Minnesota Master Naturalist

Course Registration

PP - Prairies and Potholes of West Central Minnesota, Spicer, MN

Prairies and Potholes of West Central Minnesota, Spicer, MN website

12718 10th St. NE
Spicer, MN 56288

Join us on the Glacial Ridge for a Minnesota Master Naturalist Prairies and Potholes course. In this week-long course we will explore the unique features of the region near Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center. Our goal is to better understand how this landscape was formed and discover more about the plants, animals and humans that call this biome their home now and in the past.

You will experience a mixture of instructional approaches, but the majority of our instruction time will be experiential, including outdoor adventures. Plans for the week include a paddle to explore the Middle Fork of the Crow River in a voyageur canoe, a chance to canoe (or wade) into wetlands to collect macroinvertebrates for observation, a trip to view the expanse of the Ordway Prairie with Nature Conservancy team members, and a visit Sibley State Park.

During class each participant will complete a team capstone project connecting you to volunteer opportunities at PWELC and other organizations.

Please inform instructors before the class begins of any accessibility or mobility needs regarding outdoor activities.

The course cost is $295 and includes course manuals and supplies. If the course cost is a hardship, please fill out the scholarship application. After the scholarship is fully processed, you will receive a code to be entered during the on-line registration process. Please wait until you receive that code to complete registration.

Housing availability:
* Green Lake Lutheran Ministries at the Green Lake facility or Shores of Andrew"
* camp at Sibley State Park or book a camper cabin
* camp at County Park #7, Games Lake – camping and camper cabins
* book a room at one of the local hotels in New London or Spicer
* contact PWELC to see if the Yurt is available or if onsite camping is available If you are having trouble registering, please use the information below. We also have help videos you can watch. For Registration questions contact Extension Registration, ext-reg@umn.edu
For Username or Password help contact UMN Help Desk, HELP@umn.edu, 612-301-4357.

Help Videos:
 Help with Online Payment Registration.
NOTE: The canvas link they are referring to is only for online classes, not "in person" classes.
Help with Online Payment Password Reset

The course cost is $295 and includes course manuals and supplies.

If the course cost is a hardship, please fill out the scholarship application. After the scholarship is fully processed, you will receive a code to be entered in the on-line registration process. Please wait until you receive that code to complete registration.

Course Dates:

Meeting from 8:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. on:

Instructor Information

Laura Molenaar

Laura Molenaar, a retired teacher from New London/Spicer Schools, with a MS in Educational Leadership. She is always open to opportunities to learn, hang out with children, and share her passion for the natural world. Working with students and teachers she has led the restoration of three prairie areas to create outdoor classroom spaces on the NLS campus. These outdoor classrooms provided the opportunities for students to participate in community science research. This work led to Laura receiving The Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, PAEMST. She has worked with the Monarch Lab at the University of Minnesota and is currently an education specialist with Monarch Joint Venture, MJV.
This quote from Also Leopold describes how she approaches life; “...The most fun lies in seeing and studying the unknown.” Laura has 3 grown children and lives in New London, MN with her husband Jim, golden retriever Addy and geriatric cat Latte. When she’s not working you will find her outside; biking, camping, or digging in the soil, ...

Sponsor Information

Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center

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