Sherburne County Heritage Center Interpretive Plan Final Report 2005

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(Major sources: Daniel S. Wovcha, et. al., Minnesota's St. Croix River Valley and Anoka Sandplain: A Guide to Native Habitats (1995): 4-13; and Thomas Jackson, Soil Survey of Sherburne County, Minnesota, (USDA, NRCS) at http://www.sherbumeswcd.org/sherb_MN.pdf , accessed February 19, 2005. When disagreements in some glacial history details emerged, I used the Soil Survey, but this needs to be explored further, especially the different explanations for Elk River moraine hills.) Theme statement Theme 2: Being on the edge where three ecological land types meet enabled easy transportation and access to natural resources and economic resources. Subthemes 2.1. The glacial history of Sherburne County created the soils and topography that, together with climate and human manipulation, created our native plant communities and future land use opportunities. Contemporary visitor relevance: The audience study indicated high interest in natural history, the story of how sand came to Sherburne County, and how the land shaped the lives of people in the county. The study also strongly indicated an interest in interactivity, immersion, and sensory experiences. Desired Learner Outcomes 1. Some visitors will be able to describe at least three different glacial features that exist in Sherburne County. (cognitive) 2. Some visitors will be able to explain how the sandy soils came to Sherburne County. (cognitive) 3. Hearing the sounds, immersed in the fog and coolness of the zone and impressed by the size and power of glaciers, some visitors will respond to the natural forces that created the county landscape by telling other members of their group how these sensory experiences affected understanding of glaciation. (affective) Visitor Experience Visitors walk through a tunnel of ice (ca. 10 feet), with booming and grinding sounds of glacial retreat. (This grinding helped create sand.) It is also desirable to have a localized "cool zone" and steam machine within the tunnel. Sound, steam, and cool gusts of wind can all be initiated by motion or pressure activated sensors. As they emerge on the other side, visitors walk on sand and are initially surrounded by the sound of rushing water. On one side a diorama of an engorged Mississippi River rushes noisily past, slowly changing in synchrony with the film on the other side of the pathway. On the other side, they see back projection images that show the changing landscapes in Sherburne County after glaciation. Using comparable landscapes that still exist in other places, perhaps Alaska, show photos/film changing from a contemporary glacier; to a Black Spruce parkland; then a dense pine woodland; a prairie and oak savannah landscape, a dry, sandy, windy landscape; and finally a contemporary film of a level plain of sand with prairie, scattered burr oaks and in the distance, an occasional shallow lake and tamarack bog. Brief narration will tell how the Sherburne County Historical Society Heritage Center Interpretive Plan, April 21, 2005, page 25