Photo above: McKnight dance fellow Taja Will at Belwin's Education Site
2021 FINANCIALS
Dear Friends,
"These people cared enough about students to make the dream of Belwin a reality."
If you’ve been to Belwin’s Hilltop Classroom, you may have seen the large rock listing the funders that helped a dream become reality: an outdoor classroom where students from Saint Paul could experience the wilderness.
In 2021, as Belwin celebrated half a century of kids connecting to nature, we also experienced the second year of a global pandemic and a severe regional drought. Pressures like that test our systems and require us to question our assumptions. This year, they inspired us to reorient once again to a dream.
We dream of an expansive landscape of healthy forests, prairies, and wetlands, protected forever from destruction and development. We dream about people of different generations, cultures, abilities, and backgrounds coming together at Belwin to experience the wonders of nature. We dream that all those people will help us take care of our natural spaces.
The note on the rock doesn’t just apply to that original group, that message now includes you and me. Thanks for making dreams come true.
With gratitude,
Executive Director
CONSERVATION
In 2021, we experienced the driest year in over a decade. The stress on lawns and agricultural fields was clear. Belwin’s prairies and woodlands, however, are adapted to occasional dry periods, and carried on.
Meanwhile, in other parts of Belwin, remarkable transformations took place. Bulrush Slough, experiencing exceptionally low water levels, saw a spectacular bloom of nodding bur marigold (see photo at left), whose seeds laid in wait for years. Their lush growth covered exposed patches of land where the water had receded, and provided food and cover for small creatures.
Biodiversity is a hallmark of healthy native biomes. These diverse plant communities work together, giving ecosystems a chance to thrive even as conditions vary. As we seek to create sustainable ecosystems at Belwin, years like 2021 are learning opportunities for us. When we watch and learn from the land, we are often gifted a recipe for resilience.
Enduring Ecosystems
"This was land at a tipping point"
There are a few places at Belwin where you can stand on land that has never been disturbed by the blade of a plow. These places are called “remnants,” and they are special: first, for their exceeding rarity, and second, for the biodiversity they hold.
Throughout 2021, Belwin carried out a large-scale restoration on more than 40 hilly acres overlooking Stagecoach Trail. The area is noteworthy for its remnant oak savanna. “This was land at a tipping point,” says Justin Sykora, Belwin’s Operations Director. “The buckthorn infestation was threatening to dramatically change the ecology of the area. We were able to turn that around and put it on a sustainable track."
Photo: Ryan Rodgers
Enduring Ecosystems
Restoring a noteworthy oak savanna
Oak savanna was once the dominant ecosystem in this region. Today, less than 1% remains. Thanks to the support of the Outdoor Heritage Fund, as well as our community of donors, Belwin is able to protect and expand what remains of this native ecosystem.
Photo: Exploring the oak savanna at Belwin's Savanna Hills site
A healthier forest
While beautiful, the red pine forest near Belwin’s Hilltop Classroom is not sustainable. The trees are aging, crowded, and susceptible to disease. So in 2021, we began replacing them. The transition to a healthier biome came in the form of “eco-patches” sponsored by the Saint Paul Garden Club and several individual donors. Each patch contains an ecologically appropriate white pine, surrounded by complimentary understory species. Using eco-patches, we avoid a clear cut and provide a model for those considering similar plantings in their own backyards. So far, 16 eco-patches have been planted in the pine grove.
Thank You
We are grateful to everyone who participated in 2021's Happy Trails campaign. You helped us purchase a new mower and score a great deal on a barely used ATV in great condition. Thanks to you, our trails have never looked better, and our land staff is equipped to traverse Belwin's 1,500 acres with efficiency and ease. More improvements are just around the bend!
OUTREACH
The artist Jenny Odell says "simple awareness is the seed of responsibility." We agree. At Belwin, we believe that by giving people opportunities to connect to nature, we can shape a world that values and cares for our natural spaces.
