Jan. 17 -- GRAND RAPIDS -- Forest History Center will present a winter lecture series from 1 to 3 p.m. on select Saturdays, Jan. 18 to March 29, at the center, 2609 County Road 76 in Grand Rapids.
Guests will hear from presenters with unique historical perspectives on the history of northern Minnesota.
The first lecture, "North of Nowhere," is set for Jan. 18. Terry O'Brien will share mystical and historical tales that come from the winters of the north. Attendees will be taken back in time to hear the stories and lore of the men and women who braved the ice cold, a release said.
Master Gardener Bonny Siegford will present "Birds, Bees and Butterflies," on Feb. 1. Attendees will learn the history of native Minnesota plants and flowers and how we can provide food and habitats for pollinators in our backyards.
On Feb. 15, Painter Matt Kania will reveal how the wildfires of 2021 at Isle Royale National Park left a charred and burned landscape in "After the Burn."
Kania took the opportunity to paint within the destroyed lands and documented the stages of recovery through oil paintings. His digital presentation of his original works will give a personal perspective of his experience painting with the burned brush and also about the map-making efforts he used to document the locations of his work, the release said.
"The Wood and Canvas Canoe" with Alex Comb is scheduled for March 1. Comb has been paddling canoes since he was ten and has built and restored canoes for almost fifty years. Attendees will learn about the canoe's history, the art of canoe building and its importance in navigating northern Minnesota lakes and streams.
On March 15, attendees will learn more about "Women in the Fur Trade" with Nikki Rajala. "Women played a more crucial role in the fur trade than one may think," the release said. "Hear the tales of Thanadelthur, those who worked closely with the Hudson's Bay Company, Magdeline La Framboise, the Grey Nuns and those who paddled and portaged right alongside men. Their remarkable stories are inspirational."
On March 29, Minnesota native Johnathon Jaeger will examine the symbolic history of Paul Bunyan in Minnesota in "Paul Bunyan's Footprints." Jaeger will explore whether Paul Bunyan stories perpetuate false narratives about the history of Native Americans, lumberjacks and loggers and the United States, the releases said.
These events are included in the cost of admission to the site. Minnesota Historical Society Members get in for free.
More information about admission pricing, winter lectures and other events at the Forest History Center is available at