Department of Natural Resources

Itasca State Park Week: Douglas Lodge

On April 20, 1891, the Minnesota state legislature adopted an act to establish the first public park for the state of Minnesota on land that surrounded the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca. “An act to establish and…


Tuesday Tweet: Let’s talk turkey

Back in November I shared the only then known image of turkeys from the ~6,900 glass plate and film negatives in the Bell Museum of Natural History records. A good portion of the negatives were produced by Thomas Sadler Roberts…


Wednesdays with Walter: An Introduction to Taxidermy

For several months now I have wanted to share some unique images from the Bell Museum of Natural history negative collection. The images document the preparation and construction of the iconic Bell Museum dioramas, or what museum director Thomas Sadler…


H.J. Jager’s flock

Though I have yet to make it to the Minnesota State Fair this year, of course, it is the lead story on every local news broadcast and newspaper headline, so I am well aware of the proceedings thus far (low…


Minnesota Moose

The moose, an often symbolized animal in the lore of Minnesota, has a heightened status within our state. Minnesota resorts, restaurants, coffee shops, and of course, hockey teams align their identity with this popular animal. Despite Minnesotan’s wide-spread commercial identification…