The Wandering Naturalist

Starting in forestry and branching into education to engage women specifically with woodland management, Angie Gupta, a Forestry Extension Professor at the University of Minnesota, shares her personal and professional journey.  From various learning styles to the importance of family and connection to community there are many ways to make everyone feel welcomed in the outdoors.  Ending this interv...

Our Wildlife Supervisor Steven Hogg joins us to discuss his love for muskrats, their impacts on wetlands, and the balance Three Rivers has to find for managing an animal that is key to wetland health and also has a knack for impacting humans.   

Dr. Adam A. Ahlers from Kansas State University wanders with us as we discuss his research in Minnesota on muskrats. Through relocation studies, preferred diet studies, and other research he has been working to determine how invasive hybrid cattail and muskrats impact each other. 

What exactly is a muskrat and why has such a small creature been connected to international trade, World War 2, and the survival of wetlands? Join Brandon and Angela as they follow ripples in history and water and find their source- muskrats. 

Red-headed Woodpeckers are a strikingly beautiful and increasingly rare woodpecker. Join us as Dr. Elena West from the University of Minnesota discusses her research on how to improve habitat to help their populations. From studying fledglings in the nest to determining what kind of trees need to be present around nesting trees, she is providing a roadmap to restoring these woodpeckers.

Dr. Jorge Tomasevic, Research Coordinator at Austral University of Chile, joins us to talk about the research he did in Seattle on whether Pileated Woodpeckers can survive in the suburbs or not. He was shocked at how much they thrived. Join us to find out why they can thrive near us and hear stories of Cooper's Hawks, garbage trucks, and other obstacles to his research.

Start season 7 off with a bang! Literally, as Angela and Brandon explore how all of a woodpeckers adaptations are connected, allowing them to bang their head 12,000 times a day. Wander with us as we explore why they do that and how they survive.

Wander with us as our audience asks questions and Angela and Ron answer them. What is one of Ron's most memorable dragonfly experiences? Can we see all of the colors on a dragonfly? Can you make dragonfly habitat at home?  

As season six comes to a close we look back at a summer highlight of the Big Year of Bugs.  Join Angela at Eastman Nature Center's Dragonfly Festival as she talks to Ron Lawrenz, founding and current board member of the Minnesota Dragonfly Society, in front of a live audience. Why do Plain's Emeralds live near Eastman? What is the cultural significance of dragonflies? Wander with us to find out! 

Kao Thao, Outreach Naturalist from Fort Snelling State, wanders with us to discuss the history of squirrel hunting in Hmong Culture and why this makes squirrel hunting just as important as deer hunting for them. He shares how squirrel hunting gets the entire family outside, challenges to hunting and some possible answers from technology, and what he hopes for the future. We even get some squirrel...

  Why do squirrels do so well in our cities and suburbs? Doctorate student Charlotte Devitz from the University of Minnesota joins us to talk about her research trying to answer this question. From chipmunks realizing her live traps are nice safe shelters to finding squirrels taking food from one house's trash and caching it in another house's mailbox, Charlotte shares her stories of researching s...

Wander with us as we head into the treetops and explore the unique world of tree squirrels! Why are they so good at getting into your bird feeders? Do they really need to keep chewing on things or die? What happens if they fall from a plane? Come with us as we explore the unique adaptations all squirrels have, and some of the specific skills Minnesota's three tree squirrels have as we answer these...

Daniel and Amanda Crawford share their personal story of how the trauma from Daniel's service in the Marine Corp impacted their family, and how 23rd Veteran helped him in living a happier, healthier life. Daniel shares the struggles he went through and what his path to his current life took. Amanda shares what she learned as she supported Daniel through his journey.   

Joining us from 23rd Veteran is the Executive Director Mike Waldron and the Program Manager Matt Rosky. They share with us how their personal experiences have shaped 23rd Veteran, how the 14 week program works, and why nature helps veterans living with trauma live happier, healthier lives. 

We are back to finish our conversation with Brandon Harding as he talks about the successes, he saw in using nature to cope with trauma. Find out why shared suffering played an important role, and why Brandon prefers the term Combat Stress Injury to PTSD. 

Veterans and active-duty military members can struggle with trauma from their service. Former military chaplain Brandon Harding joins us to discuss what inspired him to start using nature as part of the retreats he led to help veterans and active military members cope with that trauma.   

The Northern Long-eared Bat is a Federally Endangered Species. Jill Utrup from USFWS manages the recovery team for the Northern Long-eared Bat. She talks with us about what it takes for a species to be federally listed, how that changes its protections, and the work done to help the species recover. 

Dr. Christine Salomon from the University of Minnesota joins us to discuss her research on controlling white-nose syndrome. Come spelunking with us as we learn what it is, why it is so dangerous, and possible hope for the future. 

It's spooky season and Melissa Boman with the MN DNR joins us to talk about the creature of the night, bats! From what bats live in Minnesota, to how they survive winters, and the adaptations that should make you say "cool" instead of "eww" we soar through the night listening for bats. 

We are joined by Missy Anderson, Propagation Specialist at Three Rivers Park District to talk about how they grow acorns into mighty oak sapling that are planted around the park district. What makes a good acorn? Do mast years have an effect? How do you grow thousands of oaks a year? Wander with us to find out. 

Dan Comerford, Forestry Supervisor at Three Rivers Park District, walks us through how oak trees are managed in Three Rivers' parks. From dealing with oak diseases to determining where they are planted, learn what goes into caring for the oaks you can walk by in our parks. 

Dr. Doug Tallamy, famous author, professor, and more wanders with us to discuss the one plant that can have the biggest impact in your yard, oaks. We discuss why oaks are such a powerful plant for biodiversity and turning your yard into a refuge for wildlife.   

A swarm of wings that darkened the sky. Millions of bodies on railroad tracks that kept the trains from moving. Crops, clothes, and anything else organic eating. The Minnesota Grasshopper Plagues of the 1870's devastated the immigrants and settlers in the area. Zack Mohlis from Three Rivers' History Team joins us to discuss the Grasshopper Plagues.   

Dr. Hojun Song, from Texas A&M University's Department of Entomology discusses his research on how grasshopper songs have evolved. From cricket calls that evolved before ears to grasshoppers evolving ears to help them swarm, wander with us as we study the hopping orchestra. 

Hop along with us as Marissa Schuh a University of Minnesota Extension Educator joins us to explore the common grasshoppers in the Twin Cities area, and what makes them special.