Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories

Itasca Biological Station & Laboratories (IBSL) is a University of Minnesota field station dedicated to research and teaching on how ecosystems work, with an eye to cultivating an appreciation of their value and preservation for future generations. IBSL has been in operation since 1907 and is one of the oldest continuously operational field station in the United States of America. Our 49-acre campus lies completely inside of Itasca State Park, on the eastern shore of Lake Itasca. Three ecosystems converge at Itasca: coniferous forest, eastern deciduous forest and tall grass prairie. Plants and animals native to each are abundant in the 50 square miles of Itasca State Park.

Year Founded
1906
Year Joined OBFS
1966
Size of Field Station (hectares)
1-100
FSML Web Address
https://cbs.umn.edu/itasca

Private nonprofit organization?
No
Universities affiliated / Parent Organization
University of Minnesota
Federal, state, or local governmental partners?
Other: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Member of the Virtual Field
Yes

Additional Information

Private nonprofit organization?
Names of Universities affilated
0
Federal, state, or local governmental partners?
Other
Name of partner
Tribal partners/users
Yes
MSI/HBCU users
No
Community College users
Yes
Member of the Virtual Field
Yes

Visiting a FS/ML

Open to the Public
No
Year round staff
6-10
Seasonal staff
6-10
Overnight housing facilities/# of beds
50+
Distance to emergency services
21-40 minutes
Library
Yes
Hiking trails
Yes
Internship employment
Yes

Environmental Information

Biomes
Temperate Grassland, Temperate Forest, and Boreal Forest
Minimum Elevation
301-750 meters
Maximum Elevation
301-750 meters
Köppen climate classification
D (continental)
Freshwater habitats
Yes
Urban or rural
Agricultural fields
No

Research

REU host station
No
Dry lab space
Yes
Wet Lab space
Yes
Research vessels available
Yes
GIS capacity on site
Yes
Long term data sets
Yes
On site herbarium or voucher species
Formal Data Management Plan
No
Mesocosms, plots, stream diversions, or other sets ups for outdoor manipulative experiments
Yes
Date Joined OBFS
March 7, 2024

News And Updates

2024 Field Biology courses at Itasca Station

Interested in a hands-on, immersive biology experience? Registration for field biology courses at Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories is now open! Taking a field biology course at Itasca is truly…

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