Chippewa Gets Kids out on the Night Trail

Chippewa celebrates 1st Annual Howl-O-Ween Event at Shingobee Hills Recreation Area.

It wasn't the typical family naturalist program on the Chippewa National Forest. This one was complete with a jack-o-lantern trail, owl calls and the most beautiful night sky you've ever seen. It was our 1st Annual Howl-O-Ween Event at Shingobee Hills Recreation Area.

On October 30, the Chippewa National Forest partnered with the Walker Hackensack Akeley School District and Walker Community Education to present Howl-O-Ween, a family friendly event focused on the Forest at night. Students from the Walker High School Mammalogy Class came out early in the week to carve out pumpkins in the shapes of animal tracks, and helped to put together six critter stations. When families arrived on the evening of October 30, they were greeted by a warm bonfire at the top of the sledding hill and invited by other high school students to take in the scene below, which included the pumpkin-lit 1/2 mile trail with the six critter stations.

Visitors hiked down the trail to the historic Shingobee Chalet, a CCC building, and were giving a list of six scavenger hunt questions to ask at the critter stations. When they set out on the trail, they found pumpkin lanterns lighting their way, and were greeted by glowing "Critter Volunteers", local teachers and friends from the community.

Each station highlighted a Forest mammal, including bats, bears, deer, wolves, big cats and owls. Families learned about owl pellets and wolf teeth, deer antlers and lynx paws. The kids had a great time seeing the animal skulls, pelts and tracks, and also did some early trick-o-treating along the trail as they received a treat at each station, thanks to community donations. Taped sounds of deer snorts, wolf howls and owl calls were also echoing in the night air.

Over 100 people ventured out onto our night trail with many kids hiking the Critter Loop at least two or three times. Evidence to the great jobs of the staff and volunteers out on the loop. Special thanks to Forest Service employees Sonja Hoie, Deb Overton and Traci Cloud for their work with the critter stations, and big thanks to the Walker Ranger District Staff and Law Enforcement Officer Paul Nordeen for making sure the trails were safe and we had plenty of firewood for the marshmallow roast!

At the end of the evening, as we were picking up the pumpkin lanterns and putting our animal calls away…..we paused on the dark trail to look up at the night sky. A reminder of how wonderful it is to explore this Forest from a different perspective. Everyone then decided this would become an annual event---a cool October night, great fun with a wonderful group of partners, the Big Dipper hovering over the top of the hill, and, at the very end, the call of real coyotes in the night air. The Forest at night is an amazing place, and this event introduced many of our visitors that there are adventures out there at all times of year…. and times of day!