Minnesota Naturalists' Association upcoming events

Pick a Supervisors Brain (September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Come one come all! Supervisors associated with MNA will be hosting an "office hours" style event where you can show up and ask questions. Are you interested in how scheduling decisions are made? Curious what drives the timing of seasonal staff hiring? Intrigued by facilities and grounds maintenance decisions? Feel free to bring your questions or just hang out and listen in to the conversation!

MNA Networking Night (September 23, 2026)

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Create connections with other naturalists in the field during this structured, yet informal networking night. This evening is geared towards those who are early in their career and/or new to Minnesota Naturalists Association. If you have a goal to gather connections in the field, learn more about other EE sites and staff, or want to meet a few people before attending the conference, this is a great event for you!

Schedule:
6-6:20 pm: Arrival, informal chat time, snacks and welcome to the evening

6:20 - 7:40: Networking stations, converse with small groups, rotating 4 times

7:40 - 8: Evaluation of evening, sharing information with others (if desired), next event location and date reveal

Beetle Pinning Class (September 26, 2026)

Sat, 26 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

We will be learning how to pin beetles for display in this workshop! Melody Hanssen, an insect taxidermist and owner of Micro Mayhem, will be leading this workshop. Check out her work on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micro_mayhem_melody/. Participants will be educated on hydrating, pinning, drying, and displaying beetles. You will go home with a pinned beetle that will need to finish drying before transferring., as well as a pinning board and display box. Please note: The beetles will be non-native species as MN native beetles are too expensive or too small to easily learn on.

2026 MNA Conference: Vintage MNA (November 13, 2026)

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 21:30:00 GMT

Thank you to all who attended this year's MNA Conference!

The 2026 MNA Conference will be held November 13-15, 2025 at Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center.

Become a member and follow us on socials for up to date details!

If you are have questions or are interested in helping to plan next year's conference, please contact: mnaconference@gmail.com.