A long time ago, a large amount of snow resided in what we now know as Canada. As more snow accumulated during the Ice Ages, a large continental ice sheet began to form known as the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Over the colder periods, the snow would accumulate and the ice sheet would cover more area. As it got warmer, the ice sheet receded north making a gradual back and forth. This tendency caused so much of our rock to be shifted and deposited to new spaces. Minnesota was covered in glaciers for four official stages during the Pleistocene Epoch: Wisconsin, Illinoian, Kansan, and Nebraskan. During these stages, the pre-glacial rock formations in Minnesota affected how the ice would move. Pre-existing highlands would usually split the ice sheet into distinct “lobes”, and valleys tended to localize the flow. The major features include the Lake Superior basin, the Laurentian divide in northeastern Minnesota, the Red River Valley, and the Red Lakes Lowland in western and central-northern Minnesota, respectively.³

Depending on the lobe, the resulting areas would be comprised of red or gray drift characterized by the color of the rock. The red drift is typically sandy, containing rock from the Precambrian bedrock (basalt, gabbro, and red sandstone) near Lake Superior and gets its reddish color from the high iron content of the material. The gray drift is silty, calcareous, and contains abundant carbonate rock fragments from the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in the Winnipeg area. In conclusion, much of the rock we study and view from lookout points was affected by glacial drift.

The climate in Southern Minnesota is similar to that of the Midwestern states where winter months bring cold temperatures from Northern Canada followed by hot and humid summers. Minnesota's location is unique in that it experiences a wide variety of weather events that enable the region to experience all four very distinct seasons. Furthermore, Minnesota experiences year-round precipitation, most commonly in the form of snow or rain, with the wettest months of June and July allowing for conditions that promote agriculture. Precipitation, along with reasonable temperatures, topography, and availability of water, have historically promoted agriculture in and around the St. Olaf Natural Lands.⁴

Recent changes in weather conditions caused by climate change have shifted historical climate patterns in recent years. Southern Minnesota has experienced a consequence of climate change coined "global weirding" where unusual weather events such as false springs and extreme wet and dry seasons have been observed. These changes are extremely important when considering the agricultural industry surrounding the Natural Lands. They have been some of the first to observe these changes and have responded by adjusting farming and land-use practices.⁵