Create connections with other naturalists in the field during this structured, yet informal networking night.  This evening is geared towards those who are early in their career and/or new to Minnesota Naturalists Association.  If you have a goal to gather connections in the field, learn more about other EE sites and staff, or want to meet a few people before attending the conference, this is a great event for you!

Schedule:
6-6:20 pm:  Arrival, informal chat time, snacks and welcome to the evening

6:20 - 7:40:  Networking stations, converse with small groups, rotating 4 times 

7:40 - 8:  Evaluation of evening, sharing information with others (if desired), next event location and date reveal

We will be learning how to pin beetles for display in this workshop!  Melody Hanssen, an insect taxidermist and owner of Micro Mayhem, will be leading this workshop.  Check out her work on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micro_mayhem_melody/.  Participants will be educated on hydrating, pinning, drying, and displaying beetles.  You will go home with a pinned beetle that will need to finish drying before transferring., as well as a pinning board and display box.  Please note:  The beetles will be non-native species as MN native beetles are too expensive or too small to easily learn on.

Get ready for something fun!  We're ready to gather together in the place where MNA got its start!  

The 2026 MNA Conference will be held November 13-15, 2026 at Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center.

Become a member and follow us on socials for up to date details! 

Get your MNA and conference swag in our zazzle store.

If you are have questions or are interested in helping to plan next year's conference, please contact: mnaconference@gmail.com.