Part of my 2026 series, “To Minnesota, With Love…” - a visual love letter to the state I proudly call home.

In the 1960s, Wood Lake (which used to also include Richfield Lake and Grass Lake) turned into a swamp after the construction of freeways required the unfortunate lowering of the water table. Past Richfield resident and future Polar Explorer, Will Steger spent his youth on Wood Lake and pushed the city to forgo plans for a golf course and create a nature center for both animals and humans to enjoy. The lake was dredged to create a deeper, smaller footprint which also created habitat for prairie, wetlands and forest area.

Today, Wood Lake Nature Center is bordered by several major thoroughfares yet so many pass by every day and don’t even realize it’s there. It’s a regular stopping point for a great number of migratory birds but you can also spot deer, fox, coyote, muskrats, snakes, squirrels, and teeny tiny toads. It’s the place I go to clear my head or meet a friend for a walk.

Acrylic paint on 12×12 wood panel with floating frame

2026