The Wandering Naturalist

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 w...

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Angela and Brandon are joined by Miranda Jones, resident  firefly  expert at Eastman Nature Center. Join us as she lights up our world with facts about  firefly  biology, why they glow, and where you can find them.

Learn how early European settlers in the 1800s navigated childcare by listening to guest Jayne Becker from The Landing. How was the diaper invented? What games were played? Listen to find out! 

Childcare among humans has advanced across history within many cultures, but it has never been easy.  Michelle Defoe of the Red Cliff Ojibwe tells us about traditions she has reclaimed after they were lost or suppressed during the Boarding School area and how she feels they have helped her in raising her children.

Time to visit Gale Woods Farm with supervisor Tim Reese to talk all things farm babies.  Tim highlights volunteer project Lamb Watch and other farm babies you may encounter on a visit to the farm.  Listen to learn more about this unique working farm and what to expect on your spring trip to Gale Woods Farm. 

Join Angela and Brandon as they celebrate Mother's Day by discussing the spectrum of parental care found throughout the animal kingdom.  Some animals have little if anything to do with their offspring other than laying eggs.  Other animals can be as involved with raising young as humans.  It all depends on the species and their life strategy. 

Trumpeter  Swans  are now a common sighting in the metro area of Minnesota but still little is understood about their movements and habitat selection.  David Wolfson, a current Ph. D. student at the University of Minnesota, is studying Trumpeter  Swans  through solar powered GPS neck collars. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (WRC) of Minnesota located in Roseville sees more than 13,000 wildlife...

John Moriarty, Senior Wildlife Manager at Three Rivers, helps Angela and Brandon visit the important timeline of events that starts with the disappearance of Trumpeter Swans  from Minnesota but ends in reintroduction success.  Learn more on this historic rehabilitation and how Three Rivers started it all. 

Join Angela and Brandon to learn more about North America's largest waterfowl, the Trumpeter  Swan .  Learn interesting facts and basic biology behind these birds including how to identify them from other  swan  species. 

Steven Hogg explains what the 80/20 policy of Three Rivers Park District is, why it is so important for managing the habitat of our park reserves, and how GIS is used to track it.

How does the Park District decide where to put a trail and where to preserve habitat? How do we decide how each park will be developed? Join us as we talk with  Johnathan Vlaming, Associate Superintendent and John Moriarty, Senior Manager of Wildlife to find out.

Luke Skinner, Associate Superintendent of Three Rivers Park District, joins us to discuss how the park district has created a spectrum among its parks of parks primarily for recreation, to parks with large tracts of recreated habitat to find the balance between recreation and preservation in our parks, as well as some of the background of how those decisions are made.