In 2021, we returned to in-person events, with a twist. Many were reimagined, leveraging our outdoor spaces to ensure the health of our visitors. We activated bigger spaces, like hosting the Solstice Bonfire at Lucy Winton Bell Athletic Fields. We tried new things, like artist-in-residence Tom Bierlein's installation at Savanna Hills. Most importantly, we made new connections that will broaden Belwin's reach and benefit other organizations in our community.
Thanks to our supporters, Belwin is able to adapt to the changing needs of our community and experiment with new ways of connecting people to nature. With your help, we'll continue to dream, play, and include more people in protecting our wild places forever.
Pictured at right: Izzy from Izzy and Squill performs at 2021's Music in the Trees
Sharing Belwin Spaces
Belwin played a supporting role for local artists in 2021
In 2021, Belwin hosted a record number of artists and partner organizations looking to connect with each other and do their work safely outside amidst an ongoing pandemic. This was a call to action we were thrilled to answer.
Among these was McKnight Foundation dance fellow Taja Will and company (see photo at left), the PBS Kids show Sci Girls, and singer/songwriter Faith Boblett for 89.3 The Current.
New partners like FamilyMeans and the American Indian Family Center also began ongoing relationships with Belwin, where they can enrich programs with the healing power of nature.
Celebrating 50
A vision that took root in 1971 still thrives today
Belwin celebrated 50 years of connections to nature in 2021. Festivities included a retrospective show at the Phipps Center for the Arts (take a virtual walk-through below!) and a 50th Anniversary Open House.
Anniversaries are a chance to celebrate everything we’ve accomplished together. They’re also a chance to recalibrate for the future. After reflecting on a half century of land protection, environmental education, and community, we continue to dream of the Belwin of tomorrow – an organization built on the values of environmental stewardship, inclusion, collaboration, and innovation.
Pictured at right: Jayanthi Kyle leads a singalong at Belwin's 50th Celebration Open House.
EDUCATION
This winter, a Belwin Outdoor Science (BOS) teacher was asked by a group of 5th graders whether there would be lots of people at Belwin during an upcoming field trip. She replied, “no, it’s reserved for you.” The response got spontaneous applause.
After a year of screen-based learning, spending the day in the wilds of Belwin is a special prospect for kids – but it can also feel a little scary. The anxiety takes many shapes: “Are there animals that will eat me? Will it be like a survivor show?” We also recognize that for some children of color, a history of discrimination has led to a legitimate fear of time spent in natural spaces. Removing the uncertainty that comes with crowds and strangers leaves space for the exhilaration of a day spent learning via the senses.
For thousands of Saint Paul Public Schools students who come to Belwin each year, the vast quiet of the Education Site is what makes it remarkable. It is also what tells them, “This is yours. You are safe. You belong here.”
Bringing Belwin Back to the Classroom
Integrating standards-based curriculum and hands-on experience
Throughout distance learning, BOS instructors found inventive ways to bring a standards-based science curriculum to students from afar. In 2021, with kids back on the land, some aspects of that work were reimagined, and now serve to augment in-person learning. Today, virtual “pre-trips” prepare kids for the exploration that they'll do at Belwin. The result is more fully integrated learning, growing the Belwin experience beyond a “one-and-done” field trip.
At right: A BOS instructor takes a class on a virtual pre-trip during a snowstorm last winter
Bringing Belwin Back to the Classroom
A third grader pauses with a big smile before stepping off the school bus for her first field trip to Belwin and shouts, "hey, it's Tillery!" This student has correctly identified one of the BOS instructors, and has toured the Hilltop Classroom building and surrounding habitats, all before stepping foot on the site.
That's because her class has already visited Belwin – virtually. Instructors have discovered that these pre-trips reduce student anxiety about nature and give kids a sense of control by helping them understand what to expect. They also introduce kids to the habitats they will explore – knowledge they will use during their field trip and, with any luck, beyond.
Credits:
Jeff Anderson/AJ Photography MN, Belwin Outdoor Science, Dana Boyle, Sequoia Hauck, Connie Hess, Nancy Klinger, John Pennoyer, Deanne Probst, Greg Seitz