Apr 2022
Phenology Walk with John Latimer
Explore winter trees, shrubs, birds and the myriad changes as spring arrives. Latimer will reveal the importance of collecting annual observational data about the firsts, lasts and changes in the outdoor world and its importance in our world today. A leading phenologist in Minnesota, Latimer has a popular radio segment on KAXE out of Grand Rapids and is co-founder of the Minnesota Phenology Network. Donations to defray travel costs for the presenter are welcome. Hosted by the Head of the…
Find out more »Sep 2022
Poetry Reading
Celebrate the publication of Marshmallow Clouds and hear poets Connie Wanek, Linda LeGarde Grover, Ryan Vine, Ellie Schoenfeld and Joyce Sutphen read and talk about writing for younger readers.
Find out more »Oct 2022
Hartley Nature Center Ribbon Cutting
The city of Duluth and Hartley Nature Center will have a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the recent completion of the Hartley Nature Center building expansion and park improvements. Tours of the building addition will take place immediately following the ribbon cutting. The city was awarded $1.29-million from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission Legacy Grant Program to support the implementation of the Hartley Park Mini-Master Plan, including a building expansion, improved sidewalk connectivity, additional parking, and comprehensive…
Find out more »Dec 2022
Nearly Global Fat Bike Day Celebration
Global Fat Bike Day is Dec. 3, but Hartley Nature Center, Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores, Continental Ski & Bike and their friends are celebrating the day after with an afternoon of fat-bike fun. There will be fat-tire bike demos, group rides and a winter market with a handful of vendors including Romp Bags, Cedaero, the Back Alley, and Duluth Gear Exchange. Schedule 10 a.m. | Winter market opens 10:30 a.m. | Fat-bike demo tent opens 10:30 a.m. to 2…
Find out more »Feb 2023
Women’s Fat Biking Skills Clinic
This workshop will cover what to wear and what to bring when fat biking. Also, participants will learn how to ensure their bike is set up properly and have appropriate tire pressure based on conditions. Next, there will be a discussion and practice riding techniques specific to fat-tire biking, focusing on positioning, dismounting, cadence, and cornering in snowy conditions. The class will briefly discuss mountain biking trail etiquette and location choice. The instructor is Sandra van den Bosse who has…
Find out more »218 Days: Free Ski and Snowshoe Rental at Hartley Nature Center
Hartley Nature Center provides free ski and snowshoe rentals for the whole family for 218 Days.
Find out more »Tischer Creek and Hartley Pond Feasibility Study Public Meeting
The city of Duluth and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invite the public to participate in a public meeting for the Tischer Creek and Hartley Pond Feasibility Study. The meeting will include a presentation about the approach of the study and the proposed options. Following the presentation, there will be time for questions and discussion with the project staff. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed options to improve the aesthetics, aquatic habitat…
Find out more »Mar 2023
Family-Friendly Social
The Duluth Area Outdoor Alliance presents this special family-friendly social. All outdoor enthusiasts are invited. Bring skis or fat bikes to enjoy the Hartley trails and then grab some refreshments indoors at the Nature Center. Free ski rentals, hot chili, bread, cookies and hot chocolate.
Find out more »Apr 2023
Studying Phenology Using Nature’s Notebook
Phenologist John Latimer and nature enthusiast Sarah Mitchell teach how to study and record seasonal changes in nature. For nearly four decades, Latimer has hosted the Phenology Show on KAXE, a radio station located in Grand Rapids. Mitchell is a Minnesota Master Naturalist, evolutionary biologist and overall nature enthusiast.
Find out more »May 2023
Hike the Divide: Film Screening
Hartley Nature Center presents the 2019 film about Connor DeVane’s backpacking trip on the Continental Divide Trail. Hear the stories from people Connor met along the way who are working towards a more livable future. Free registration by clicking “going” on the Facebook event page. Light refreshments will be provided.
Find out more »Jun 2023
Poetry Reading with Max Garland and Barton Sutter
Multiple award winning poets, Barton Sutter and Max Garland, read from their new books, So Surprised to Find You Here and Into the Good World Again, respectively. This event will occur at the Hartley Nature Center at 3001 Woodland Ave. in Duluth.
Find out more »Adventure Book Club
Join the Duluth Public Library for a book discussion in one of Duluth’s beautiful parks, followed by a low-impact hike led by Parks and Recreation. Hartley Nature Center is the location for June’s book selection, The Unlikely Thru-Hiker by Derick Lugo. This is the account of one man’s trek as a first-time hiker along the Appalachian Trail.
Find out more »Edible and Medicinal Plant Walk at Hartley
Come join the Arrowhead Native Plant Explorers to learn about native plants and their foraging potential. Wander about Hartley Park to explore a variety of edible and medicinal plants with field trip leader Kelly Popham. Duluth native, Kelly, has learned about plants on walks with friends and field guides. Participants will meet will meet at the main entrance of the nature center. Bug net and tick protection are encouraged.
