News
New Observation Tower
Anyone who visited the Belwin Conservancy for our fall event on October 8 probably noticed that the observation tower next to the Education Center was gone. As we began a small restoration project on it this spring, we were dismayed to find that it needed extensive repairs and for safety ...
Director's Message
As I was driving home the other day, the radio announced that Dawn Wells (the actress that played Mary Ann on "Gilligan’s Island") was turning 73 years old. Mary Ann is 73 years old. If that isn’t a wake-up call to one’s mortality, I don’t know ...
Protecting Valley Creek One Property at a Time
Valley Creek is also what drew Charlie Bell to this area in the 1950's and stands as the principal reason that the Belwin Conservancy exists today. His original land protection efforts centered on the Creek and as the preserve has grown, protecting the land and water that sustains this ...
Grecian Foxglove
It may be the cool weather making me reflective this morning, but I can’t help but think about this past growing season. It’s always a bit of a sprint to stay on top of the weeds in our restorations when they all seem to demand attention at the ...
40 Years of Belwin Outdoor Science
“We’re in nature for the first time!” say many students from St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) upon arriving at Belwin. This simple, yet profound statement falls right out of their mouths as they unload from the bus. This scene has played out over 400,000 times, but it’s ...
Weather Station Now Available
Located in the prairie directly out the door of the Education Center is a weather station that has been dutifully collecting meteorological data for decades. This scientific-grade station collects important meteorological data used by the scientists and government agencies who monitor Valley Creek. They use the data collected from this ...
Bison and Prairie Health
For the last three summers we have hosted herds of bison on the Belwin Conservancy’s preserve. The goals of this reintroduction were numerous and lofty. For starters, we hoped to inspire the community with this iconic North American mammal. Mission accomplished. The Bison Release is more successful than we ...
Belwin Outdoor Science
Over the years, our partnership with the St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) has had many names. It was first known as the 'Belwin Outdoor Education Laboratory', eventually shortened to ‘Belwin’. A few years ago, the partnership was renamed the ‘Valley Branch Environmental Learning Center’. Today, we’re pleased to announce ...
Lucy News
Last year the Lucy Winton Bell Athletic Fields (LWBAF) celebrated their 10th anniversary. Since they opened in 2000, the LWBAF have hosted over 70,000 visits every year and become a beloved part of this community. Youth from 13 surrounding communities come to play soccer, baseball, softball, and football throughout ...
Sauers Pond Natural Area gets a New Name
In 2008, we opened an area of our preserve that we had called ‘Sauers Pond’ internally, for public visitation. It has been wildly popular, but the pond is only on a small portion of the property. We decided this area deserved a clearer name, so we decided to do a ...