Happy Dancing Blog

It’s fire season again, as are most spring seasons in the Midwest. This time the wakeup call came closer to the Northern Lakes campus of Happy Dancing Turtle in Pine River in May 2026. Wildfires are a concern statewide. The 1600-acre Flanders fire burned in Mission township in north central Crow Wing County. Flanders Lake sits on the western end of several thousand acres of publicly owned land. That land surrounds the Pine River, just before it enters the Mississippi River. M

We need to ensure that our lakes are clean and healthy. But how can we tell? One way to tell is to look at the bugs in the water!

Interest in local food isn’t just a passing trend, it’s a return to something deeply rooted in our culture: knowing where our food comes from and who grows it. Across communities, the prevalence of farmers markets reflects a renewed desire for fresh, flavorful, and responsibly grown food, along with connection.

Tips for getting ready for Bike to Work Day, both for the rider and the bicycle.

In the foodie circles I keep there has been a lot of talk recently on the expansion of a dairy operation in southwest Minnesota. The proposal is to expand production by building a new 11,000-cow dairy adjacent to a nearby existing facility, bringing the total number of dairy cows to 18,855, making it the largest dairy operation in the state. By all accounts it will be an efficient operation, applying the manure over more than twenty square miles of land. Cows will be kept i

The best treatment for poison ivy is proactive care. If you know you've been exposed, immediately clean the area with warm water and soap. But sometimes you need more.

Earth Day, while celebrated on April 22 every year, is an important day to remember, it's also a call to act in the service of our home every other day, as well. It's these little acts of service that add up to a healthy, wonderful, sustainable ecosystem that we can feel proud to leave our children (and their children!)

How can you volunteer? The first thing you have to ask yourself is what are you passionate about? What do you care about? Is there a problem you'd like to see fixed? Once you've identified that, start the research to find any organization that is trying to tackle the problem.

Happy Dancing Turtle’s Garden Team starts 10,000+ seeds on campus every year. They grow plants in many ways–using hoop houses, aquaponics, hydroponics and the beautiful traditional outdoor garden beds on Campus. The Garden Team uses soil blocks for seed starts and recently shared some of their recipes, tips and tricks that also apply to the home gardener.

HDT staffer Jim Chamberlin shares his love of backcountry skiing.