Interest Groups

St Croix river hike in Stillwater

The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater.  Car pooling will be available.

Book Notes | ‘Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law’

Event Date: May 17, 2024, at 2:00 PM

Author Mary Roach has gone around the world to collect stories of animal behavior that has come into conflict with humans and to describe the measures that humans have taken to reach compromises to allow the animals and humans to live in harmony. She is a superb researcher and has a witty way of writing.

Open forum and planning meeting

You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year. 

When will the Medicare advantage bubble burst? Part 2

This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session.  See that article for details.

Arboretum hike

We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center. 

FF Book Club to meet April 26

Silk Parachute, an anthology of essays and the 40th of 44 published books by author John McPhee, will be the topic of discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT on April 26.

From South Korea to Germany

UMRA’s spring Armchair Traveler Program from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24, will take us to South Korea with Marilyn DeLong and to Germany with Lynn C. Anderson. Please mark your calendars and save the date. 

Book Notes | ‘The Scarlet Letter’

Event Date: April 19, 2024, at 2:00 PM

Set in the 1600s in a small town in Puritan New England, 'The Scarlet Letter' by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story of sin, cowardice, and survival. Members of the UMRA Book Club found the writing to be laborious, riddled with many words no longer in use, and wondered why the novel was on high school reading lists.

An overview of the UMRA Photo Club

If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody. 

Richardson Nature Center hike

Join us for a 4 to 5 mile hike at one of the most popular parks in the West Metro, Richardson Nature Center in Bloomington.  It is located at the north end of Hyland Lake Park Reserve at 8737 East Bush Lake Road in Bloomington.  This trail is mostly dirt and grass with some paved areas.  Enjoy the park's wildlife and celebrate Tax Day with your UMRA hiking friends!

Commercializing UMN Research & Inventions- Yields Excellent, Lasting Returns

UMN Technology Commercialization facilitates the transfer of UMN innovation beyond the research lab by helping our diverse researchers in development of new products and services that benefit the public good, foster economic growth, and generate revenue to support the University's mission.

Photo Club to meet April 9

“Mountains” is the theme for April 9 meeting of the UMRA Photo Club. Newcomers are always welcome.

Women’s early role in social change

UMRA members Vicki Gaylord and Craig Swan will share stories of their ancestors’ participation in social change movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—and how they discovered those stories—when UMRA’s Family History Interest Group meets via Zoom on Wednesday, April 3.

Lake Nokomis hike

Let's meet on the west side of Lake Nokomis by the main beach and shelter for a 5 to 5.5 mile hike.  We will go around the north end of the lake and on to Minnehaha Falls by way of Minnehaha Parkway, returning to the start by a different route through neighborhoods around the lake.  This is an easy hike on paved walkways.  Pace will accommodate all hikers.  

Fourth Friday Book Club to meet March 22

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, a recipient of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and other awards, is the Fourth Friday Book Club’s selection for March. The setting is Appalachia in the early days of the opioid epidemic.