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Dinner on the Bluff: “Beavers: the Animal, the Myth, the Legend” by Dr. Steve Windels (with special guest chef Tyler Shipton)
February 10 @ 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
$75 per person (includes talk + 4-course dinner by guest chef Tyler Shipton)
Dr. Steve Windels will speak on the natural history of beavers. Event includes an exquisite 4-course meal expertly prepared by guest chef Tyler Shipton of Juniper’s Restaurant in Lanesboro!
🦫 About the talk:
Beavers are pretty smart for a dumb animal. Despite their tiny brains, their activities can have an outsized impact on their environment and ours. This presentation will give you an overview of beaver natural history, including how they move and disperse, how beaver families are structured, how their dam-building and foraging behaviors affect the rest of the ecosystem, and how they interact with their primary predators, the gray wolf.
Dinner Menu (Prepared by Special Guest Chef Tyler Shipton):
- Amuse-bouche: Crostini, Caramelized Onions, Cheese, Pickled Beets, Chives
- 1st course: White Bean Soup, Kale, Mirepoix
- 2nd course: Pasta, Smoked Sausage, Broccolini, Garlic Cream Sauce, Parmesan, Garlic Toast
- Dessert: Chocolate Cake, Orange, Chocolate Chards
🍷 OPTIONAL Add-On Wine Pairing:
Sample different wines offered by the Libation Project of St. Paul, MN. Choose your favorite and receive a glass of that wine to go with your meal! $15 additional cost.
Speaker bio:
Steve Windels is an award-winning wildlife biologist who has worked with moose, wolves, deer, muskrats, eagles, cormorants, loons, and of course, beavers. Originally from a small town in Northwestern Minnesota, Steve has been fortunate to have traveled widely to study and work on wildlife conservation issues in Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. For the last 20 years, he has been a wildlife biologist with the U.S. National Park Service where he continues the longest-running beaver study in North America in Voyageurs National Park. He’s also a stand-up comedian on the side so expect to have fun.
Guest Chef Bio:
Tyler Shipton is the Executive Chef and owner of Juniper’s. His culinary journey has placed him in some of the country’s most prominent restaurants. In 2012, he decided to embark on his own journey and was one of the opening Chefs and owners of Minneapolis’ Borough. In 2015, he moved to the west coast, with a desire to explore the food scene. After spending several years as an Executive Chef of various top restaurants along the coast in San Diego, the pandemic forced Chef Tyler and fiancé Ame back to the farm he grew up on, and together, the duo founded Juniper’s.
Evening itinerary:
- 5:00 pm – Dining hall doors open
- 5:30 pm – Dinner in the dining hall
- 6:15 pm – Presentation begins
- 7:00 pm – Q&A with presenter
Lodging options:
If you are interested in lodging for the evening of the dinner, our friends at Stone Mill Inn & Suites and Root River Inn and Suites in Lanesboro have graciously offered a 10% discount for any event attendee who books a night stay with them ahead of time. Check out the confirmation email for details on how to redeem this offer. Please confirm availability with inn ahead of time.
About Dinner on the Bluff:
Dinner on the Bluff, now in its 20th year, is designed to give thought-leaders and experts in the environmental field the opportunity to discuss issues with the broader Eagle Bluff community.
About Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center:
Located in the scenic bluff country of Lanesboro, Minnesota, Eagle Bluff is a non-profit, year-round environmental learning center providing education programs & outdoor adventures to over 16,000 children and adults each year. Through transformative hands-on experiences we aim to increase environmental awareness & academic literacy, spark curiosity & appreciation for the natural world, and empower people to care for the earth and each other.
