Stan Tekiela
BIOGRAPHY
Naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer Stan Tekiela is the originator of the popular state-specific field guides such as Birds of (state name) Field Guide, Wildflowers of (state name), and Trees of (state name). Over the past three decades Stan has authored more than 190 field guides, nature appreciation books, and wildlife audio CDs for nearly every state in the nation, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, trees, wildflowers, and cacti.
Holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 35 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs.
Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in over 20 newspapers and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. He is a member of the North American Nature Photography Association and Canon Professional Services along with many other professional organizations.
SESSION ToPICS
Wildflowers Color Our Lives
Stan will present the fascinating world of wildflowers in a fun and engaging way that only Stan can deliver. Learn why we have wildflowers and what they do.
Backyard Birds: Welcomed Guests at Our Gardens and Feeders
Based on Stan's book, Backyard Birds. Magnificent photographs and fascinating facts spotlight the lives of the most captivating and beloved backyard birds. This talk is packed with information that is not found in the ordinary field guide. Hundreds of award-winning images of your most favorite backyard birds. Why are some birds so brightly colored? Why do they sing songs? Life inside an egg and nest. Does feeding birds in your backyard help the birds? How many eggs can a bird lay? These are just some of the topics in this presentation.
Americo (Rico) Fraboni, MD
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Fraboni is a family practice and obstetrics physician at Fairview Northland in Princeton. He is also a long-time and skilled gardener.
SESSION ToPICS
Keeping the Joy in Gardening: A Doctor’s Advice for Safe, Comfortable Gardening
Sprains, strains, cuts, bites, allergies, rashes, and more can interfere with your gardening pleasure. Learn from a doctor—and experienced gardener—how prevention can help you keep your back and joints. Bring your questions!
Kristina Kjellberg
BIOGRAPHY
Kristina is a registered nurse and an avid gardener. She has been interested in gardening for most of her life, starting with working at her family’s landscape center. She has a master’s degree in nursing and has worked in a variety of medical fields.
SESSION ToPICS
The Apothecary’s Garden
An apothecary works to heal their patients with herbal and chemical mixtures. Historically, they most often used plants for this purpose, and those plants still have the power to heal and treat. Apothecaries and their practice were the precursor to many pharmaceutical treatments we use today. While pharmaceuticals often have refined the treatment, the original source is out there for home gardeners to grow and use.
This fun seminar is designed to help educate on different medicinal herbs and plants that you can grow in your Minnesota garden. We will look at a variety of plants, what they can be used for medicinally, and how you can grow them. We will also look at those plants that may volunteer themselves in your gardens and how they can be used. We will also cover some basics for how to turn these plants into remedies such as teas, tinctures, and salves. This fun seminar will shed light on this forgotten art and may give you some ideas on what you can use for your own health.
Lucy Keefe
BIOGRAPHY
Lucy Keefe received her Environmental Studies degree with a concentration in Prairie Ecology from The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University and her Ecological Restoration Certification from the University of Minnesota. She currently works at Prairie Restorations, Inc. as an assistant farm manager at their Princeton production location.
SESSION ToPICS
The Need for Natives
In a time where only 0.1% of tallgrass prairies remain in Minnesota, the use of native species in residential settings is pertinent to the continued survival of pollinator species.
Sue Hix and Renay Leone
BIOGRAPHY
Sue: An Extension Master Gardener since 2002, I have been dealing with dappled shade and sandy soil (e.g., a “sandy desert”) since moving to the area in 1994. If I’d only known then what I know now.” (and am still learning almost every day).
Renay: An Extension Master Gardener since 2006, I moved back to the area in 2020 (to the family farm where I was raised) and am busy landscaping our new home in the former pasture. My plan to use nearly all natives and no traditional lawn on construction-compacted hard clay (and attempting to re-create the prairie/oak savanna that was here prior to livestock grazing) has become nearly a full-time job. It’s a good thing I’m retired!
SESSION ToPICS
Gardening in the ANoka Sand Plain
Do you have sand or clay? Are you in the sun or the woods? We’ve got them both in Sherburne County and other areas within the Anoka Sand Plain. As you work toward gardening success, would you like to learn more about gardening with natives or how to begin incorporating them in your more traditional landscape? We will share our experiences and lessons learned while dealing with the habitats that the last glacier left us—as well as how we’re dealing with the first signs of a changing climate.
Gregg Hermerding
BIOGRAPHY
I am a retired teacher from the Monticello Public Schools. I taught for 37 years, both elementary and middle school-aged students. Upon my retirement in 2015 I started the hobby of beekeeping with a good friend. Together we maintain 19 hives scattered throughout the Wright County area.
SESSION ToPICS
Beekeeping for Beginners
This presentation provides information on the process for keeping bees. Topics covered: tools needed, location of hives, step-by-step instructions for the beginner, benefits, bee biology, feeding, seasonal management, and diseases.