide our choice of scenic locations around Grand Marais. During the first day and first morning of the class, we will stay close to the North House. The second day will include an afternoon field session. We may visit waterfalls, focus on landscapes, or capture Lake Superior's dramatic shoreline. Students should be comfortable hiking 2-3 miles during the course day over uneven terrain and come prepared for varied weather conditions.

Youth aged 12+ may register with a full-paying adult. The youth student will receive a 25% intergenerational discount; call to register.

Required Tools

A camera body and lens that you own
Tripod
Extra batteries and memory cards  
Rain gear,
Long sleeves
Long pants
Hat
Bug net
Sunscreen
Bug repellent
Hiking boots/shoes
Optional Tools
While not required, a laptop or tablet for uploading and editing photos will be helpful for our final day of class as we will be spending time learning about editing software (specifically Adobe Lightroom). Feel free to bring any additional photography gear that you own and want to practice with and/or need help with. This may include additional lenses, filters, etc.

Register here

9am-5pm: Welcome to Blacksmithing

Course Overview
The Blacksmith Shop at North House has a charisma that can’t be denied: the ring of the hammer and the roar of fire reels in people like a siren’s song. For those who have been drawn in but wondered if they might not have the stamina to stand at a forge all day in a hot and physically intense environment, we offer this introductory course. Longtime teacher Michael Jones will teach the basics of forging at a slow pace, taking breaks for exploration of the history of the craft, and simply relaxing and enjoying good conversation: all at the root of folk school learning. Students will choose from a variety of introductory projects, but the main emphasis here will be on getting comfortable with the tools of the trade, and exploring metalwork in a safe and supportive environment, regardless of physical ability. This course is open to ages 16+. Youth ages 14-15 are welcome to register with a full-paying adult. Youth registrants will receive a 25% intergenerational discount; call to register.

Required Tools
Safety glasses (provided, but you may wish to bring your own)
Ear protection (provided, but you may wish to bring your own)
Leather gloves
Jeans
Cotton shirts (no nylon clothing)
Leather shoes
Clothing comfortable to be outdoors

Register here

9am-5pm: What's This Rock 3? Southern North Shore’s Geological Story

Course Overview
How many times have you walked along a cobbled beach or a rocky ledge along the North Shore and wondered, “What’s this rock? Where did it come from? Why is it here?” Lace up some sturdy footwear and head into the field to be immersed in the fascinating geology of the southern part of Minnesota's North Shore with University of Minnesota Duluth emeritus geology professor Jim Miller. This is a third part of the “What's This Rock?” series* that will focus on “reading the rocks” between Silver Bay and Two Harbors. Like the other What's This Rock courses, the geology of this area tells the 1.1 billion-year-old story of fire and ice that created the Lake Superior basin. An introductory lecture on Friday evening (at the Tettegouche State Park Visitor Center) will introduce you to basic geologic terms and principles that will help us interpret the geologic story of the area. On Saturday, we will visit various rock exposures between Two Harbors and Silver Bay that illustrate the story of lava eruptions that spilled across a vast barren landscape over one billion years ago. We will also investigate sediments and landforms formed by enormous continental glaciers that carved out the Lake Superior basin over the past two million years. On Sunday morning, we hike around Tettegouche State Park and examine its diverse geology. Students aged 16+ may register for this course independently. *The three courses in the "What's This Rock?" series do not need to be taken sequentially nor are they prerequisites to each other. Students aged 8-15 may register with a full-paying adult. The youth student will receive a 25% intergenerational discount; call to register.

This course will not be based at North House Folk School. Instead, the instructor will meet the students at Tettegouche State Park Visitor Center, which will serve as the homebase for the course. Students are encouraged to make lodging arrangements in the Tofte/Silver Bay/Two Harbors area. The class will carpool to sites in the area.

Ability/ Skills required: Most of the field trip stops for WTR3 will be visiting roadcuts along Highway 61 or rock exposures along or near the shore. Most of these stops involve short hikes, less than 1/4 mile, along gravel footpaths with mild to moderate inclines, on irregular bedrock surfaces, or along cobbled beaches. The Sunday morning field trip involves a more challenging terrain. We will make a 2-mile hike along the shoreline between Shovel Point and the mouth of the Baptism River that involves significant changes in elevation (+/- 500’). Because of the rigor of many of these field trip stops, sturdy footwear is strongly recommended and people with physical mobility issues are discouraged from enrolling.

Required Tools
Sturdy footwear
Rain gear
Hat
Water bottle
Lunch for Saturday
Optional Tools
Camera  
For safety reasons, rock hammers are not allowed
All participants will be given a high-visibility orange vest to wear during highway field stops  

Register here

9am-5pm: Wool: The Full Experience

Course Overview
Wool is an incredibly versatile, durable, and beautiful fiber that is surprisingly easy to make into fabric. Start at the very beginning of the process in this team-taught class, as we shear sheep from Prairie Willows Farm and then go through processing wool, step by step together; shearing, skirting, washing, drying, carding, making batts, spinning, and finally felting. Once the wool is processed and divided amongst the class, we will practice the very foundation of making fabric; spinning fibers, which leads to knitting and weaving.  We will also work on the ancient method of making fabric, wet felting.


