7/3/13 – Daniel Kahl of Manhatten, Kansas just sent us these wonderful photos he took while on a trip up to Malberg Lake. We really love seeing what a great time people have and what interesting things they see on their trips! – Britta

This stunning loon close-up was taken by Dan Kahl.

This photo was taken on Malberg Lake in the early morning. Photo by Dan Kahl.

7/2/13 – With the temperatures rising and wildflowers blooming, it finally feels like summer. Flowers such as false lilies of the valley, prickly wild roses, and forget-me-nots have begun to show up in the forests and along the sides of trails, adding brilliant patches of violet, yellow, white, and pink to the greenery that currently abounds. Wild strawberries have also come out, heralding sweet treats in the months to come. The bursts of color are a wonderful addition to everyday life here. – Britta

A cluster of bunchberry blooming along the Sawbill trail. This lovely flower was introduced in 1774 in England and became an instant star in shade gardens.

These spotted coralroot orchids can be found on the path connecting the store to the road leading to the landing. These intriguing flowers live on decaying organic matter and don’t photosynthesize. Instead, they get their food from fungus that deliver the nutrients from the decaying matter on which the orchids live.

6/30/13 – Yesterday night, the Sawbill campfire ring was once again filled with customers and employees who listened to a talk by a Forest Service naturalist. Last night, the topic was the majestic moose; however, the theme of the program changes each week. The talk starts at 7:30 pm every Saturday and is held at the fire ring near the canoe landing. This exciting and educational program continues until August 24th and is always accompanied by a campfire and s’mores. -Britta

Inga Roen, this year’s naturalist, discusses the moose with interested campers.

6/29/13 – The bats are out at Sawbill! Lately, we’ve been seeing these flying mammals swooping around at dusk, hunting for insects. Bats don’t actually catch insects with their mouths, but instead capture them in their tail and then transfer the caught prey into their mouths. They can do this transfer two times in one second, catching up to three hundred insects per hour. This nocturnal creature is a welcome guest. -Britta

Carl Hansen caught this little bat taking a break on the side of the dome.

6/27/13 – Here is this week’s edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio. – Bill

6/25/13 – Our final new crew member of the season, Nicole Kline, has arrived. She is originally from Apple Valley, but is now living in Seattle where she goes to school at Shoreline Community College for graphic design. – Jessica

Nicole hanging out in front of the store with Hank.

6/24/13 – The status of moose in Minnesota has been a hot topic for some time now, but has recently gained more steam as population estimates dropped 35 percent in just a year’s time. With so many variables linked to this precipitous decline, a push for more research has begun. The University of Minnesota Duluth in conjunction with the Minnesota DNR are trying their best to solve this mystery. To help out, visit their Moose in Minnesota website to report any moose, alive or dead, you encounter. This data is then analyzed, and any dead moose are recovered in order to try and determine the cause of death. -Jessica

On a recent canoe trip Tom and Terri Doremus were able to snap a few pictures of this cow and her calf.

6/21/13 – Here is this week’s edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio. – Bill

6/20/13 – The dragonfly hatch finally occurred this past week. Crew member, Tyler Campbell, claims that on a recent canoe trip he witnessed some slimy looking dragonflies emerge from their nymph stage. According to a New York Times article, a dragonfly typically catches more than 95 percent of its targets. That is a striking contrast to many of Mother Nature’s top predators, such as the African lion, who if lucky can capture only 25 percent of its prey. -Jessica

Resident photographer Carl Hansen captured this guy munching on a bug.

6/16/13 – Here is the latest issue of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio. – Bill