The Wandering Naturalist

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.

Join us as Nick Beaufeaux, Maintenance Chief for Elm Creek Park Reserve and Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, discusses why Three  Rivers  Park District operates a dam and how t is being used to stop invasive species. National Park Service ranger Sharon Stiteler talks to us about why the portion of the Mississippi  River  through Minneapolis is a National  River  and Recreation Area and why it is...

Matt Cassidy, Program Specialist with Minnesota Historical Society joins us to discuss how the geology of the Mississippi  River  has shaped the way humans have used the  river  for the past 10,000 years.

Join us as we discuss one of the  rivers  Three  Rivers  Park District is named after, the Mississippi  River ! Ashley Smith, Interpretive naturalist at Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, teaches us how to read the story of the Mississippi's past. Learn how volcanoes, earthquakes, glaciers, and even a tropical vacation all helped to shape the Mississippi  River .

Explore how humans interact with ice as we talk with park volunteer and Ice Harvest historian Tim Graff about how and why people harvested ice in the 1800's and how you can experience ice harvesting today. Learn how to ice fish when we talk to Brent Hennen from our Outdoor Recreation School and learn some tips for how to add as little stress to our winter fish as possible.

How do invasive species impact life under the ice? What do they do to the oxygen? Can you do anything to help? Find out as we talk about Aquatic Invasive Species with Amy Timm,  Three Rivers' Natural Resources Supervisor for Water Quality.

Join us for the start of season two as Brandon and Angela dive into to a listener requested topic: Life Under the Ice. Explore the murky depths of a lake in the winter and learn what creatures stay active all winter, and which go dormant. Find out if its better, down where its wetter, under the ice!

Join us as John Moriarty shares new research Three Rivers has participated in to find out what turtles do in the winter. It turns out it is a lot more complicated than just sleeping in the mud. Heather Gordon from the Outdoor School of Recreation joins us with tips on how to Adapt to the winter and dress to be outside so we can enjoy winter activities.

Did you know that Minnesota birds have 5 types of migration habits? Join us as we discuss this with Ron Refsneider, a retired biologist for the MN DNR and a Master Bird Bander. He shares with us what his Bird banding data indicates about Minnesota birds' winter habits, and gives his opinion on how our perspective on bird migration is backwards.

Wander with us as we explore how animals survive the winter. Angela and Brandon investigate three strategies that animals use to survive the winter, Migrating, Adapting, and going Dormant. Learn how these strategies work as we dig into the winter habits of Beavers, Coyotes, Birds, Butterflies, and Ground Squirrels.