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Friends of William O’Brien State Park |
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The Friends of William O’Brien State Park is a volunteer organization. Its mission is sustaining the natural beauty , primitive nature and visitor related services of the Park. The FOWOBSP serve as a support group to the park staff by educating the public, promoting awareness of the park’s resources, and providing volunteers and support when needed. The Friends Group meet at least two times per year in regular scheduled meetings and at other times as planning needs and current projects warrant. |
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William O’Brien State Park is located on the St. Croix River, on Minnesota State Highway 95, 11 miles north of Stillwater (1 mile north of Marine on the St. Croix) and 3 miles south east of Scandia and highway 97. Our address is: Friends of William O’Brien State Park, PO Box 93, Scandia, MN 55073 e-mail us at: fowobsp@att.net |
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The Headquarters building and entrance station at William O’Brien State Park. Information on the park and the Friends Group is available at the Park Headquarters. The park phone number is: 651-433-0500.
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Upcoming Events and Spring & Summer Programs mark your calendar
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The next scheduled friends meeting: October 19th. 2010 7pm Visitor Center
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OFFICERS President: Nancy Hokenson Vice President: Sheldon Fox Secretary: Mary Burke Treasurer: Kris Lindberg
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Newsletter WOBly Newsletter |
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<< The Links >> |
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To become a Friend, click here to view or right click to download our brochure. |
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Geocaching 101 April 24, May 15, June 19, July 17, August 14, & October 9, 10:30 a.m. Discover the fascinating challenge of geocaching and how you can use it to explore Minnesota State Parks' hidden treasures. You will learn how to use a GPS unit, and then head out in the park to find some specially placed caches. A limited number of GPS units will be available for this modern-day treasure hunt. So please call the park office to sign up.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star May 29, July 17 & August 28, 9:00 p.m. & September 18, 8:30 p.m. Join amateur astronomer, Kenny Bahmer, as he takes you on a tour of the night sky. We will start indoors with a program on the evening skies and then head outside to view some of these evening delights through a telescope. If it is cloudy, there will still be the indoor program. Meet at the Visitor Center.
Antique Train Ride May 30, July 4 & September 5, 10:45 a.m. Join us on the rails as we take an antique train ride. After a mile walk out to the train tracks, a naturalist and a train conductor will rove the train cars and take you on a tour of the history and landscapes of the St. Croix Valley. Learn some of the natural and cultural features of the St. Croix Valley and early history of the train era in the valley. At Osceola, Wisconsin, you can hop off the train to do lunch or antiquing or continue on the train to Dresser, Wisconsin. The train turns around at Dresser, makes another brief stop at Osceola, and will then bring you back to the park. So bring snacks or a lunch if you plan to stay on the train. The day starts at the visitor center at 10:45am, when we will head out to the tracks. The train will drop you back at the park around 3:30pm. The cost is $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for kids under 16, and children under 4 ride free. So join us for this fun, unique experience on the rails.
I Can Fish – Fishing Fridays June 11 – September 3, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Join us each week as we learn about fishing: identifying, casting, equipment and more. Then take your new skills and spend a little time with us fishing along the shore of the St. Croix River or the fishing pier on Lake Alice. Equipment, bait, and instruction provided. MN residents do not need a fishing license. Meet by the fishing pier.
Campfire Stories June 12, July 31, 7:30 p.m. Join Dwight Wilcox, a local storyteller from Forest Lake, as he spins some yarns of the St. Croix River Valley. This one-hour presentation will tell of some historical facts, local legends, and a few tall tales. Afterwards we will have a marshmallow roast around the fire. Bring your lawn chair to the Visitor Center fire-ring.
Kids Fishing Clinic June 19, August 21, 1 p.m. Join MinnAqua, Minnesota Aquatics, for a fantastic kids fishing program at the park. Through fun hands-on activities learn about the many different kinds of fish that are found here and their very unique adaptations. We will then head to the fishing pier and see what we can catch! Equipment will be provided for your use. We will meet at the small picnic shelter in the picnic grounds.
