The Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area (Ordway Field Station) is located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, 17 miles from campus. The nearly 300-acre site was established in 1967 by Macalester College with the help of a major gift from Katharine Ordway.
The many natural habitats found at Ordway Field Station include:
- tall grass prairie
- oak savanna and woodland
- riparian forests
- seasonal and permanent ponds and springs
- a backwater lake, adjacent to the Mississippi River
These lands have been set aside by Macalester College for education, research, civic engagement, and sustainability including the protection and management of natural environments. Many different Macalester academic departments use this extraordinary facility for teaching and research including the departments of Anthropology, Art and Art History, Biology, Educational Studies, English, Environmental Studies, Geography, Geology, and Media and Cultural Studies.
- Year Founded
- 1967
- Year Joined OBFS
- 1988
- Size of Field Station (hectares)
- 101-500
- FSML Web Address
- https://www.macalester.edu/ordway/
- Private nonprofit organization?
- No
- Universities affiliated / Parent Organization
- Macalester College
- Federal, state, or local governmental partners?
-
NPS
- Member of the Virtual Field
- Yes