Dinner on the Bluff: “A Farm, a Forest, a Little Blue Bird, and the Future”

Bill & Mary Bailey present, “A Farm, a Forest, a Little Blue Bird, and the Future or What Happens When a Forester Marries a Bluebirder”.
You will be surprised to see what two conservation-minded people can accomplish while loving every minute of the endeavor!

Bill & Mary Bailey have the future as their primary focus for all they do on the land they own. From careful farming practices and timber stand improvement to fostering eastern bluebirds and promoting the local Lost Creek Hiking Trail, they will share with you their enjoyment of all aspects of nature.

Dinner menu:

1st course:
– Seasonal salad
2nd course:
– Orange glazed chicken breast or vegan empanada with risotto (GF)
Dessert:
Homemade dessert

Evening itinerary:

5:00pm – Dining hall doors open, beer/wine provided
5:30pm – Dinner in the dining hall
6:15pm – Dinner ends, move to Discovery Center auditorium
6:30pm – Presentation begins
7:15pm – Q&A with presenter

Speaker bios:

Bill and Mary Bailey have been sharing an interest in nature since shortly after they met about fifteen years ago.

Bill is a lifelong Minnesota resident and farmer and with his brother owns and operates a 2000-acre farm in Chatfield. He earned a degree in forestry from the University of Minnesota and has used those and other conservation practices in grain and cattle farming and timber stand improvement during his 50 year career. In 2010, the Bailey Brothers’ Farm was selected as the Fillmore County Conservationists of the Year for their farming practices. In 2015, they were given the Minnesota Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Award. This award has four criteria: sustainable management of forest lands, care for our water resources, healthy management of wildlife, and promoting healthy recreation.

Mary is a transplant from IN, where she received degrees in English and Education from St. Joseph’s College and Purdue University. She taught 31 years in Indiana public schools, including ten years at Purdue University. During this career she was selected for inclusion in Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in the Midwest, and Who’s Who in Media and Communications. She has been a member of the Bluebird Recovery Program for over twenty-five years and a county coordinator for Olmsted and Fillmore counties for fifteen years.

Together Bill and Mary have a bluebird trail of 150 boxes which they monitor throughout the season. They actively promote the enjoyment of nature in a variety of ways. Near Chatfield, they manage a 58-acre wildlife sanctuary, which they call home.

About Dinner on the Bluff:

Located in the scenic bluff country of Lanesboro, Minnesota, Eagle Bluff is a non-profit, year-round environmental learning center providing education programs & outdoor adventures to over 16,000 children and adults each year. Through transformative hands-on experiences we aim to increase environmental awareness & academic literacy, spark curiosity & appreciation for the natural world, and empower people to care for the earth and each other.

Dinner on the Bluff, now in its 19th year, is designed to give thought-leaders and experts in the environmental field the opportunity to discuss issues with the broader Eagle Bluff community