Wet felting wool pre-dates weaving and knitting and has recently seen a resurgence of popularity, as it is relatively easy and extremely versatile. Students will go home with new skills and one substantial wet-felted project. The course will be led by two fiber experts: Elise Kyllo, a former artist in residence at North House Folk School, specializing in wet felting, and Heidi Quist, a shepherdess from central Minnesota who raises sheep and is in charge of bringing and shearing the wooly guests of honor. This is a unique opportunity to immerse fully in wool craft and connect directly to the source. This course is open to students ages 12+ if accompanied by an adult. A 25% tuition discount applies to the youth registrant when registering with a full paying adult; call to register.

Required Tools
2 large towels
Clothes that can get dirty/wet or an apron
Plastic bags to bring your wet projects home
Optional Tools
Feel free to bring your favorite tools and whatever materials you might feel appropriate for this course. Apron, rubber gloves, etc. If you have your own carders and spinning tools you may bring them. Also, feel free to bring your own raw wool that may be processed and felted with, if suitable for felting.

Register here

9am-3pm: Beekeeping Basics

Course Overview
Hobby beekeeping is growing as people realize how rewarding it can be to collaborate with the amazing honey bee. A few pieces of equipment, a little bit of training, and a lot of patience can lead to not only delicious honey for you and yours, but a new relationship with the environment as you “tune in” with the bees. Join local beekeepers Mark Ditmanson and Jeanne Wright for a primer on how to get started in beekeeping. In the morning session, they’ll cover the basics of equipment and hive management, discuss how to obtain bees, how to maintain and over-winter hives in our harsh northern climate, and how to cultivate the landscape for your bees. As a treat, you may sample the delicious honey of the boreal forest. The afternoon will include a visit to an apiary where you will examine frames of honeycomb covered with bees, observe a waggle dance, spot workers and drones, and maybe even see the queen. The weather of course will determine how much of an examination is possible. Finally, you will retrieve test boards from each hive and return to North House to identify the Varroa Destructor mite. The class will also include information about supporting wild bee species and other pollinators, and an opportunity to make a wild bee house to take home. Get your questions answered and leave inspired to become an apiarist in your own backyard.

NOTE: Handling the frames requires protection. Students who have gloves and veils are encouraged to bring their own. The instructors have a limited supply of some to borrow that students can share. FleetFarm and Mann Lake Ltd. are good resources for gloves and veils which run approximately $45.

Required Tools

Beekeeping gloves and a veil
A limited number are available to borrow. Please indicate your needs at the time of registration - see instructor’s contact information in confirmation email.

Register here

8am-3pm: Discovering the Language of Birds

Course Overview

We call them songs, but in reality, those sweet bird chirps and calls are more than a happy little tune on a spring day. Birds are “saying” a lot with all the vocalizations they make. Explore the world of bird language and discover the difference between a comfortable bird and a bird that is in full alarm mode. Learning bird language will open up a whole new understanding of why birds sing and call, and lead to a deeper connection to these wild inhabitants of our natural world. No previous experience or identification skills are needed, but participants should be able to hike distances of up to a mile over uneven terrain. Youth ages 14-15 are welcome to register with a full-paying adult (a 25% tuition discount applies to the youth student); ages 16+ may register on their own, but will be responsible for transportation to the field sites.

Required Tools
Clothing, footwear and any gear you need to be comfortable outdoors on the North Shore in the spring. This might include rain gear, sun protection, bug protection, and warm layers.
Lunch, snacks, water bottle, and something to carry them in. Our timing will depend on the birds; please bring what you need to stay fueled throughout the day.
Optional Tools
Note taking materials
Binoculars

Register here

9am-4pm: Lichens and Mosses of the North Woods

Often overlooked and clearly underappreciated, our lichens and mosses are wonderfully diverse and surprisingly beautiful. We will explore habitats from the shore of Lake Superior to inland forests and rocky outcrops. Practice with tools and techniques that will catapult you from nerdy novice to local respected authority. Bring a camera, notebook, and curiosity. Casual strolls through the park will never be the same again. Joe remarks, "I love lichens and mosses; so will you!!" Steady-footing will be required for uneven and potentially slippery walking surfaces.

Required Tools
Comfortable shoes
Clothing layers for any weather
Rain gear if needed
Water
Snacks

Register Here

9am-4 pm: The Beekeeper’s Pantry-Making the Most of Honey in the Kitchen

Bees are an essential player in world culinary history, pollinating an abundance of plants we rely on and creating honey, one of the first luxury foods in the ancient world. Beekeeping is having a renaissance, with the distinct flavor nuances of different honeys being seriously appreciated in cooking, baking, and cocktails—for both sweet and savory recipes. This workshop will explore the world of honey, beginning with a tasting of regionally produced honeys and comparing them to some of the world’s most renowned honeys. We’ll talk about how to buy well and sustainably if you don’t keep your own hives. Then tie on an apron and learn how to infuse honey with spices and herbs, use honeycomb and bee pollen, create unique cocktail syrups, and you’ll make your own jar of lemon-garlic fermented honey. Phyllo-wrapped baked feta with honey, hot honey marinated chicken, grilled brussels sprouts with honey-balsamic glaze, fingerling potato salad with honey-thyme vinaigrette, and lavender honey shortbread are on the menu. In addition,there will be time to discuss using honey in home remedies, such as honey face masks and honey-ginger cough syrup. Students age 12+ may register for this course.

Register Here