Swamp Oak Wanderers
Meet-up at the Swamp Oak Terrace.
Prairie Island Park is a rich environment for hiking, canoeing, and observing the diversity of birds, insects, and plants within. We might even see a fox! On Saturday mornings and evenings and Wednesday evenings along the Mississippi River, opportunities are planned for deepening participant relationships with and understanding of the surrounding environment. Saturday evening art activities give families time and space to be creative together. Activities are open to campground guests and Winona community families alike, serving up to 15 participants each weekend. Please RSVP by clicking on the button below.
Macroinvertebrate monitoring
Environmental Education topics
Water quality
Floodplain forest & prairie plants
Birds
Pollinators
Seasonal changes
Leave No Trace
Geology of the Driftless area
Fish identification & shore fishing
Habitat development
removal of displaced plant relatives
Swamp Oak Wanderers taste-testing produce.
Community Garden
The PIC Community Garden and Patio was built to promote healthy eating, serve as a gateway to outdoor recreation, engage community members with multiple perspectives, provide learning opportunities for youth, and sustain biological diversity. This central gathering space fosters interaction between PIC guests as well as Winona area community members by hosting art and culture: music performances, informational events, arts and crafts opportunities, and film viewings.
A mayfly or damselfly?
Swamp oak terrace
The outdoor classroom space was developed from the support of the Minnesota Department of Health - Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) and Front Porch Management.
The Prairie Island Adventure Club (PIAC) is a free and accessible summer program for youth. This program invites children, aged roughly 5-14 years old, to be engaged in programming that facilitates opportunities for social emotional learning, embedded in an active environmental education program. The plan for the 2024 season is to host 2-groups of 10 kids twice a week, June - August. After successfully hosting a college student intern in 2023, the program plans to host 5-interns from the Winona State programs of Counseling and Public Health. PIAC aims to provide structure, community, and support to underserved youth in the Winona area, building positive relationships between program facilitators, participants and their families, and the environment of Prairie Island Park.
