WOODBURY, MN (WNN) – While Woodbury is well known for its scenic walking trails, many local residents are surprised to discover that just beyond the city’s eastern border lies 1,600 acres of protected savannas, wetlands, and prairies: Belwin Conservancy in neighboring Afton.
This Saturday’s Bison Festival combines conservation, culture, and fun while inviting the public to welcome back the herd of 30 bison that spends its summer on the Belwin restored prairie. It’s also an opportunity to learn more about the hiking trails and educational program offerings available to all.
The family-friendly event begins Saturday, May 17 at 9 a.m. at the Lucy Winton Bell Athletic Fields, 15601 Hudson Rd. N, Lakeland, with a “Run with the Bison 5K.” A full lineup of activities follows at 10 a.m., including live music, eco-arts, and local food trucks.
Release of the Bison
The main event—the release of the bison onto the prairie—will take place at approximately 12:30 p.m., preceded by a traditional drumming ceremony by the Imniza Ska Dakota Drum Group, honoring the ancestral home of the Wahpekute Dakota people. For the best experience, visitors are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 a.m. to allow time to park and walk to the bison release site.
For the next few months, the Bison Observation Platform–located at 15551 Division Street, Afton–offers an opportunity to get a glimpse of the herd as the bison roam on 130 acres of prairie. Bring your binoculars.
Outreach Efforts
Belwin’s mission stretches far beyond bison. Both the Bison Festival and Weekend at the Wetlands on June 7-8 are intentional outreach efforts by the nonprofit to encourage its neighbors to learn about its conservation efforts and explore the variety of ecosystems and programs that Belwin has to offer.
“I think our neighbors in Woodbury do look over at Belwin, so these events are meant to be an open, welcoming invitation to come explore our hiking trails and learn about us,” said Angie Eckel, Belwin’s Development Director. “These special events also offer an opportunity to experience protected areas of Belwin not typically open to the public,” she added.
Education Facility
This includes the new Peter J. King Family Foundation Wetlands Center. The expanded outdoor education facility will serve the 10,000 students from St. Paul Public Schools who visit Belwin each year. With space for an additional 5,000 students, the new facility will also accommodate students from Stillwater Area schools.
The new education center will also be the new home of Belwin’s adaptive outdoor education program for children with special needs, a program Eckel said “is not replicated anywhere else.”
Belwin also partners several times a year with the Minnesota Astronomical Society to host moon viewings and galaxy sighting events at the onsite Casby Observatory.
Belwin was once the home of former General Mills executive Charlie Bell and his wife Lucy Winton Bell, who founded the conservancy in the 1970s to support outdoor science education for children in the St. Paul Public School District. Their legacy lives in both conservation and community partnerships, including working with the St. Croix Athletic Association and St. Croix Soccer Club to develop the Lucy Winton Bell Athletic Fields on site.
If You Go: Information on how to register for the Bison Festival, Weekend at the Wetlands, Music in the Trees, and other ongoing naturalist programs is available on the Belwin Events page. While use of the hiking trails is free, there are sliding scale fees for other events. Memberships are available to support the work of the conservancy. Belwin also welcomes the involvement of volunteers.
Important to note: Dogs are not allowed at Belwin events, the Education Center, or Oxbow Trails. Leashed dogs are permitted on Stagecoach Prairie and Tall Grass Trails only.
