Forest History Center.

Forest History Center Winter Lecture Series

The Forest History Center hosts lectures by expert guest speakers who share their expertise on topics that connect Minnesota with the wider world.

Lectures occur every other Saturday in January, February, and March, from 1pm to 3pm. Lectures are free for MNHS members, or included with regular site admission.

If you have a suggestion for a future presentation, drop us a line at foresthistory@mnhs.org.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history.

2026 Lectures

Makoce kin Mitakuye: The Land is My Relative

Makoce kin Mitakuye: The Land is My Relative

Explore the Dakota seasons and learn lessons from Teresa Peterson's life as a gardener, gatherer, and lover of the land.
The Fur Trade in Minnesota: From 1680 to 1900

The Fur Trade in Minnesota: From 1680 to 1900

Step into the past, during Minnesota’s fur trade era.
Helen Hoover: The Life of One of Minnesota's Beloved Nature Writers

Helen Hoover: The Life of One of Minnesota's Beloved Nature Writers

Past event

Follow Helen Hoover’s life from Chicago to the north woods and beyond
Memory in the Woods: Inventing the Nostalgic Lumberjack

Memory in the Woods: Inventing the Nostalgic Lumberjack

Past event

Learn about the forces that built our communal memory of the north woods jacks.
Reclaiming Minnesota's Mined Lands

Reclaiming Minnesota's Mined Lands

Past event

Delve into state-of-the-art conservation, reclamation, and repurposing practices over the past 120 years of Minnesota’s iron mining history.
The History of Minnesota's Forests

The History of Minnesota's Forests

Past event

Learn how changing management practices over the past several centuries have shaped the forest we have today.

Previous Presentations

  • Paul Bunyan's Footprints / Jonathan Jaeger / March 29, 2025
  • Women in the Fur Trade / Nikki Rajala / March 15, 2025
  • The Wood and Canvas Canoe / Alex Comb / March 1, 2025
  • After the Burn / Matt Kania / February 15, 2025
  • Birds, Bees, and Butterflies / Bonnie Siegford / February 1, 2025
  • North of Nowhere / Terry O'Brien / January 18, 2025
  • Spirits Dancing / Travis Novitsky / 1/4/2025
  • Wolves of Minnesota / Karlyn Berg / 4/13/2024
  • Pokegama & Gaaginwaajiwanaag / Karen Noyce / 3/16/2024
  • Owls to Orchids / Sparky Stensaas / 2/3/2024
  • Logging Era Folksong / Brian Miller / 1/27/2024
  • The World that Grew from Stumps and Ash / Aaron Brown / 1/20/2024
  • Whose Land is it Anyway? / Mary Pelcich Keyes / 1/6/2024
  • Making the Carry / Tim Chochrane / 4/22/2023
  • Stillwater's Last Lumber Baron / Bill McGrath / 4/8/2023
  • Native Plants / Courtney Kerns / 3/11/2023
  • Expedition to Churchill: Polar Bears of Northern Manitoba / John Grabko / 2/11/2023
  • Rights of Wild Rice / Frank Bibeau / 1/21/2023
  • Butterflies / Allison Barta / 1/7/2023
Reclaiming Minnesota's Mined Lands.
Memory in the Woods: Inventing the Nostalgic Lumberjack.