Fun Facts

  • The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for the Minnesota River, which got its name from the Dakota word “mni sota,” meaning “sky-tinted water.”
  • The Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) consists of 1.1 million acres of pristine wilderness that lies entirely in northern Minnesota and runs along 150 miles of the Canadian border. Its 1,100 lakes hold some of the cleanest water in the world. https://www.exploreminnesota.com/iconic-destinations/boundary-waters.
  • July is National Blueberry Month. Native Americans called blueberries “Star Berries” because of the five-pointed star shape at the end of the berry. 
  • The record for the most consecutive skips of a stone on water is 88. It was achieved by Kurt Steiner in Pennsylvania, USA on September 6, 2013. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-skips-of-a-skimming-stone
  •  Wood Ducks owe their name to the fact they are one of the few waterfowl species that nest in trees. The morning after hatching, responding to calls from the mother duck, the chicks leap from nests as high as 50 feet above the ground or water. Watch a fun video of jumping ducklings: https://youtu.be/IHl7N-Gj9QU?si=7iqDoqxWR3JirkQu
     https://www.audubon.org/magazine/10-fun-facts-about-wood-duck
  • Lilacs belong to the same family as the olive (Oleaceae). Purple-colored varieties have the strongest scent. Lilacs bushes can live over 100 years.
  • While the exact origin is unknown, folk history suggests sailors invented clotheslines to dry clothes at sea. Clothespins have been around since at least the 1700’s, involving a small piece of wood split to make two prongs with a knob left at the top, created by the shaker community.
  • In Minnesota, the fishing opener, which is officially two weekends before Memorial Day, often coincides with Mother’s Day. In 1989 the state legislature passed the “Take a Mom Fishing Weekend” law, allowing Minnesota mothers to fish without a license on opening weekend.
  • Dragonflies mate in flight, bending their bodies to create a heart shape with their tails.
  • The Mississippi River begins as a narrow, knee-deep stream in Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota, and then continues for 2,350 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Its widest point is 11 miles across, and it is deepest at 200 feet deep in New Orleans.