News Release

‘Paddle, Picnic, Play’ at Voyageurs National Park on Public Lands Day, September 24, 2022

Date: September 8, 2022
Contact: Tawnya Schoewe
Contact: Breanna Trygg, [e-mail]

International Falls, MN: Join us for a day of free, family-friendly programming outside and on the water at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center in Voyageurs National Park!

We invite local community members and visitors to celebrate the end of challenging summer flooding and the beautiful transition of seasons with a day of free activities outside and on the water. The National Park Service and Voyageurs Conservancy are excited to welcome special program partner Wilderness Inquiry and their traveling Canoemobile program.

Explore Rainy Lake on 10-person canoes and learn about the rich science, history, and geography of its waters. Additionally, special education programs will help you connect with and give back to the park you love. Bring the whole family and a picnic. We especially encourage adults, high school students, young explorers 4th grade and up, and their families to join us!

Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages the use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits.

Paddle Picnic Play on Public Lands Day
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Rainy Lake Visitor Center, Voyageurs National Park
Registration: Registration is appreciated at https://bit.ly/public-lands-day-2022

Full Event Schedule:
Canoemobile10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Rainy Lake Boat LaunchExplore Rainy Lake with Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile. Enjoy a “floating classroom” experience in a 10-person canoe, launching on the hour at 10 AM, 11 AM, Noon and 1 PM. Great for 4th grade and up. Life jackets will be provided. No prior paddling experience required.
Ethno-botanical Garden Tour10:00 AM; 1:00 PM
Ethno-botanical Garden outside the visitor center Have you ever wondered about wildflowers that pop up in your garden unannounced? Should you let them stay or treat them as party crashers? During this program you will spend a half-hour touring the Voyageurs ethnobotanical garden and learn to identify both native plant species and invasive weeds that are not so nice as they may look, followed by a half-hour of hands-on garden invasive species removal stewardship. Participants may also complete the Garden Junior Ranger booklet to earn a special Garden Ranger badge. Good for all ages.
Solar System on a String11:00 AM
Meet at Rainy Lake Recreation Trailhead near the Rainy Lake Visitor CenterCome learn about the wonders of our Solar System! For this presentation, we have scaled down the size of our Solar System to a mere 100 feet. We will journey through the Solar System and visit each planet along the way to learn more about these fascinating worlds and appreciate the distance of objects in space. Voyageurs Conservancy’s education specialist and amateur astronomer Jesse Gates will share some of the celestial objects and events you can enjoy this fall from your own backyard. Geared for 10 years and up.
Wolf TalkNoon
Picnic area near Rainy Lake Boat LaunchJoin young scientist Maeve Tuley as she shares the secret lives of wolves of the greater Voyageurs ecosystem and what it’s like to research and study them. Maeve will share surprising facts about wolves and dispel some of the harmful misconceptions about them.

This free event is brought to you by the Voyageurs Conservancy, Wilderness Inquiry, and the National Park Service. Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
About the Voyageurs Conservancy

Voyageurs Conservancy is the official charitable partner of Voyageurs National Park. Established in 1965, the Conservancy was the driving force to permanently protect the Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand Point region of northern Minnesota. Today, the Voyageurs Conservancy is a community of people dedicated to preserving, protecting, and sharing the unique experience of Minnesota’s national park. The organization is a 501c3 nonprofit that works directly with the National Park Service to support conservation and recreation projects, advance education and outreach, and protect the wild nature of the park. It continues to connect people to the outdoors where they can learn, volunteer, and recreate, while preserving the park for future generations.

About Voyageurs National Park
With 218,055 acres, Voyageurs National Park is an adventure wonderland all year long full of exposed rock ridges, cliffs, wetlands, forests, streams, and lakes. Established in 1975, this is a place of transition between land and aquatic ecosystems, between southern boreal and northern hardwood forests, and between wild and developed areas. Whether you are exploring by land, water, or ice there is something for everyone.

About Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile
Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile is a “floating classroom” that brings students out on local waterways in a 10-person canoes to learn about science, history, geography, and culture. Our on-water experiences are often enriched with land-based learning activities developed and facilitated by organizations such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and hundreds of other government and nonprofits. Canoemobile brings classroom learning outside, engaging youth to improve school performance, cultivate a stewardship ethic, and create pathways to pursue educational and career opportunities in the outdoors.