Mark Your Calendar for the 10th Annual Healthy Land, Healthy Lake Expo
It’s 2025: Let’s Get Dirty! Let’s Get Wet!
Feb 11, 2025: Love the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed area and want it to be the best it can be? Then you won’t want to miss this year’s Healthy Land, Healthy Lake Expo! This free event will be held on Saturday, May 3, at Tulibee Tavern, 235 Main St., Wahkon from 9 am to 12:30 pm.
The Expo, put on by the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed Group, will feature a robust lineup of exhibitors and guest speakers on a variety of topics such as water quality; clean lake initiatives; healthy habitats for fish, loons and other wildlife; and steps you can take to conserve and preserve your land and shoreline.
To gear up for the Expo, you can pre-order discounted native plant kits from Minnesota Native Landscapes (MNL) from now until April 27 for pick up at the event. Regularly $114 each, the Shoreline Stabilization, Wetland Edge, Rain Garden, Shade Garden, Monarch Special, and Backyard Prairie kits are available for $94. To learn more about what each kit contains or to order, visit: https://mnlcorp.com/product/mllwg-preorder/
At the Expo you’ll discover:
A “Get the Lead Out” Tackle Exchange: Trade in your old leaded tackle for free lead-free lures and weights!
Shoreline and Land Restoration Experts: Bring in pictures or videos of your property and a list of your goals and learn what types of native plants can help you make your vision a reality — or schedule a consultation with a shoreline stewardship program representative.
A Tree Seedling Giveaway: Enter a free drawing for tree seedlings.
A mobile “Clean Drain Dry” Boat Cleaning Unit: See a demonstration of how specialized equipment can help boaters reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Have Questions, Want Answers?
Throughout the event, representatives from the following organizations will be staffing exhibits and available to discuss aquatic invasive species (AIS), loons, monarch butterflies, native plants, shoreline and land restoration projects, smallmouth bass fishing, traditional land uses, how to care for your trees, and more:
Aitkin County Lakes and Rivers Association
Arborist (formerly with DNR Forestry Department)
Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
Great Roots Shoreline Restoration
Keep It Clean Campaign
Mille Lacs Compass Watershed Stewardship Program
Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post
Mille Lacs Lake Watershed Group
Mille Lacs Scenic Byway Committee
Mille Lacs Soil and Water Conservation District
Minnesota Native Landscapes
MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates Lake Steward Program
Monarch Butterfly Pick Pods for Payment Program
MPCA “Get the Lead Out” Program
National Loon Center Foundation
Norseman Guide Service
Northern Waters Land Trust (kid friendly interactive activity)
Rum River Watershed Partnership
Wondering When to Drop In?
Time your visit to the topics that mean the most to you. Our guest speaker lineup includes the following:
9:00 am: Mille Lacs Lake Watershed Group | Margaret Vos
Welcome and opening remarks. https://millelacswatershed.org/
9:15 am: Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe DNR | Perry Bunting
Annual summary of Mille Lacs Lake water quality data. https://millelacsband.com/
9:30 am: Keep It Clean Coalition | Ann Brucciani Lyon
Campaign and legislative update, Clean Up the Lake scuba diver findings and what’s next. https://keepitcleanmn.org/
10:00 am: National Loon Center Foundation | Maddi Nistler
All about loons — fun facts about this amazing species, including its nesting habits, chicks, diet, threats to habitat and things you can do to make your environment more loon friendly. https://www.nationallooncenter.org/
10:30 am: Norseman Guide Service | Mark Olson
Healthy smallmouth bass habitat and how it impacts tourism. https://millelacssmallmouthalliance.com/
11:00 am: Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates | Lily Carr
How land closest to the water has the greatest impact on our lakes and how you can positively affect water quality, wildlife and our lake heritage. https://mnlakesandrivers.org/
11:30 am: Mille Lacs Compass Shoreline Steward Program | Lynn Gallice
Learn how this free program enables you to connect with a Compass Specialist, schedule a time for them to walk your property with you to identify your goals, the good things you’re already doing, and additional steps you can take to help protect the lake. https://millelacswatershed.org/
12:00 pm: Lake and Watershed Stewardship Roundtable Discussion | Guy and Lilly Haglund
Mille Lacs shoreline restoration project participants discuss their experiences, success and challenges in an informal and informative setting.
For additional information about the event, visit https://millelacswatershed.org/ and select the Healthy Lake Healthy Land Expo tab and Follow Us on Facebook.
Photos and photo captions:
Native plants are beautiful and low maintenance and attract birds, butterflies, and other types of wildlife. Bring in pics of your land and a list of you goals and talk with the experts about steps you can take to preserve your shoreline and help keep the lake clean and healthy.
Crazy about loons? Learn all about this incredible creature including what makes a healthy loon habitat and steps you can take to help reduce unnecessary loon mortality. Photo credit Jeremy Hymes, Unsplash
Trees play an important role in the ecosystem. Talk with an arboriculture expert to determine which ones will thrive in your environment and learn how to care for them.
Find out what makes a healthy smallmouth bass environment and how bass fishing is impacting tourism at Mille Lacs.
What happens to trash that enters Mille Lacs Lake? Join us at the Expo and find out what the team of scuba divers from Clean Up the Lake discovered.
About the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed Group: Formed in 1997, the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed Group strives to improve the health of Mille Lacs Lake and the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed area through education and actionable steps that landowners can take to positively impact the area’s land, waters and wildlife. We connect individuals and organizations with local and state agency experts and resources, host educational events and provide educational materials. For more information, visit: https://millelacswatershed.org/
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