Sax Zim Bog Draws in Diverse Crowd

MEADOWLANDS, Minn.– When the temps drop in northern Minnesota, most of the time, you can expect people to stay inside where it’s nice and warm.

But the bog is a different story, as it draws quite the crowd during the winter months.

“It’s really fun, and we definitely get a lot of global attention from folks coming in. Last year, at least two groups came in from Poland just for weasels. Which is a weird thing, but it happens. And it’s a really great thing we get to support those critters,” said Clinton Dexter-Neinhaus, the head naturalist at Sax Zim Bog.

And it’s attracted that attention for a good reason, as Sax Zim Bog is full of unique wildlife.

“I think part of the reason we have the biodiversity, if we just think about general biodiversity. We’ve documented just over 3,800 species. Part of that has to do with the specialization of each habitat. We have things that only use bog. We have things that only use upland conifers. But then you have things that use everything. The species that are flying in the deciduous forests, and so having this intact collection of ecosystems,” said Dexter-Neinhaus.

At the bog, you can expect to see people traversing the trails and boardwalks.

Or even pulling over to the side of the road all while having their sights set on what nature enthusiasts call their “life bird” or “life animal”.

“I think the coolest part is some of these birds that we call pretty common, like black capped chickadee, nut hatches, things like that, they’re not all over the world. And so, when people are coming, like black capped chickadees might be a life bird for some people,” said Dexter-Neinhaus.

And even the regulars have something new to look forward to when visiting the bog.

“I’m from Grand Rapids, and we’ve got a lot of good birds there too. But I like the, well this is a lot of diverse habitats between the bogs, the meadows, the mix of woods. And so, there’s a good concentration of birds here,” said John Schroeder, a visitor at Sax Zim Bog.

For avid birders like Schroeder, being able to show up to Sax Zim Bog is an escape from everyday life.

“With birding, in a busy life where I can’t always get in the woods, I can’t always take, go on a wild adventure. Birding is always an adventure, a game I can play,” explained Schroeder.

Some of the nature enthusiasts, can spend hours or even days waiting for their dream animal to finally show up.

But, before you get started, Sax Zim Bog is staffed with naturalists to help you on your journey.

“Stopping in at the welcome center is great. Because if you haven’t been here before, and it took you twenty minutes to find the welcome center, it can be a challenge to get the urge to like, ‘I’m going to go see some cool stuff today!’ So, know that’s an important thing to do too, to stop in and say hi and see what’s going on,” said Dexter-Neinhaus.

Whenever you decide to make it up to the bog staff encourages visitors to remain respectful of the residents, both furry, feathered, and human.