Shetek Environmental Learning Center

10/06/2026

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Laetiporus: AKA Chicken of the woods!

🐔🍄 FUN FACTS:
• It gets its name because its texture is often compared to chicken when cooked.
• It usually grows in large, bright yellow/orange clusters on trees or fallen logs.
• Unlike many mushrooms, it doesn’t have traditional gills underneath—it has tiny pores.
• It’s a saprotroph, meaning it helps break down dead wood and return nutrients to the ecosystem. 🌳➡️🌱
• It can sometimes grow back in the same general area year after year.
• Its bright colors make it one of the easier wild mushrooms to spot.
• It’s an important part of forest decomposition—so even though we might see it as food, it’s also doing a pretty important job for the forest!

And here's the reminder I give whenever we're talking about wild mushrooms: never eat a mushroom based on a photo or social media post alone. Proper identification matters!

09/29/2026

09/21/2026

New things are coming to Lake Shetek from the Environmental Education Department and I hope you are here for it!

09/15/2026

SLM Hiking Club completes hike #27 on Sunday, September 13 at the Lower Sioux Agency in Morton Minnesota. We completed all three trails hiking 3 1/2 miles. The East and West Trails were well groomed and provided many opportunities for education on the US-Dakota War of 1862 and the events and timelines leading up to this war and the events that followed. The River Trail was a steep grade with beautiful views of the Minnesota River.

09/14/2026

Look who made an appearance today at camp even though its raining! The American Robin! This North American songbird is known for its bright red-ish orange- ish breast and cheerful and familiar morning song.

09/04/2026

SLM Hiking Club will be gathering Sunday, September 13th at 3pm for hike #27. Guests and new members are welcome!

08/03/2026

What a difference a week can make. The 67 degree weather for our morning hike on Saturday, August 1st was refreshing! SLM Hiking Club completed hike #26 at Granite Fall MN Memorial Park. We covered 2.5 miles within the 141 acres of the park. Before we started our hike we learned a little about the history behind this park and the natural resources within it.

07/27/2026

Next hike is Saturday, August 1 at 9 am. Guests and new members welcome!

07/26/2026

SLM Hiking Club completed our first out of state hike on Saturday, July 25. Hike #25 at Palisades State Park in Garretson SD was a fun adventure. This hike was delayed from earlier this month because of high heat index. We started out with cloud cover which helped as we completed our morning hike to beat the heat and humidity that was forecasted. We did modify our planned trails for the day, completing the Split Rock Creek Trail only for a total of 2.15 miles. We took frequent water breaks and rested along the trail. Our next hike location will be shared on Monday.

07/24/2026

SLM hiking club members have covered a lot of miles and explored many parks in SW Minnesota. There are more parks and more trails yet to be explored together. New members are welcome!