Find out more »Jul 2023
Women’s Intermediate Mountain Biking Skills Clinic
This Mountain Biking clinic will focus on building "on-trail" confidence by improving riding over trail obstacles and features. Meet in the parking lot at Hartley Nature Center. Instructor Sandra van den Bosse has been coaching for years and is a certified Professional Mountain Bike Instructor. She's been riding all her life but focused on MTB for the past decade. She coaches for Duluth Devo. When not riding, Sandra is the program director of social work, teaching and running the undergraduate…
Find out more »Aug 2023
Trails Fest
Hikers, bikers, runners can celebrate all things trail with Hartley Nature Center and a group of their partners. Come learn about each organization and what they do and then participate in an activity sponsored by those same organizations. During the event you can take a guided hike with the SHTA, join a group bike ride with COGGS, enjoy a yoga session with Runa Yoga and so much more. There will be food, games, trail information, and plenty of recreation. Stay…
Find out more »Parks and Recreation Bike Night
Parks and Recreation is hosting an educational Bike Night along with Northland Adaptive Recreation that will inform community members about various styles of bikes, program opportunities regarding biking and ways to connect with others interested in biking. There will be balance bikes, recumbent tricycles and adaptive mountain bikes on-site to see, learn about and try. Demos may be limited - and best suited for teens/adults based on sizes of bikes.
Find out more »Nov 2023
Hartley Stewardship Fest
Hartley Nature Center will be hosting Stewardship Fest, a celebration of the people and organizations that are helping to take care of Hartley Park’s natural resources and helping to make the park a better place for future generations. Learn about invasive species from Community Action Duluth (CAD) or participate in a buckthorn pull with the Duluth Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA). Learn about native wildflower gardening from Wild Ones and get information on winter sowing. Take a tour of…
Find out more »Dec 2023
Winter Trails Season Kickoff Celebration
Join The Hartley Nature Center in celebrating the start of the winter hiking and biking season! This celebratory event features multiple activities including fat tire bike demos, group rides, grooming demonstrations with snow dogs, prize drawings, trail informational talks and mobile tent saunas provided by North Shore Sauna. Come check out all the festivities and enjoy a delicious, warm meal from Johnny B’s Food truck. Rides will be happening at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. A…
Find out more »Duluth Natural Resources Commission Meeting
Duluth's Natural Resources Commission meets on the first Wednesday of each month. It provides science–based guidance on the protection and enhancement of the ecological health of city-owned and city-managed lands and the regional ecosystems of which they are a part. It also advises on the natural area program established to designate, protect and manage lands of special environmental value. Agendas can be found at duluthmn.gov.
Find out more »Jan 2024
Words for Winter Wonder with Emily Stone
Award-winning author and naturalist Emily Stone offers a writing workshop about one of her favorite seasons. Winter is a time of hidden magic, ethereal beauty, and curmudgeonly humor. At this 2-hour workshop, participants will engage in a series of writing exercises to explore the many facets of the season, while also learning snowflake science and traveling to the mystical realm of the Subnivean Zone. Students will have the beautiful landscape of Hartley woods to explore.
Find out more »Hartley Candlelight Ski, Snowshoe and Bike
Hartley Nature Center, Duluth Cross Country Ski Club, Continental Ski & Bike, Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores and Duluth Running Company are presenting an evening of winter wonder. Go skiing on luminary lit cross country ski trails, go snowshoeing on a candlelit loop under the stars, grab a demo bike and go for a group fat bike ride by headlamp or go for a moonlit run. Scenic 61 will be providing delicious food for after you hit the trails. A…
Find out more »Feb 2024
Hartley Nature Center Summer Camp Registration
Summer is coming. Enroll in the registration lottery between Feb. 5-16 to be assigned a registration wave.
Find out more »Mar 2024
Duluth Planning Commission Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of Duluth's Planning Commission begins with a dinner at 5:30 p.m. The call to order and roll call is at 6 p.m. Presentations Carol Andrews, St. Louis County, and Ryan Granlund, City of Duluth - Green Infrastructure at Hartley Park Brian Forcier, Titanium Partners - Woodland Avenue Development Site Other Business Zenith Awards (Presentation by Chris Lee) Election of Officers (All) Bylaws Discussion (presentation by Adam Fulton) 2024 Work Plan Items (All) The commission advises the City…
Find out more »Apr 2024
Water Walkers: An Evening of Stories and Songs with Sharon Day and Sara Thomsen
We Are Water Events brings Sharon Day and Sara Thomsen together for an evening of stories and songs celebrating Nibi Walks. Learn about these water walks, and hear why protecting water is important to a healthy future. Sharon Day is an enrolled member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe and former Executive Director of the Indigenous Peoples Task Force. She has led many Nibi Walks including a 1,129 mile walk around Lake Superior in 2023. Sara Thomsen is a…
Find out more »Plant ID 101 Workshop
Arrowhead Native Plant Explorers presents a workshop to learn simple observation techniques for identifying plants based on features and characteristics. Participants will be equipped with basic skills to conduct field identification independently. The event is led by Dr. Amanda Grusz the Director of the Olga Lakela Herbarium.
