A Jewel of Nature in the Heart of Campus:      Bagley Nature Area

A bird cheerfully chirps somewhere in the distance. A deer wanders through the underbrush, seeking a drink from Rock Pond. Construction equipment lumbers around a building project. The pounding of a hammer rings.  You can hear all these things in UMD's Bagley Nature Area, a 55 acre retreat on campus. The bird and deer sightings are normal, but the construction noises are a new addition. This summer, UMD broke ground on a new building- the Bagley Nature Area Classroom Pavilion.

The Bagley nature area has a very intriguing history. In 1951, two parcels of land became University property. One was donated by brothers Charles K. Dickerman and G.G. Dickerman, and the other was 13.8 acres of tax-forfeited land donated by the City of Duluth. Mr. R. L. Griggs paid delinquent taxes on the second parcel, which was in conservation status. This was done in hopes to create "a recreation area for winter sports and biology field work..." ¹ In 1953, Dr. and Mrs. William R. Bagley and Dr. Elizabeth Bagley donated a 16 acre parcel of land to UMD.  (Over time, UMD bought pieces of land to make Bagley the size it is today.) ¹

 "Dr. Bagley's interests in nature, young people, and the newly developing campus of the University of Minnesota, Duluth, led to the gift that the Dr. and Mrs. Bagley and his daughter, Elizabeth, made to the University. The parcels of land were wild and varied from bog to wooded uplands and included a pond and small stream. Regent Richard L. Griggs and Provost John King were delighted that this addition would give UMD unique outdoor facilities for campus and public use."²

The main campus of UMD was built on land that was formerly a dairy farm. The woodlot we now know as Bagley was not farmed, probably because the hill was too steep. With the compilation of all of these pieces of land, UMD inherited a virtually pristine area. The land is full of a great variety of forest types, from oak to maple, old growth white pine, to balsam fir; and to top it all off, a stream runs through the area.

And so began UMD and the surrounding community's resource for recreation and academic research. A popular winter activity was skiing at Rock Hill until 1975, when the opening of Spirit Mountain and other factors led to the abandonment of the ski hill.

Another change in 1975 was the official name of the area, when the UMD Building Naming Committee recommended the Rock Hill Park Area be renamed the William R. Bagley Nature Area. Reflective of the personal investment UMD has in securing the future of this land and catalyzed by the interest in protecting beaver in Rock Pond, the Bagley Nature Area Management Committee was established in 1990. This committee, comprised of faculty, staff, and Facilities Management representatives, is still in existence today. While the 1967 Bagley master plan was becoming outdated, the committee reworked it and came up with a new master plan in 1995.

"The committee's work has been a successful partnership," states John Pastor, UMD Biology Professor and committee member.  "Management committee collaboration between faculty members and [Facilities Management] has worked out well."

Today, unique features of  Bagley include one and a half miles of trails that weave through the area for running, hiking, and groomed cross-country skiing; Rock Hill, which has an observation deck overlooking the campus and Lake Superior; and Rock Pond, located at the foot of the hill. 

For more information and historical documentation about Bagley Nature Area, check out RSOP's Bagley website.

This is the fourth entry in a mini-series featuring LEED at UMD. The next installment will explore some specifics about the Bagley Outdoor Classroom project, including how some professors plan on using the space.

¹Bagley Nature Area Management Committee and Students from 2004 REC 4315: Recreation Management. "Management Plan for W.R. Bagley Nature Area." February 2005. [http://www.umdrsop.org/(RSOP%20Web)/Facilities/bagley/management_plan.pdf].

 ² Bagley Nature Area. p. 20-21 [http://www.umdrsop.org/(RSOP%20Web)/Facilities/bagley/BNAArticles.pdf].