CHAPTER MEETINGS

West Metro Chapter's monthly meetings are start at 7 pm on the second Tuesday of the month (except July & August). Please sign in early for some social time with the other members. Meetings feature a presentation on a nature-related topic and last about 90 minutes. We usually meet in person at Minnetonka Community Center, though sometimes (especially during the winter months) meet via Zoom only. We aim to make all of our in-person meetings available to a Zoom audience (i.e., hybrid).

Upcoming Meetings:

Tuesday, September 15, 7 pm: The White Pelicans of Marsh Lake
with Amy Rager, MN Master Naturalist Extension Educator

The American white pelican is one of the largest birds in North America. While it is similar to the brown pelican in shape, it is much larger and has very different habits. These birds nest in colonies, and one of the largest is on an island in western Minnesota's Marsh Lake, not far from Amy Rager's home. Come hear her firsthand accounts of working with the pelicans, and learn about these fascinating (and surprisingly timid) birds.  

This meeting will be Hybrid - ONLINE (Click this link to: Join the September Online Meeting) & IN PERSON (Click this link for directions to the: Minnetonka Community Center)

Amy Rager is an extension educator with the MN Master Naturalist program. She's been with the program since its inception, and has taught many biome courses. She gave this presentation at the 2025 Gathering Partners conference and it was excellent--informative and entertaining. 

Also Note: Our September meeting is on Tuesday the 15th
Normally we meet on the second Tuesday of the month, but for September we'll meet on the third Tuesday. 

Tuesday, October 13, 7 pm: Minnesota’s Fascinating Physical Environments with David Lyons, Master Nat and recently retired geology professor

David will discuss with us Lake Agassiz and Minnesota's drainage divides, dividing our state into six regions (NW, NE, SW, SE, Central, and Metro). For each region he will describe a few interesting features--rocks, hydrology, soils, geological history, and biomes.

This meeting will be Hybrid (Online and In Person): Link will

be provided shortly before the meeting

David Lyons recently retired from Century College, after teaching college-level geography for 35 years. He taught physical geography and environmental science, as well as the social science side of the discipline, including courses in human, world, regional, and Minnesota geography. He received a BA degree from UMD and an MS from UW Madison. His research interests are broad but he is particularly drawn to environmental histories, especially how the physical environment of a place influences how people live. 

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