You walk onto a wooden boardwalk that stretches across a sea of cattails. A great blue heron stands motionless just a few yards away, paying you no attention. A muskrat swims past, unconcerned.
This is the stretch of a Minnesota wildlife refuge where the birds and animals behave as if humans are merely part of the scenery.
More than 260 bird species have been spotted here, from trumpeter swans to yellow warblers. The trail is easy, a mix of paved path and elevated boardwalk that glides over marsh and reeds…