Find out more »Hartley Park Clean Up
Join Hartley Nature Center for a volunteer Hartley Park Clean Up event on Earth Day. Participants will be picking up trash along the Woodland Avenue Connector, in the parking lot, and along old Hartley road. Rubber gloves, work gloves and trash bags will be provided. Youth under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Interested in helping, but can't make the event? Hartley would be happy to provide trash bags and rubber gloves to anyone wanting to participate…
Find out more »May 2024
Iditarod Trail by Bike: And Other Stories of Endurance and Perseverance on Trail
Hartley Nature Center presents this group bike ride followed by a presentation by Duluth's Leah Gruhn, who became the first Minnesotan to complete the famed 1,000-mile Alaskan Iditarod Trail by bike in 2023. Gruhn recently returned to Duluth after completing the trail a second time. She has completed the Arrowhead 135 ten times (and is a subject in the film 40 Below), completed the Tour Divide race that follows the 2,745-mile Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, and has also competed…
Find out more »Jun 2024
An event every week that begins at 6:00 pm on Thursday, repeating until Aug 29, 2024
One event on Jun 20, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Jun 27, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Jul 11, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Jul 18, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Jul 25, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 1, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 8, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 15, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 22, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 29, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Social Pedal: Mountain Bike Group Ride for Beginners
An event every week that begins at 6:00 pm on Thursday, repeating until Aug 29, 2024
One event on Jun 20, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Jun 27, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Jul 11, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Jul 18, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Jul 25, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 1, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 8, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 15, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 22, 2024 at 6:00 pm
One event on Aug 29, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Hartley Nature Center hosts every Thursday through August 29th. Social Pedal is a mountain-bike ride that is designed specifically for beginners. Experienced ride leaders will choose a pace, route and length of ride that is suitable for beginners, while also being there to help with mechanical issues or other problems that might occur. Social Pedal rides will generally be slow-paced and relatively short. The group will be riding a combination of Old Hartley Road Trail (a relatively wide gravel trail)…
Find out more »Beginner-Level Adult Mountain Bike Lesson
These beginner-level adult mountain-bike lessons consist of classroom instruction, skills practice and trail time. The goal is to introduce the sport of mountain biking. Sign up for one or all three days. Hartley Park has some of the easiest multi-use mountain-bike trails in Duluth and is a suitable place for beginners to learn. Individuals must be 15 years old (under 18 must be accompanied by parent or guardian) to participate and should have a moderate level of fitness. Price does…
Find out more »Aug 2024
Trails Fest
A celebration of trails and recreation in Hartley Park and beyond. Learn about local trail groups, hear about upcoming events and activities, say "thanks" to the Hartley Trail Crew, find out how to participate in trail-maintenance projects and learn about adaptive biking. Activities at the event include a guided hike by the Duluth Foot Trails Alliance and Superior Hiking Trail Association, a group bike ride led by the Conti Crew, leave-no-trace education with SHTA, bike demos by HNC and a…
Find out more »A Midsummer Nights Dream in the Woods
Step out of the black box with the cast of kiddos who participated in a week-long acting camp for an all-ages, once-in-a-lifetime, immersive theater experience in the woods of Hartley Nature Center.
Find out more »A Midsummer Night’s Dream: In The Woods
Zeitgeist Theater presents the third show in their 2024 season: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream: In The Woods.” The show steps out of the black box for an all-ages, immersive theater experience in the woods of Hartley Nature Center. The cast features a group of talented kids who participated in Zeitgeist’s week-long acting camp.
Find out more »Summer Plant and Mushroom Foray
Ariel Bonkoski and Maria Wesserle lead this full day of foraging at the Hartley Nature Center. The workshop begins with two indoor slideshow presentations: one covering introductory information about wild mushroom foraging, and the other about wild edible plants that might be present in the area. The presentations will be followed by a break for lunch; participants should bring a bag lunch. Afterward the instructors will guide students along the trails and help them apply their newfound knowledge to the…
Find out more »Oct 2024
Forest Bathing Short Film and Guided Forest Walk
Hartley Nature Center presents a forest-bathing short film and a Q&A with the filmmakers followed by a two-hour guided walk led by certified forest-bathing guide Alexa Shapiro (pre-registration required).
Find out more »
