Lakes Area Unlimited Learning has invited Dr. Annette Drewes to speak about her passion for wild rice from 1:30-3:30 p.m. June 14 at Heartwood Senior Living in Crosby.
Drewes cautions to, "Think carefully about losing wild rice. No other state has as many acres of naturally occurring wild rice as Minnesota." Only Wisconsin and Minnesota manage the harvest of this native grass. Manoomin (wild rice) is sacred to the Ojibwe people and has played a significant role in their migration west to this place where "the food grows on water."
Drewes is a passionate explorer of the natural world. While she studied for her doctorate in land resources, she developed a personal interest in wild rice harvest and management. For her research at the University of Wisconsin, she spent several years chasing wild rice gatherers to ask questions. Today she is one of them. Her curiosity led her to set out with a ricing partner to discover answers to her questions and she developed a passion for the process and the connection she felt with nature. Drewes will raise issues relevant to survival of this native grass. She will also describe the tools and method for harvesting, the sense of rhythm and dance that she feels as she and her ricing partner push through the tight stalks, sweeping and gathering the ripe seeds. Drewes has taught for the past three years at Leech Lake Tribal College, developing and directing the Forest Ecology Program.
Heartwood Senior Living is located at 500 Heartland Drive in Crosby. Cost for non-members is $5. Call Bill Ingvoldstad 218-963-3829 for more information.