Universe In The Park July 24, August 7 & 21, & September 11, 8:30 p.m. The University of Minnesota Astronomy Department will be taking you on a spectacular tour of the night skies. After a short talk on the evening skies, they will take you outside to view some of these celestial sights through telescopes. The moon, planets and more will be discovered on this special night in the park. If it is cloudy, we will still have the indoor presentation. Meet at the Visitor Center.
National Archery in Schools Workshop July 24, August 7, 9:00 a.m. Designed to teach target archery for 4th-12th graders, core content covers archery history, safety, technique, equipment, mental concentration, core strengthening physical fitness and self-improvement. Students shoot at 80 cm bulls-eye targets placed before an arrow curtain. Equipment used is state-of-the art and designed to fit every student. So call the park to sign-up for this special workshop in the park.
White-tail Hunting 101 September 18, 8:30am – 12:00pm Learning about whitetail hunting typically requires many seasons of trials and errors. You can however, shave off years of that learning curve by absorbing the advice in what we’re calling the best, no-nonsense Whitetail Hunting 101 workshop to hit the streets. This workshop was developed by members of the St. Croix Valley Chapter of MDHA (Minnesota Deer Hunters Association) to provide today’s beginning deer hunter with a huge leg up on outwitting the wary whitetail. Much emphasis will be placed on explaining whitetail behavior, deer senses and how to defeat them. Scouting for deer, hunting techniques, shot selection and placement, safety and “what to do after the shot” will also be covered. Plus, much more! This introductory course is a great starting point if you have never hunted the whitetail and it is also a good refresher for the semi-experienced whitetail hunter. We’ll share some solid tips, techniques and tactics to improve your whitetail hunting success and hunt experience. Call the park to register for this free workshop. For more information call Mike Wock @ 651-439-1808 or E-mail: mike_wock@yahoo.com
Voyageur Encampment 20th Anniversary Weekend! September 25 & 26, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Let’s take a step back in history to the time of the voyageurs. Voyageurs were the “truck drivers” of the fur trade era. They would travel the rivers and lakes hauling beaver, mink, muskrat and other animal furs. These furs would be packaged in 90-pound packs that they hauled over long portages. Eventually these furs would end up as top hats and coats to the elite in Europe. These voyageurs were a hearty bunch with a unique lifestyle which only they could call their own. Come down to the picnic grounds and view the camp and ask them questions as the Neebing Brigade and the La Compagnie Brigade re-enact the 1700’s and make their home at the park for the weekend. Take a step back in history and learn the life of the Voyageur!
Geocaching – Fun Fall Weekend! September 25 & 26, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The MN Geocaching Association will be putting on a special caching weekend in the park. Stop by the picnic shelter in the picnic grounds and learn about this new techno treasure hunt, learn how to use a GPS unit, and then head out to find some of the specially placed caches in the park. You will receive a special pathtag for finding so many caches in the park. So come on out and try this new fun sport! GPS units will be provided for your use.
Happy Falloween! October 23, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Join us for this special fall festival at the park. If you are camping in the Riverway Campground, decorate your campsite! There will be different categories with prizes! Kids can trick or treat in the campground when the judging begins. Site judging and trick or treating will start at 6:00pm. Sites that are willing to participate in the trick or treating will have orange pumpkin cards on their site posts. Pre- carved or painted pumpkins and costumes will be judged at the large picnic shelter in the picnic grounds at 7:00pm sharp. At 7:30pm let’s head out for a night hike! Experience what the park is like after the sun goes down. There will be different hikes for different ages. After your hike, a storyteller will share some “tall” and “short” tales around the campfire. Mild stories early and spookier stories later as the night goes on. A marshmallow roast will end this spooktacular evening in the park. The Friend’s Group of William O’Brien brings this Falloween Festival to you. |