MDS Summer Gathering 2025 details

Join us at Itasca State Park August 8-10, 2025 for our long-awaited summer gathering!

Gathering details

Two participation options- full weekend or field trip only.

Full weekend

• Arrive Friday, August 8
• Day-long field trip Saturday, August 9
• Two options: light (mobility-sensitive) & moderate (off-trail & uneven ground)
• Depart Sunday, August 10
• Lodging: shared cabins at the Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories in Itasca State Park
• due to limited space and to keep costs down, we cannot guarantee private rooms
• each participant will have their own bed & can request cabinmates (names &/or gender)
• See the station's website for general information on dining and lodging and life at the station, including what to bring.
• Dining: Itasca Biological Station dining hall. Includes:
• Friday dinner
• Saturday packed lunch
• Saturday dinner
• Sunday brunch
• Transportation:
• Participants encouraged to carpool
• Caravan to the field trip sites

Field trip only

• Arrive Saturday, August 9
• Day-long field trip (8:45am-4:30pm)
• Two options: light (mobility-sensitive) & moderate (off-trail & uneven ground)
• Bring your own lunch & snacks
• Station facilities & amenities only available to those lodging at Itasca Biological Station

Schedule:

• Friday 
• 2-4pm pre-gathering NatSci public event
• 3-6pm Arrive and settle into cabins
• 6pm Dinner in dining hall

• 7pm Campfire & Station/MDS Welcome with Emily Schilling & Kurt Mead

• Saturday
• Breakfast on your own
• 8:00am Dining hall to make your lunch 
• 8:45am gather outside of cabin 70  [day registrants join here]
• 9am depart for field trip
• 4:30pm arrive back at the station [day registrants depart here]
• 5pm Dinner in dining hall
• 6:30pm gather to share what we found in a classroom, setup with scopes

• 8pm Campfire

• Sunday
• 9am Station store open
• 10am Brunch in dining hall

• 11am Depart [cabins must be vacated by 11am]

Registration & cost

• Register using this form.
• Full weekend: $100+* donation (covers dining, lodging, & space use at the Itasca station)
• Field trip only: $30+ donation
• A MN State Park permit is required for Itasca State Park and is not included in the above costs.

*Thanks to the generosity of MDS members and other donors, we are able to offer this subsidized rate rather than charging our full dining & lodging costs. Additional donations are welcome.

We hope you can join us! If you have questions, please email info@mndragonfly.org.