Harriet Alexander Nature Center

06/17/2026

We're excited to be hosting a FREE Rosefest event at Harriet Alexander Nature Center on Tuesday, June 23 from 6:00–8:00 p.m.!

Join us for an evening of giving back to nature as we plant wildflowers to support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Afterward, create your own flower-printed bandana to take home as a colorful reminder of your time spent helping our pollinator friends.
We hope you'll join us for this fun evening of nature, creativity, and community! 🐝🌼🦋

🌼🐝 Help Pollinators & Create Something Unique! 🎨

Join us for this NEW Rosefest event at Harriet Alexander Nature Center! Participants will work with natural resources staff to plant wildflowers in the woodland, helping support healthy pollinator populations.

After planting, head inside the nature center for a nature-inspired craft activity where you'll create a one-of-a-kind flower-printed bandana! This free event offers something for all ages.

🌿 Free event
🐝 Help plant wildflowers for pollinators
🎨 Create a flower-printed bandana to take home

Reserve your spot today:
👉 signupgenius.com/go/4090E44A9AE22AAFB6-63853586-planting #/

06/15/2026

We would love to hear from you!

The possibility of a Nature Play Area at Harriet Alexander Nature Center is an exciting one, and we'd love your help imagining what it could become. This space has the potential to create new opportunities for visitors, families, field trip groups, and anyone who enjoys connecting with nature through play and exploration.
Whether you have a big dream or a simple suggestion, your input matters.

Thank you for helping us shape the future of nature play in Roseville—we can't wait to see what ideas you share!

🌿 Help Shape the Future of Nature Play in Roseville! 🌿

The City of Roseville is exploring the creation of a Nature Play Area at Harriet Alexander Nature Center, and we want to hear from you!

Nature play areas are designed to encourage creativity, exploration, and connection with the outdoors. Rather than traditional playground equipment, these spaces often feature natural elements such as logs, boulders, water features, climbing structures, gardens, and places for imaginative play.
As we begin concept planning, your feedback will help guide the vision for this exciting community project.

Take a few minutes to complete our survey and help us create a space that inspires outdoor adventure, learning, and play for generations to come.

🔗 Complete the survey today: http://shorturl.at/5ml3c

06/12/2026

Fun Fact Friday!
Did you know one of Minnesota's most incredible fish isn't even born here?

During this week's Nature at Nine presentation, we learned about a handful of Minnesota's most unique fish, but the one that amazed us most was the American eel.

The American eel undergoes one of the longest migrations of any freshwater fish in the world. Born in the Sargasso Sea of the North Atlantic Ocean, some females travel north more than 2,000 miles to reach the Mississippi River watershed, navigating rivers and passing through numerous locks and dams along the way. In Minnesota, they are most often found in waters connected to the Mississippi River.

After spending 10–20 years growing in freshwater, these eels begin an epic journey back to the ocean to spawn. By the end of their lives, they may have traveled 4,000 miles or more between the ocean and inland rivers.
For a fish that looks a bit like a snake, that's quite the adventure!

What's your favorite Minnesota fish?

06/11/2026

Last week our preschool Sprouts program had fun learning all about things green and growing! 🌱

Our little explorers stepped into the world of plants as we felt bumpy bark and soft leaves, looked closely at plant parts, played in the dirt and discovered how seeds sprout and grow.

Think your little one would enjoy discovering nature through stories, crafts, sensory play, and outdoor adventures? Sprouts will return this August with brand-new sessions! Families can register for one class or all three through Dash.

We can't wait to welcome our next group of little sprouts to the nature center!

06/10/2026

We know many Roseville residents are without power after last night's storm.

Just a quick update that we still have power here at the Nature Center, the coffee and tea are ready, and Nature at Nine is on as scheduled this morning!

We'll be learning about some wonderfully weird fish, so if you're looking for a way to spend your morning, we'd love to see you here at 9:00 a.m.

Join us tomorrow for Nature at Nine as Dan Belden, fishing instructor with Fishing For All, shares all about the Freaky Fish of Our 10,000 Lakes!

Discover the ancient bowfin, the mysterious deepwater sculpin, and the incredible migration of the American eel. These fascinating fish have unique adaptations and life stories that may surprise you and reveal a side of Minnesota's aquatic world that most people never hear of.

The program begins at 9:00 a.m. at Harriet Alexander Nature Center. Coffee and tea will be available, and all are welcome. Bring a friend!☕️🐟

06/09/2026

Join us tomorrow for Nature at Nine as Dan Belden, fishing instructor with Fishing For All, shares all about the Freaky Fish of Our 10,000 Lakes!

Discover the ancient bowfin, the mysterious deepwater sculpin, and the incredible migration of the American eel. These fascinating fish have unique adaptations and life stories that may surprise you and reveal a side of Minnesota's aquatic world that most people never hear of.

The program begins at 9:00 a.m. at Harriet Alexander Nature Center. Coffee and tea will be available, and all are welcome. Bring a friend!☕️🐟

06/08/2026

We were lucky to have one of our CPE first grade classes help us brainstorm ideas for a fun nature play space! Since these students visit the nature center eighteen times between kindergarten and second grade, their input was especially valuable as they shared what they would love to see in a future space just steps away from their school.

We are very thankful for all of their ideas and for helping us imagine what this space could become! 🌳🛝

06/05/2026

Last weekend, we had the joy of participating in WaterFest 2026 at Lake Phalen!
One of our naturalists, Jaclyn, spent the day helping attendees investigate water quality and meet some amazing macroinvertebrates. These tiny aquatic creatures play a big role in helping us understand the health of our local waterways.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by to learn, explore, and celebrate our water resources with us!

📷 Credit: SL Productions

06/05/2026

Fun Fact Friday!
Did you know dragonflies spend most of their lives underwater?

Before becoming the fast-flying insects, we see darting over ponds and wetlands, dragonflies spend months or even years living beneath the water as nymphs, the juvenile stage of their life cycle. These fierce aquatic predators use a specialized extendable lower jaw called a labium to sn**ch insects, tadpoles, and even small fish with lightning-fast speed.
Depending on the species, a dragonfly may spend several months to more than five years underwater before undergoing its final transformation. In late spring and early summer, warming water temperatures and longer days signal that many nymphs are ready to emerge.
The nymph crawls out of the water and sheds its exoskeleton in a process called eclosion. Its wings slowly expand and harden before it takes flight as an adult dragonfly.
While adult dragonflies may only live for a few weeks or months, they often spend years hidden beneath the water's surface as underwater hunters before ever taking their first flight.

06/04/2026

We had such a fantastic time visiting with the residents yesterday!🐢☀️

While we enjoyed introducing everyone to some of our animal ambassadors, our favorite part was hearing stories and memories about the wetland and wildlife we are lucky enough to share as neighbors.

Thank you for welcoming us into your community. It was a joy to spend the afternoon learning and sharing, and we look forward to visiting again soon!