Author: John, College, Bemidji State University

Location: Bemidji MN, 56601

Weather: 21 degrees F, wind blowing out of the West, snowing

The box elders have started congregating in my basement apartment looking for somewhere warm to spend the winter. I am surprised that it has taken till now for them to come in since it has been cloudy, rainy, and cold for weeks.

Author: Lauren, College Junior, Bemidji State University

Location: Bemidji Mn

Weather: Cloudy, Cold

I woke up today and noticed as I looked outside that there was a light covering of snow on the ground. Today felt like it was truly one of the first days of winter. As I was about to leave I checked the weather on my phone. It said it was 17 degrees out but it felt like -3. Burr!! I made sure I put on warmer clothes and headed outside. I thought it was really cold because its the first time it has been this cold! The snow is still covering the ground which can be a sign that it will stay for a few more months!

Author: Lauren, College Junior, Bemidji State University

Location: Bemidji Mn

Weather: Cloudy, chilly

Today was my first day of field experience at Northern Elementary. When school started it was just a normal October morning but as the day went on the weather started changing. Little flurries started falling from the sky, then big wet snow flakes for a few hours. It was very exciting in the first grade class room I was in. All the kids rushed to the windows screaming how excited they were to play in the snow, and make snowmen. Another girl told me that since it snowed it will be chirstmas eve that night. I thought that was funny. Leaving from the school the ground and all the trees were covered in snow. It was beautiful and something I havent seen in months. Although I do like the warm weather, I was okay with some snow for a change.

Author: Dylan, College Freshmen, Bemidji State University

Location: Danbury, WI

Weather: Cold, windy, little snow fall

I made a trip to Danbury, Wisconsin and went deer hunting at my Uncle Doug's cabin. After waking up at 6:00 A.M. and waiting around for at least 7 hours for a nothing to come in sight i called it quits for getting mt first deer of the season. The only thing i saw that morning were a few squirrels chasing each other around a tree. Theres usually all sorts of animals at my Uncle's cabin. Just last summer i saw a mother black bear with her two cubs by her side, eating from the corn feeder about 20 yards away from the cabin. All in all, it was a good time. I got to see my Uncle and watched the behavior of squirrles in trees.

Author: Troy, College Senior, Bemidji State University

Location: Mountain Iron, Mn

uring this last weekend I had got the opportunity to deer hunt. I always love to hunt because of the connection to nature that I feel while I sit in my tree stand. An important thing to due while you hunt is to use your senses. This mostly consists of listening and looking. While I tried very hard to hear and see everything, I saw and heard many aspects of nature. One thing that really stood out was the activity that came from the chipmunks and squirrels. These little animals make so much noise and almost disrupt the peace of nature. Another observation of mine was the trees and birds. The trees create great cover and habitat for various animals, as well as the necessary structure to make my stand stable.

Author: Jared, College Freshmen, Bemidji State University

Location: Bemidji State University Campus, Diamond Point Park

Weather: Cloudy 24F, 14mph West Wind

It was an extremely nice day out this morning, but it was pretty cold and windy. There were light flurries this morning. The grass on campus all semester has looked extremely yellow and dead, but now that it has rained a few times and snowed a few times it's starting to look a little green again. When I figured went outside there were a bunch of crows chasing each other around and being extremely loud. I wonder why they're always doing that? Every tree that normally would drop it's leaves has dropped them. There is one type of maple tree in Diamond Point Park that looks like it might not lose it's leaves. There are a few trees and everyone still has it's leaves. The smaller birds in the park where extremely talkative this morning: They wouldn't leave me alone! The ponds in the park are slowly starting to freeze over because they aren't very deep. The lake was extremely mellow even though it was windy out. It also hasn't started to freeze yet because it hasn't been cold enough yet. There were also lots of squirrels out this morning. They're digging around in the grass trying to find stuff to eat or store to eat for the coming winter. They know it's coming!

Author: Karl, College Junior, Bemidji State University

Location: East of BlackDuck

Weather: Very cloudy, Rain on and off and very windy.

On the way out to the stand at 6 in the morning the roads looked slick with ice but it was just the we weather making it look that way. It was cold and rainy on the walk to my stand and I couldnt wait to get in and fire up the heater. I fell asleep not long after being there and didnt wake up for a little while right when the sun was making it visible to see. But what good does that do when I saw not a single deer or any other kind of animal for that matter.Winter is coming and it keeps peaking its head in, it just isnt quite cold enough for the white stuff to come and stay.

It was delightful to share a day at Fort Snelling State Park with the 5th and 6th graders of the Friends School of Minnesota on Novermber 8th.  Students and their teachers explored the day's weather and phenology, discussed climate change and solutions to it, and performed a service project for the park removing invasive buckthorn.  The trip was part of the Parks Climate Challenge and compliments the climate and weather sciences taught during their year at school.  Here are some of the things we found together ...

Phenology Observations:

• White-tailed deer! Male ("buck") deer were seen with large racks of antlers and grazing on buds and twigs.
• We found a yearling garter snake that was about to shed its skin - when do they start hibernating?
• The few remaining green leaves were mostly buckthorn - of which there are fewer now thanks to the folks at the Friends School!

Weather Observations:

• Temperature: 55-60 degrees (f) - which is nearly 10 degrees warmed than the historic normal high temperature of 49 degrees (MN Weatherguide Calendar)
• Barometric Pressure: 29.2 - 29.5 in/Hg
• Wind Speed: 2-8 mph
• Cloud cover: 80% cumulous in the morning.  Changed to 5-30% by the afternoon and cirrus.
• River temperature was approximately 44 degrees (f)

See up-to-the-minute weather data from the Fort Snelling State Park weather station!

Author: Jade, College Junior, Bemidji State University

Location: Bemidji State Park Bog Walk

Weather: The perfect fall day! Definitely a little cool outside, but it was really nice with the trees blocking the wind.

I just noticed the pitcher plants. It was a little bit surprising to me to see them still thriving. I guess that I assumed that the bog walk would be barren of the plant life you can usually observe what with it being so cold at nights. Does the peat act as some kind of insulation? Or are those plants just made to survive frozen nights?

Author: Abigail, College Senior, Bemidji State University

Location: Wilton, MN

Weather: Cold-ish, maybe 35 degrees or so.

Action Project, Eyewitness Observation or Other Reflection I slept in my ground blind, and I woke up to hear many many things around me. I looked out the north facing peep hole, and couldn't see anything as it was still quite dark. I heard leaves crunching, snorting, walking, running, and the activity unfortunately subsided once the sun came up and I could shoot. The next few days will prove to be quite interesting!