Coe College Wilderness Field Station, 3590 Clear Lake Road (2026)

Courses for credit in Biology, Environmental Science and Environmental Studies.

04/08/2026

Folks, for those of you who have found and followed our page here, I apologize for not getting an update here. However, it's been pretty crazy.

The Wilderness Field Station is about two miles from the origin of the Camp Fire, which in mid July, propelled by very hot and dry conditions, exploded in size from a one-acre, controlled lightning strike to a 1400 acre fire in a matter of hours. The fire, at the time, was said to be expanding in all directions.

At the point the fire had gone from 10 acres to 20 acres to 40 acres in 20 minutes, I realized the situation was dangerous, and initiated what I suspect is the first evacuation of the Wilderness Field Station in its long history. We brought students to Vermilion Community College, and they were able to host for a night. We then moved to Voyaguer Outward Bound School over on the Tomahawk Road. A huge thanks to those organizations for helping us in need.

However, it quickly became clear that given the conditions, the fire was not going to go away. The Cloquet Line was closed, it turned out the lack of evacuation order for our area was an oversight, and that the fire was only going to grow. A shift in the wind would put us in serious jeopardy.

We made the decision to cancel the rest of the 2nd session of 2026, after only three days at the station and five days in. Repeated evacuations of other areas meant that there was no place to go to, and all of our canoes, camping gear, field and lab equipment and food were behind the fire lines and unavailable. Those of you who are alums will understand that there was no way to replicate a real Wilderness Field Station experience under those conditions. Rather than limp along, we refunded the students' money and sent them home.

I (Jesse Ellis, director) am now back at the station, taking stock and cleaning up. It was the right decision, since the road has only been open for a few days. The Boundary Waters is still closed to overnight trips. But it is heartbreaking to think of all the eager excitement and anticipation that was unrewarded this summer.

Please feel free to get in touch if you want more info, via dm here or my coe email, [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you.

04/05/2022

Seasonal - Mid-June to Mid-August, 10 weeks. Cook 2-3 meals/day for college students, staff and faculty at a small off the grid field station. Full range, electricity, etc. Salary commensurate with experience (7k-10k). Room and Board Included.

Coe College seeks qualified candidates for the position of Field Station Cook at the Wilderness Field Station. The Wilderness Field Station (WFS) is an undergraduate teaching field station located near Ely Minnesota and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We are off the grid, and courses revolve around giving students exposure to the wilderness environment around them. We host 15-25 students at a time, and associated staff, faculty and visitors. We are actively working to improve the sustainability of our field station. The Chef will be responsible for feeding our program and assisting in improving the sustainability of our food service at the Station.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

Prepare and serve 2 - 3 meals a day to 20-40 people.
Train and supervise any student assistants, such that if necessary they could prepare a simple meal in your absence.
Coordinate food purchases and kitchen budget with Station Operations Manager or Director, Program Assistants and vendors
Assist in readying kitchen and dining hall for students and in closing the station at the end of the season
Maintain kitchen in compliance with all Minnesota food service laws.
Assist in sustainability efforts at the field station, esp. those involving food service.

05/04/2022

Seasonal - Mid-June to Mid-August, 10 weeks. Cook 2-3 meals/day for college students, staff and faculty at a small off the grid field station. Full range, electricity, etc. Salary commensurate with experience (9k-12k). Room and Board Included.

Coe College seeks qualified candidates for the position of Field Station Cook at the Wilderness Field Station. The Wilderness Field Station (WFS) is an undergraduate teaching field station located near Ely Minnesota and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We are off the grid, and courses revolve around giving students exposure to the wilderness environment around them. We host 15-25 students at a time, and associated staff, faculty and visitors. We are actively working to improve the sustainability of our field station. The Chef will be responsible for feeding our program and assisting in improving the sustainability of our food service at the Station.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

Prepare and serve 2 - 3 meals a day to 20-40 people.
Train and supervise any student assistants, such that if necessary they could prepare a simple meal in your absence.
Coordinate food purchases and kitchen budget with Station Operations Manager or Director, Program Assistants and vendors
Assist in readying kitchen and dining hall for students and in closing the station at the end of the season
Maintain kitchen in compliance with all Minnesota food service laws.
Assist in sustainability efforts at the field station, esp. those involving food service.

Address

3590 Clear Lake Road

55731

Telephone

+13193998104

Website

http://coe.edu/fieldstation

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