Today, Hibernation is over…it’s time to start preparing for bears! Efforts to make state parks accessible to all Minnesotans. And which Minnesota students will start a four-day school week in the fall.
Transcript
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: Today, Hibernation is over. It's time to start preparing for bears. Efforts to make state parks accessible to all Minnesotans. And which Minnesota students will start a four-day school week in the fall. I'm Gracie J.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is encouraging home and cabin owners to prepare for bear season by taking down bird feeders before they become a problem. As bears awaken from hibernation, so does their hunger. The scent of bird seed, suet, garbage, or recycling can attract bears for a quick meal. Bears can pick up the scent of food from more than a mile away. Once they discover a source of food, they're likely to return. The DNR says that if you have a bear issue after removing attractors, you should contact your local DNR office.
Coming up, the Minnesota DNR is paving the way for more accessible state parks, transforming the experience for millions of visitors each year. Reporter Katharine DeCelle with the story.
Katharine DeCelle: Minnesota has some amazing state parks, but not everyone can enjoy them. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is working to improve accessibility in our state's parks. These efforts focus on a variety of barriers, including cost, language service and mobility issues. Sara Berhow is the public relations supervisor for the DNR parks and trails division.
Sara Berhow: We have 73 state parks and recreation areas and many acres of land that we manage, and we know that it's not all accessible now, but we're working hard to make those places more accessible.
Katharine DeCelle: One of the efforts the DNR is taking to ensure better accessibility in the state park system is their track chair program. These battery-operated chairs are available by reservation to anyone visiting the park.
Sara Berhow: Instead of having wheels at the bottom, they have tracks. Think of maybe what is at the bottom of a snowmobile. Those tracks allow the chairs to navigate different kinds of terrain that a regular wheelchair wouldn't be able to.
Katharine DeCelle: According to the DNR, nearly 10 million people visit Minnesota State Parks each year, creating a strong demand for accessible recreational options. While not all parks offer track chairs, the number available for rent has more than doubled since the program began in 2022. The DNR hopes to put more track chairs in more parks throughout the state.
Sara Berhow: We have seen really high use of those at our parks that are located near a population center, specifically Fort Snelling, right smack dab in the Twin Cities metro area. They have a track chair, and it is used almost every day. People can reserve the track chairs through our online reservation system if they want to make sure that there's going to be one available when they make a trip to the park.
Katharine DeCelle: When visiting a Minnesota State Park, many of the parks have specialized programs to teach about the plants and animals in that specific park. Sara says the DNR is also offering interpreters for non-English speakers who want to enjoy some of the programs the state parks offers.
Sara Berhow: We know that some of our visitors don't have English as their first language. We've got services on call that we can schedule interpreters to offer translation into, say, Spanish or Hmong or Somali.
Katharine DeCelle: The DNR is working to introduce more adaptive equipment to their parks, including accessible kayaks and beach chairs, along with tactile and audio exhibits for visitors with disabilities. For North Star Stories, I'm Katharine DeCelle.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Some Minnesota students will be attending one less day of school per week starting in the fall. The St. Louis County School Board voted to shift to a four-day school week for the 2025-2026 school year. The district's superintendent told Northern News Now CBS 3 in Duluth that the change will save about a half-million dollars each year. Most of that will come from transportation costs. St. Louis County is the largest geographic school district in the state. The district will offer school-aged childcare on Fridays. But there will be a fee for that service.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.