Friends of the Lindbergh Heritage
Friends of the Lindbergh Heritage making archeological preserve accessible
Friends groups play an important role in planning, developing, maintaining and advocating for Minnesota's parks and trails. Meet the Friends of the Lindbergh Heritage, a nonprofit community organization devoted to preserving and enhancing Charles A. Lindbergh State Park, the Lindbergh State Historic Site and the Little Elk Heritage Preserve.
Q: Who are the Friends of the Lindbergh Heritage and what does the group do?
The Friends of the Lindbergh Heritage is a nonprofit community organization devoted to preserving and enhancing Charles A. Lindbergh State Park, the Lindbergh State Historic Site and the Little Elk Heritage Preserve. Our goal is to sustain the natural beauty and ecology of these public places, support their interpretive, environmental and recreational programs and enhance their operational capabilities.
Q: What projects are you working on or have you recently completed?
In addition to building our capacity as an organization, we are working on helping the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) take over management of the Little Elk Heritage Preserve so that it can be operated as part of Charles A. Lindbergh State Park. The Little Elk Heritage Preserve is a 93-acre archaeological and nature park at the confluence of the Little Elk and Mississippi rivers about two miles north of the City of Little Falls that the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota recently helped acquire for incorporation into the state's park and trail system. In addition to its significant natural features, Little Elk Heritage Preserve also contains numerous sites that reflect human interactions with local resources and ecosystems dating back thousands of years. The preserve contains a one-mile looped hiking trail that will soon allow visitors to see and learn about such archaeological sites as a 1700s French fur-trading post, an 1800s Ojibwe Mission and a settlement called Elk City to name a few. The Friends of the Lindbergh Heritage are busily working to enhance materials for self-guided tours of the preserve.
Q: How can people find out more about the Friends of the Lindbergh Heritage?
For more information on the Friends of the Lindbergh Heritage, please contact Paulette Pappenfus or Bert Lapos at (320) 632-5171. If you would like to become a member, please mail a check to Friends of the Lindbergh Heritage, ATTN: Paulette, 64 Broadway East, Little Falls, MN 56345. Annual membership is $10 for individuals and $20 for families.
If you would like to join or form a friends group, please contact the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota at 1-800-944-0707.