It is a very exciting time for the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center of Lanesboro, Minn., as 151 acres have recently been added to the existing 80 acres.
The property, which is known as “The Point,” was owned by the Gavere family from Albert Lea, Minn. It was first owned by Frank Gavere and then by his son Allen.
“For 38 years they have allowed us to use the property for educational purposes,” states Executive Director of Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center Joe Deden.
Deden explains how the purchase came about saying, “A couple years ago, Allen Gavere said he is at a stage in his life where he would like to see Eagle Bluff gain control of this piece of property,” and he was willing to sell it for the assessed value of $600,000.
“We have been working for a couple years to find donors to cover that $600,000 purchase and we have raised $535,000, which leaves us $65,000 to go,” states Deden. The purchase of the land was made in July 2016.
The payment arrangement that was made was $200,000 a year for three years, so Eagle Bluff has two years to raise the additional funds needed. All funds for the purchase have come from donations.
“There have been a lot of local people who have been helping out through their means, which is great,” comments Deden.
The property has numerous assets and unlimited educational value. “We are interested in using this piece of property to expand our programming to junior and senior high school students,” states Deden.
The property could be used for many activities, one of which may someday be a remote forest ecology building where older kids could walk out and “spend the day learning about bluff land ecology and do some service learning projects and learn by doing on the point property itself,” explains Deden.
“We have 12,000 students participating in our programs now, they come from 135 schools, and we have about another 10,000 people that are with us on weekends and summer programs, giving us about 20,000 plus people a year that will have access to the property,” says Deden.
Older students can also help in the restoration by helping to improve areas for wildlife species, including bobwhite quail. “Fillmore and Houston counties are still seen as bobwhite quail habitat,” says Deden and by improving these areas, they will also help hold deer, turkeys, pheasants, grouse and every other wildlife species.
The property could also be used for summer camps that Eagle Bluff does with a lot of wildlife organizations, such as the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, Wild Turkey Federation, Rough Grouse Society and other groups.
Eagle Bluff offers programs to women’s groups such as “Becoming an Outdoors Woman,” where guided hunts and fishing experiences are planned, so The Point would be a great location for those programs.
“We are looking at offering mentor hunts, including deer archery, shotgun hunting, muzzle loader hunting, turkey hunting, and we are looking at getting some fishing floats and fishing the river,” states Deden, as he adds that there is “great small mouth bass fishing” on the property.
What was once used as a cow pasture, after clearing and burning the area, is now showing new prairie plants coming up. This area is a wonderful seed bank. Deden states that Scott Leddy, a local prairie specialist, came in and he identified 60 different prairie species on the site.
Some of these include big blue stems, Indian grass, bottle brush grass and little blue stem. Deden hopes that this seed bank will become a seed source for the whole root river valley as the seeds are picked up by birds and by the wind and spread throughout.
“These remnant prairies are getting fewer and far between and mostly are not in good health, so to have something like this where we are actively managing it and to open it up and to get it growing back into prairie will be a tremendous asset to the whole area,” notes Deden.
As river banks are cutting away further with each flood, having the prairie grasses back will make a tremendous difference, as Deden explains, “Prairie grasses have the deepest, most complex root system to hold soils in place,” so with prairie restoration taking place in that area, hopefully it will keep erosion from eroding away the property when flooding occurs.
“All of this can be a teaching tool,” says Deden, as kids can go and look at old google photos and see the difference in the river bank and see that “global climate change is having an impact and this is the result of it and you can visually see it,” which will help the students to understand the concept.
There is an A-frame house on the property along with an old cabin. The cabin was built in the 1850s and 1860s and was purchased as a kit. The logs are numbered, using Roman numerals.
As far as a use for the cabin, “We are not exactly sure how that fits in to what we want to do education-wise, so if someone had a use for that – that they would be willing to take it down and reclaim it or restore it, we would be potentially interested in that,” states Deden.
Looking ahead, Deden notes, “In order to have kids come out here at some point and time, we are going to need a place where they can have lunch and a bathroom” as they spend a day on The Point.
Deden says, “So we are going to need some sort of facility out here and I would love it if somebody in your readership would like to name a building after themselves or their family and give something back to the area and give a dedicated gift” that would go towards a new building.
Just think of the lasting legacy you or your family could leave, as thousands of people would be able to take shelter in the building each year as they participate in environmental educational programs.
As Deden has announced he will be retiring after the 2018 school year, he says, “Thirty-eight years ago we had a dream of what Eagle Bluff could become,” and now “I am excited to have this new piece of property because in my leaving of Eagle Bluff, it leaves the staff, the board and the community with an opportunity to develop a new and different dream” with The Point.
“This property is pretty phenomenal with all the potential that it has, especially with the work that we are doing on it now, and it should be a tremendous asset that will develop when I’m gone by a new group of people working collectively to make it the best thing it can become,” and add even more educational opportunities for kids and adults.
Steve Klotz, Regional DNR Fisheries Manager, described The Point as “the most diverse, remote and fascinating piece of property left in the Root River Watershed” and after touring the property with Deden, I would agree wholeheartedly.
Deden says, “I think Frank (Gavere) would be happy with what it’s become and I honor and thank his son, Allen, who enabled us to have the time and then make this happen so it can stay with kids and education” for generations to come.
With the purchase of The Point, times are not only exciting for Eagle Bluff, but also for its staff, board of directors, supporters, visitors and all of southeastern Minnesota.
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