Cambridge Campus
of Anoka-Ramsey Community College contributes
to educational format of new trail
system.
The beautiful natural resources of East
Central Minnesota are known to many.
But can you identify the plant and animal
life that contributes to this beauty?
By traveling the paths of the Spirit
River Nature Area in Cambridge, you’ll
likely learn more than you’ve ever
known about our local ecosystems.
The Spirit River Nature Area is a system
of more than two miles of paved and unpaved
trails through undeveloped land on the
west side of Cambridge. The project has
been in development since 2001 as a cooperative
effort of the City of Cambridge, Isanti
County Active Living By Design and the
Cambridge Campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community
College (ARCC). This year, an information
kiosk and seven interpretive signs have
been added to help trail explorers learn
more about the wildlife and history of
the area.
Funding for the Spirit River Nature
Area was provided by the Blandin Foundation,
a philanthropic organization that works
to enhance the economic viability of
rural Minnesota communities. After a
survey of local residents indicated a
need for more trails and paths, the foundation
offered $75,000 in initial funding to
develop the nature area’s paths.
It then provided an additional $10,000
to create informational signage and brochures.
“The trails themselves have existed
for many years,” says Bill Carlson,
project director for Isanti County Active
Living By Design. “They used to
be road beds, or horse trails, or farmstead
paths. We made them more inviting by
adding the signs to give residents more
reasons to visit.”
The interpretive signs were created by
a committee comprised of ARCC Biology
Faculty members Phil Anderson, Mary Januschka
and Brad Wold, ARCC English Faculty member
Kim Lynch, and Active Living by Design's
Bill Carlson. Located along the pathways
they tell visitors about the plant and
animal life, the ecosystems, the geology,
and even some cultural history. Colorful
photos and drawings help with wildlife
identification.
“The Rum River was the super highway
for the Isanti Indians,” explains
one sign. “To them, this important
waterway was known as Watpa Wakan, the
Great Spirit River, until a white man’s
pun turned “spirit” into “rum.” In
another section, it offers photos of
prominent wildlife, with instructions
such as, “Look for cedar waxwings
and wood ducks. Yellow rumpled warblers
are prominent in the spring.”
Since part of the trails lie on the
Cambridge Campus, the Biology Department
can easily reach the trails for use in
their classes.
“This is one of the best examples
of a good marriage between city and college,” says
Wold. “We all benefit from the
efforts put into this project.”
The Spirit River Nature Area trails
have two access points. One lies on the
ARCC Cambridge Campus, behind the main
Campus Center building. Visitors can
park in the campus parking lot. The other
access point lies on the west side of
Cambridge City Park.
The Rum River Ramble, a community walking
event scheduled for October 8, will begin
on the Cambridge Campus on the nature
area’s trails.
Local Plant Life
To find out more about the Spirit River Nature Area, visit http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/prairie.
There, you can find photos and detailed information on each of the wildflowers
and prairie grasses found in the nature area, along with a map of the trail
system. |
