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The Wandering Naturalist

76 Episodes

21 minutes | 2 months ago
Episode 74: Volunteering for at Risk and Vulnerable Species
Gain perspective from a Three Rivers volunteer, Allison Weyer, who is making a difference with a Minnesota threatened species the Blanding's turtle.  Hear how efforts of monitoring during nesting season can lead to late night adventures to protect nests from predators.  Differences can be made even in the smallest actions of environmental stewardship.
27 minutes | 2 months ago
Episode 73: Protecting at Risk and Vulnerable Species
The metropolitan Twin Cities area is home to more than half the citizens of Minnesota.  Despite this factor wildlife is still diverse partly thanks to progressive open space planning.  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Nongame Specialist, Erica Hoaglund, joins to share what makes this central region unique and the challenges of conservation. 
34 minutes | 2 months ago
Episode 72: Discovering at Risk and Vulnerable Species
Wildlife supervisor of Three Rivers, Steven Hogg, joins hosts Brandon and Angela to discover at risk species that call our parks home.  Learn which species have found their own way to restored habitat and those that were reintroduced such as the Regal Fritillary butterfly.
38 minutes | 3 months ago
Episode 71: Fire to Frost - A Prairie Story Across Minnesota
Take a journey out of our own local restored prairies of Three Rivers and expand to the entire state of Minnesota.  To think big picture guest Megan Benage with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources shares her connection to the prairie and how it's all about balance and diversity.
22 minutes | 3 months ago
Episode 70: Fire to Frost - A Prairie Story of Restoration
Wildlife staff from Three Rivers, Brian Fredlund and Mitch Haag, join to talk about using prescribed fire on restored prairies. Learn more on how managed fires help a prairie ecosystem and whether or not you can bring marshmallows.
36 minutes | 3 months ago
Episode 69: Fire to Frost - A Prairie Story of Seasons
Minnesota once was home to 18 million acres of prairie habitat but today only a little over 1 percent of native prairie remains.  Protecting and recreating grassland is one of the most critical environmental challenges facing Minnesota.  To highlight this unique habitat hosts Brandon and Angela take listeners through the seasons of the most endangered ecosystem, the tallgrass prairie.
18 minutes | 4 months ago
Episode 68: It Came From the Bottom of the Web - Spider Research and You
How many species of spider are in Minnesota? Chad Heins, Professor at Bethany Lutheran college can answer that question, now thanks to help from citizen scientists and iNaturalist. Learn how you can help with his research using your smart phone. 
37 minutes | 4 months ago
Episode 67: It Came From the Bottom of the Web - Spider Webs and Spider Brains
Larry Weber, author of multiple books including "A Guide to Webs and the Spiders that Make Them", joins us to discuss his love of spiders, their webs, and even ones that stay alive and active under the snow. Dr. Anthony Aletta talks to us about his research on spider brains and why his knowledge of spider intelligence might not make him the best guest at a baby shower. 
30 minutes | 4 months ago
Episode 66: It Came From the Bottom of the Web - Spiders 101
Angela and Brandon share stories of getting up close and personal with spiders.  Monica Rauchwater from Richardson Nature Center joins to cover spider basics and to clear up their scary misunderstandings.
17 minutes | 5 months ago
Episode 65: Fungi are The Life of the Party: Grow Your Own!
Join us as Susan Storck from Gale Woods Farm talks about why they have a mushroom forest. She gives tips on how to start growing your own mushrooms to eat at home.
27 minutes | 5 months ago
Episode 64: Fungi are The Life of the Party: Fungal Invaders
Angie Smith, Director of Natural Resources, and Dan Commerford, Forestry Supervisor, join us to talk about why harvesting wild mushrooms in our parks is discouraged, fungi with negative impacts on our parks, and how they are combatting Oak Wilt and Dutch Elm Disease.
29 minutes | 5 months ago
Episode 63: Fungi are The Life of the Party: Exploring a Kingdom
Aside from an amazing musical rendition by Brandon, we explore what makes fungi so unique. From acting as recyclers in nature to infecting hosts, and even connecting trees in a Wood Wide Web, we explore how fungus affects our natural world.
35 minutes | 6 months ago
Episode 62: Mexico to Minnesota: Monarchs from a Chicano Point of View
Gain cultural perspective on monarchs as Chicana Professor Karen Mary Davalos, Chair of the Chicano and Latino Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, shares how Chicano/Chicana/ChicanX artists are inspired by this powerful butterfly. Jesus Ramirez shares how his Chicano culture and the monarch helped him go through a metamorphosis in life, from gang member to an educator, now working with people across the country to connect students with their own Chicano culture.
28 minutes | 6 months ago
Episode 61: Mexico to Minnesota: Tagging and Planting
Naturalist Jim Gilbert joins us to tell the story of how a monarch his students tagged confirmed for scientists where Minnesota's monarchs migrated. Arla Carmichael, Horticulture Operations Supervisor for Three Rivers Park District, discusses what you can plant in your garden to help monarchs and other pollinators.
28 minutes | 6 months ago
Episode 60: Mexico to Minnesota: Piecing Together the Monarch Migration
One of the most recognized insects in the world sparks curiosity of its great multi-generational migration, the Monarch butterfly.  Join Angela and Brandon to learn how and why this mighty flyer make the trips back and forth between Mexico and Minnesota. 
23 minutes | 7 months ago
Episode 59 - Minnesota’s Agriculture: From the Past to the Future - Sustainability
Join us as we talk with Tim Reese and Mellissa Hochstetler of Gale Woods Farm about what practices they use to make their farm sustainable and how you as a consumer can help farmers transition to more climate friendly farming practices.
19 minutes | 7 months ago
Episode 58 - Minnesota’s Agriculture: From the Past to the Future - The Rise of Dairy
Elise Bushard of Lowry Nature Center and Historical Interpretation Supervisor Bill Walker join us to tell the story of how one man created the dairy industry in the Midwest. Wendalin Grimm bred the first winter hardy alfalfa, making commercial dairy in the Midwest profitable. Listen to learn why you should thank him for Packers' cheese hats, butter sculptures, and cheese curds.
31 minutes | 7 months ago
Episode 57 - Minnesota’s Agriculture: From the Past to the Future - Learning from Native Elders
Brandon and Angela sit down with Seneca Elder Hope Flannigan to learn how Native farming was practiced before Europeans reached Minnesota. Hope explains the difference between the wild plants and domestic plants, how Dream of Wild Health is using Native farming techniques today, and what we can learn from Native farming to make a more sustainable future.
20 minutes | 8 months ago
Episode 56 - A Light in the Dark - Citizen Science and Fireflies
Climate change may increase the number of species of fireflies in Minnesota as our growing season gets longer, but habitat loss, light pollution, and pesticide use are all making the number of fireflies decrease. Learn how to help scientists collect data on this as we discuss the Citizen Science project Firefly Watch with one of its founders, Don Salvatore.
28 minutes | 8 months ago
Episode 55 - A Light in the Dark - You Can't Handle the Truth!
Professor Sara Lewis shares some of the knowledge she has gained from studying fireflies for over 30 years. We discuss a female firefly nicknamed a vampire that deceives male fireflies. Professor Lewis shares some of her latest research on firefly conservation and what you can do to help.
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