Dune Discovery and Stewardship Day

Minnesota Sea Grant is supporting the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's Dune Stewardship Day, a hands-on, partner-supported event that helps people experience dune stewardship in action. The event brings together residents, visitors, educators, and community partners for short activities, guided walks, and simple demonstrations that highlight how dunes work and how everyday choices affect dune health.

Visitors can explore activity stations, talk with habitat specialists, learn about native plants, and see examples of dune-friendly practices on the ground. Short, guided walks offer a closer look at dune features, vegetation, and areas where small changes in behavior can make a meaningful difference.

The Dune Stewardship Day event is designed to be welcoming, informal, and easy to navigate. Participants can move at their own pace, choose activities that interest them, and leave with one or two simple actions they can take to help protect Minnesota Point’s dunes.

When
Friday, September 11, 2026
Noon to 6:00 p.m. CDT

Where
Lafayette Park
3016 Minnesota Ave.
Duluth, MN 55802

Guided Walks

  • 12:30 pm — Dunes 101 and Sand Capture Project (30–40 min) at S-curve/12th Street Beach Access. 
    • Leads: Prof. John Swenson, University of Minnesota Duluth and Jim Shoberg, City of Duluth
  • 1:30 pm — Get to Know Minnesota Point Dune Plant Communities (~20 min) at Lafayette Park Beach Access. 
    • Lead: Ethan Perry, Minnesota Biological Survey/Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
  • 2:00 pm — What’s So Special about Minnesota Point Dune Habitat? (15–20 min) at Sky Harbor Airport Fence/Minnesota Point Pine Forest Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) Kiosk. 
    • Lead: Kelly Beaster for Arrowhead Native Plant Explorers
  • 2:30 pm — Shorebirds and the Coastal Dune Ecosystem: What Stewards Should Know (20–30 min) at Sky Harbor Airport Fence/Minnesota Point Pine Forest Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) Kiosk. 
    • Lead: Dr. Annie Bracey, University of Minnesota Natural Resources Research Institute
  • 3:30 pm — Sand Dune Insects: Biology, Ecology, and Why Invasive Plants Matter (~20 min) at Lafayette Park Beach Access. 
    • Lead: Sarah Foltz Jordan
  • 4:00 pm — Plants, seasons and dune stewardship (~20 min) at 18th Street Beach Access. 
    • Lead: Prof. Jessica Savage, University of Minnesota - Duluth
  • 5:00 pm — Forested Dune Walk (~45 min) at Sky Harbor Airport Fence/Minnesota Point Pine Forest Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) Kiosk. 
    • Lead: Arika McGraw, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)  
       

Micro‑talks (outside at the Hub)

  • 1:15–1:30 p.m.: Identify with iNaturalist: contribute to a living atlas by Clinton Little, DNR
  • 2:05–2:20 p.m.: Report problem plants with EDDMapS by Laura Van Riper, DNR
  • 2:25–2:40 p.m.: Habitat at Home by Mic Rice, DNR
  • 3:05–3:20 p.m.: Identifying rare and common dune plants (boardwalk talk) by Kelly Beaster for Arrowhead Native Plant Explorers
  • 4:25–4:40 p.m.: Nesting and Overwintering Habitat for Pollinators and Other Insects by Sarah Foltz Jordan, conservation biologist and educator
     

Event Partners
The Dune Stewardship Initiative is a collaborative effort of Minnesota DNR’s Coastal Program, the City of Duluth, Minnesota Sea Grant, Minnesota Point 50, and many more DNR programs, community organizations, and volunteers.

Event Host
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Coastal Program hosts this event. 

This project is funded by Federal Award NA25NOSX473C0124 from the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, administered by the Office for Coastal Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, provided to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program.

Contact
Madison Rodman, Minnesota Sea Grant Resilience Extension Educator. [email protected]. 

Related Outreach Projects

Community Resilience Program