Dream Big 2.0 is a weekend-long opportunity for students, educators, community members, and policy/decision-makers to come together for community building, shared joy, and learning in and from nature at the Long Lake Conservation Center.
This event offers students valuable face-to-face, informal networking opportunities with mentors in the field. Students and educators at different stages of their academic and professional journeys, from various campuses, will have the chance to connect and learn from one another.
Dream Big 2.0 Environmental Summit Dates and Location
- Long Lake Conservation Center
28952 438th Lane, Palisade, MN 56469 - Friday, April 17, 2026 - Sunday, April 19, 2026
It is rare for students and educators to spend time together in informal settings, as educators are often positioned in roles of authority that can make personal connections difficult. Being in nature helps level those dynamics and creates a more comfortable space for mutual learning.
Participants will enjoy hands-on activities such as learning about plants, birds, wildlife, bog ecology, and having a campfire experience.
We are excited to welcome special guests, National Geographic explorer and author of the Adventure Gap, James Edward Mills, and Sacred Bundle Project Manager Erika Bailey-Johnson.
Who is this for?
Anyone interested in nature and the outdoors!
- NHCC students and employees who are interested in learning more about nature.
- This event is open to everyone. NHCC students and employees can attend for free, and members of the public can attend at a reduced rate of $77. This fee includes transportation from North Hennepin, lodging, and meals for the weekend.
- Students and educators from other campuses.
- Indigenous community members/leaders.
- Policy/decision makers/outdoor organization staff/outdoor professionals who are interested in engaging with young people.
- Community members, anyone interested in the future of outdoor learning in MN.
Registration
(closes April 3rd)
Visit the Long Lake Conservation Center website to register for this opportunity.
Registration is free for NHCC students and employees (please email Kassidy.ehmann@nhcc.edu) for the free code. Registration for all other participants is $77. This covers your room, plus all meals and scheduled activities. Please reach out to Dave@longlakecc.org if you are interested in requesting a scholarship.
Transportation
A free, round-trip bus service is available for attendees from North Hennepin Community College. You can reserve your spot during registration.
Departure: Friday, April 17, 2026, at 12.15 p.m. from Door 12 (Outside of the CBT building).
Return: Sunday, April 19, 2026, by 3.30 p.m.
Lodging
Visit the Long Lake Conservation Center website to learn more about their lodging accommodations.
A trip to Long Lake Conservation Center is like an adventure into a remote, secluded forest lake teaming with wildlife, but without the rustic, roughing-it lodging. In fact, the rooms are pretty nice, and the food is great. Long Lake has two primary lodging facilities: the North Star Lodge and Marcum House. Both feature dormitory-style rooms with either two or four bunk beds. Each room has a private shower, toilets, and sinks with vanities. Participants can request roommates during registration. Participants will need to bring their own bedding (twin sheet, pillow, sleeping bag), towel, and toiletries. Reminders will be sent out, and we do have some sleeping bags to lend out!
Film
We will be creating a film with BairStories during the weekend. If you are interested in participating in the film, please visit the link below to complete a short Google Form.
Packing List
A detailed packing list will be sent out to participants before the trip.
Special Guests
We are thrilled to invite a few special guests to join us for the weekend: National Geographic explorer and author of the Adventure Gap, James Edward Mills, and Sacred Bundle Project Manager, Erika Bailey-Johnson.
James Edward Mills
James Edward Mills is a National Geographic Explorer and a contributor to National Geographic Magazine, a Fellow of the Mountain & Wilderness Writing Program of the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, and a recipient of the Paul K. Petzoldt Award for Environmental Education as well as the American Alpine Club’s H. Adams Carter Literary Award. In a career that spans more than 30 years, he specializes in sharing stories about outdoor recreation and environmental conservation. He has worked in the outdoor industry since 1989 as a guide, outfitter, independent sales representative, writer, and photographer. He is the author of the new book “The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors” and the co-writer/co-producer of the documentary film “An American Ascent.”
James is a contributor to several outdoor-focused print and online publications, including Outside, Rock & Ice, Alpinist, Condé Nast Travel, Elevation Outdoors, Park Advocate, High Country News, Appalachia Journal, The Guardian, and The New York Times. In recognition of his work in sharing the important history and legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers and their efforts at the dawn of the National Park Service, James was named a Yosemite National Park Centennial Ambassador in 2016. In 2020, James’s book The Adventure Gap was named by Outside Magazine as one of the 10 “Outdoor Books that Shaped the Last Decade”.
Erika Bailey-Johnson
Erika Bailey-Johnson is the newly appointed Project Director of Sacred Bundle. Prior to her current role, she was at Bemidji State University for 20 years. She served for 16 years as the first Sustainability Director, taught the People and the Environment academic program for 20 years, and served as the Founder and Director of the Niizhoo-gwayakochigewin project to integrate an Indigenous lens into campus sustainability work and academic programs. She worked in the Ganawendakamigaawigamig (Office of Earth-Caretaking or Sustainability Office). She completed her BA in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Morris in 1998, and her Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from BSU in 2006. Her background is in science teaching, and Erika and her husband taught for two years in Mexico and three years in Kuwait before returning home to Northern Minnesota. In 2014, Erika was named one of the top 40 under 40 business professionals in the region by Prairie Business Magazine, and in 2015, as one of the top 40 under 40 professionals in the Midwest working to accelerate America’s transition to a clean energy economy by Midwest Energy News. She speaks at regional and national conferences on BSU’s unique sustainability model which includes a wellness component and an emphasis on integrating Indigenous voices. She served on Governor Dayton’s Committee on Pollinator Protection from 2016 to 2018. Erika is currently on the board for Fresh Energy, the Ernest Oberholtzer Foundation, and Happy Dancing Turtle. In 2022, Erika received the Minnesota State Board of Trustees Service Faculty of the Year award. She is a founding member of the City of Bemidji Sustainability Committee. Her first book project was recently published and is a bilingual Ojibwe/English children’s book to connect children to the Ojibwe language and Mother Earth. Erika is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe.
Please send an email to Kassidy Ehmann at kassidy.ehmann@nhcc.edu if you have any questions about this opportunity!
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).