Westwood Hills Nature Center
About • Location • Activities • Ecology
About |
Ownership |
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Overview |
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History |
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Management |
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Comments |
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Location |
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Size |
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160 acres |
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Driving Directions |
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Parking |
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8300 W. Franklin Ave. N44 57.828, W93 23.175 |
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Hours |
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Nature center trails are open every day from sunrise to sunset, year-round. The interpretive center building is open year-round during the following times.
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Fees |
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Parking and admission are free. |
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Maps |
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Activities |
Hiking Birding Nature photography Picnicking Canoeing Snowshoeing |
Hiking Trails |
Several hiking trails, including a 1.54-mile loop trail |
Hunting |
No hunting |
Ecology |
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Ecological Classification |
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| Ecological Province |  |
Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province | |||
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Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal | |||
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Big Woods | |||
| Land Type Association | Hopkins Moraine | ||||
Native Plant Communities* |
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Not mapped (7/10/2020) |
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| * Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources | |||||
Natural Features |
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Westwood Lake, marsh, pine forest, maple/basswood forest |
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Visitor Photos |
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Margot Avey |
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Parking |
Information Kiosk | |
Signage |
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Trails |
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Trail Map |
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Boardwalk |
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Bridge |
Steps | |
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Westwood Lake |
Y-Dock | |
Winter |
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Spring |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Entrance |
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Parking |
Paved trail | |
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Cattail Marsh |
Maple/Basswood forest | |
Boardwalk |
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T-Dock |
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Slideshows |
Westwood Hills Nature Center |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Visitor Sightings |
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A/C Christian Church of Minneapolis |
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Comments |
7/22/2023 At the Westwood Hills Nature Center, we saw some life on July 22 this year. This was all found by the A/C Christian Church of Minneapolis. |
Fungi and Lichens |
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| Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum) | ||
Insects and Arachnids |
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gnat (Family: Simuliidae) honey bee (Genus: Apis) lady bug (Family: Coccinellidae) monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) mosquito (Aedes vexanas) twelve spotted skimmer dragonfly (Libellula pulchella) water strider (Order: Gerridae) |
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Mammals |
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| whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) | ||
Plants |
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brown-eyed susan (Rudbeckia triloba) common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) common plantain (Genus: Plantago) crab apple (Malus sylvestris) creeping charlie (Glechoma hederacea) Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) Moss (Order: Bryopsida) sugar maple (Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum) water lily (Family: Nymphaeaceae) |
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BigFootMN |
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Birds |
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| American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) | ||
Margot Avey |
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Birds |
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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) |
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Fungi and Lichens |
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Dryad’s Saddle (Cerioporus squamosus) Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea) Mica Cap (Coprinellus micaceus)
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Insects and Arachnids |
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Mammals |
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| whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) |  |
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Reptiles |
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| painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) |  |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
Visits |
5/4/2019 |
Amphibians |
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| boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) |  |
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Fungi and Lichens |
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| Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum) |  |
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Insects and Arachnids |
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common green darner (Anax junius) |
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Mammals |
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American mink (Neovison vison) |
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Plants |
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American basswood (Tilia americana var. americana) American black currant (Ribes americanum) American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana) American stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis) black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina) boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo) broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia) bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa) Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) common blue violet (Viola sororia) common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) common burdock (Arctium minus) common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale) common duckweed (Lemna minor) common false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum) common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus) Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) early meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum) eastern false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum) eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) hairy wood mint (Blephilia hirsuta var. hirsuta) hybrid cattail (Typha × glauca) Missouri gooseberry (Ribes missouriense) narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) northern lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) northern red oak (Quercus rubra) northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica) Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa) red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea) river birch (Betula nigra) sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) silver maple (Acer saccharinum) spinulose wood fern (Dryopteris carthusiana) sugar maple (Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum) Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum) weeping willow (Salix × sepulcralis)
Acer negundo var. negundo (boxelder) Acer saccharinum (silver maple) Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum (sugar maple) Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) Arctium minus (common burdock) Asarum canadense (Canadian wild ginger) Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum (northern lady fern) Betula nigra (river birch) Blephilia hirsuta var. hirsuta (hairy wood mint) Caltha palustris var. palustris (yellow marsh marigold) Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge) Celtis occidentalis (common hackberry) Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood) Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s breeches) Dryopteris carthusiana (spinulose wood fern) Enemion biternatum (eastern false rue anemone) Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy) Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum (Virginia waterleaf) Lemna minor (common duckweed) Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca (common motherwort) Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower) Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum (common false Solomon’s seal) Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica (ostrich fern) Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana (American hophornbeam) Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera (plains cottonwood) Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry) Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak) Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa (bur oak) Quercus rubra (northern red oak) Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn) Ribes americanum (American black currant) Ribes missouriense (Missouri gooseberry) Salix × sepulcralis (weeping willow) Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (red elderberry) Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion) Thalictrum dioicum (early meadow-rue) Thuja occidentalis (northern white cedar) Tilia americana var. americana (American basswood) Trifolium repens ssp. repens (white clover) Typha × glauca (hybrid cattail) Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail) Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail) Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis (American stinging nettle) Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein) |
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Reptiles |
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| painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) |  |
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Created: 4/19/2019 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |