Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center Inc

“Cold makes me think how lucky I am. It’s such a great feeling - I can’t explain it. I come here, go outside, 

and I feel a lot better. I love this place.” – Prairie Science 5th Grader

Help us connect people with nature in this unique and beautiful area!   This year a matching grant is being offered for the first $300 in gifts to the Friends on November 16th!  

In the early 1970s, local conservationists first envisioned an environmental learning center for the Prairie Pothole Region. With the support of these and other partners,* the Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center was established in 1989 to make this vision a reality.  

Located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, this environmental education facility is operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Over 350 acres of native and restored prairie and wetlands can be found at the PWLC.  With nearly four miles of foot trails, there are ample opportunities for wildlife observation and relaxation. 

The Center offers a unique partnership with the Fergus Falls School District by hosting students who attend Prairie Science classes. Experienced teachers along with FWS naturalists specialize in providing fourth and fifth graders with hands-on, outdoor learning that emphasizes observation, journaling, and study of this prairie pothole setting. Other area school districts provide field trips to the PWLC for their students with the Friends' nonprofit raising funds for “The Yellow Bus Fund” helping to subsidize bus transportation costs. Children learn how to tag monarch butterflies and band ducks furnishing helpful data for research about these migrating species. They collect seeds from native prairie plants, nurturing them in the on-site greenhouse for later planting at the PWLC. To assist with this purpose, the Friends employ a greenhouse naturalist funded by the generosity of sponsors and donors. In addition, the Center hosts summer teacher workshops and biology camps for students with the FPWLC administering registrations and supplying learning materials. Special outreach events hosted by The Friends offer opportunities for children and adults to celebrate the cultural and natural history of the prairie and to investigate the wonders of our wetlands.  

In this season of giving, the Friends of the PWLC are seeking to raise $4,000 for the cost of upgrading our website. Our current website has a static, “old-fashioned” appearance (see: https://www.friendsofprairiewetlands.com/).  A website upgrade would improve our communication with the public, especially in sharing the value of our native prairie wetlands.

Thanks for considering a generous gift to the 

Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center 

during this Give to the Max season of giving!

“The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world are not reserved 

for scientists but are available to anyone who will place himself 

under the influence of earth, sea, and sky and their amazing life.” 

-- Rachel Carson, author and naturalist

 Rachel Carson, from The Sense of Wonder: A Celebration of Nature for Parents and Children. (1956; reprinted, illustrated, 2017, Harper Collins, p. 65) 

*U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Minnesota State Legislature, and local School District #544