Byway Bylines May, 2024

Talking boxes. Butterfly bench. Crawl-through giant caterpillar. Native plants garden.
All these things and more are in the Linda Ulland Memorial Garden located on County Road 66 of the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway paulbunyanscenicbyway.org at the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Cross Lake Recreation Area [35507 Co. Rd. 66, Crosslake, MN 56442].

A popular interactive exhibit, dubbed ‘talking boxes’ are being refreshed for the season right now. Hear Paul Bunyan-style stories about the scent of a flower, wild critter houses like the popular birdhouses and bat houses, and USACE stories about the original dam, including an actual wheel that was turned by hand to open the dam gates.

The life cycle of the monarch butterfly is transformed into playground fun with a Bunyan-sized representation of the chrysalis, caterpillar and butterfly; all perfect for learning while playing.

Brick paver paths usher visitors through the grounds guiding them past the gardens, play areas, information hubs and resting benches. A center leaf-shaped outdoor ‘classroom’ is ready for sharing amazing stories about animal tracks, leaf shapes and other things curious kids want to know more about. If you’re a teacher, retired teacher or program presenter looking for a chance to share great science stories this summer, contact USACE site manager, Corrine Hodapp at 651-290-5790.

Over $90,000 in cash and in-kind donations and services were invested in the LUMG by the time it opened in May of 2017. Each year, plant replacements, repair of equipment and garden bed maintenance requires additional funding. In 2024, these costs, mostly related to exhibit electronics repair and updates, will exceed $10,000. The Linda Ulland Memorial Gardens is entirely funded by donations. Those who enjoy this beautiful site, including garden visitors, field trip groups and businesses that promote this site to their guests are encouraged to ‘support what you enjoy’!

Donate online at: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Paul-Bunyan-Scenic-Byway-Association


Or, download and print forms at: https://paulbunyanscenicbyway.org/explore/donate-support-byway