The Wandering Naturalist

Nancy Read from the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District explains what the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District is, how it evaluates when and where mosquitos need to be controlled, and what methods they use.  

John Moriarty, Senior Wildlife Manager at Three Rivers Park District, joins us to discuss everyone's favorite insect, mosquitos! We discuss some basic mosquito biology, why some mosquitos drink blood, and what Three Rivers Park District's policy is on mosquito control.  

John Moriarty, author of the book "Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota" joins us to discuss the salamanders that live in Minnesota, how new species are discovered, and the unique life strategy that several of Minnesota's salamanders have.  

Dr. Jennifer Lamb shares her recent discovery she made at St. Cloud State University about salamanders and other amphibians. They glow! Join us as Brandon and Angela geek out over the research and get to discover similar office decorations that Brandon and Dr. Lamb have.  

What is a salamander? Why did a famous animated movie use a folklore of salamanders and fire instead of deciding to just let it go? How are salamanders impacting human health care? Find out as Brandon and Angela explore the double lives of salamanders.  

Why do goldenrods make such great additions to gardens? What kind of goldenrods should you plant? Where should you plant your goldenrods? Bre Bauerly from Minnesota Native Landscapes joins us to answer all of your goldenrod gardening questions.

Often wrongly blamed for allergies, goldenrods are a misunderstood flower that are important for many different life stages of a misunderstood group of animals, wasps. Biologist and author Heather Holm wanders with us to explore the connections and dispel the misunderstandings for both goldenrods and wasps.

Wander with Angela and Brandon as they dive head first into botany by exploring patches of goldenrods. Larry Weber, author of the Book "In a Patch of Goldenrod" joins us to discuss the mini-ecosystems these yellow fall flowers create.

In part two of our Live Podcast we answer audience questions! Do birds go through puberty? What is the meaning of life? Listen and find out!

It's our first Live Podcast! Wilmer Fernandez, board member of Audubon Minneapolis, joins us at the Migratory Bird Festival at Eastman Nature Center  to discuss the project he coordinates between Aves Honduras and Audubon Minneapolis to monitor the birds that migrate between the two areas. We discuss some of the findings that the Honduran researchers have made and what we can do to help migratory...

Dr. Ken Peterson, Professor of Biological Science at Bethel University joins us to discuss what it is like volunteering to monitor ospreys, and the results of a paper he published from the data collected by Three Rivers' volunteers and staff on ospreys.  

After their extirpation from Minnesota, it was estimated that it would take until 2030 to 2080 before Ospreys naturally made it back to the Twin Cities. As of 2022 there are over 100 active Osprey nests because Three Rivers Park District reintroduced them. Listen to Judy Voigt Englund and Larry Gillette, the Three Rivers' staff who led the reintroduction, about how they returned the Osprey to our...

Wander with Angela and Brandon as they explore the unique adaptations of the Osprey. This bird is the penultimate fisher, with adaptations seen nowhere else!  

Thomas Howes, Natural Resource Manager of the Fond du Lac Reservation, joins us to discuss the rules that dictate how Native People can possess and use eagle artifacts. He also discusses the work he has collaborated on to update the US Fish and Wildlife Service's rules so Native Nations can work with the USFWS to allow access to eagle artifacts that starts to better meet the needs of Native People...

Lori Arent from The Raptor Center talks with us about the specialized care raptors need, and how The Raptor Center provides that. Learn about what a day is like at The Raptor Center, how to tell if a raptor is injured and needs help, and how to prevent raptor injuries.  

Margie Menzies migrates (via Zoom) from Hawk Ridge to discuss what makes raptors unique, why Hawk Ridge near Duluth is one of the best raptor watching areas in the world, and how cloacal swabs are helping Hawk Ridge researchers better understand raptor habits.  

Connor Wood from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology talks about how he uses sounds in animal conservation despite being tone deaf. Using passive acoustic surveys he has studied Spotted Owl populations, surveyed the entire Sierra Nevada mountains with a team of only 15, and even studied endangered toads. What is a passive acoustic survey? Will this technology make Angela obsolete? Listen and find out.

Steven Hogg from Three Rivers Park District and Sam Safran, Ph. D. Candidate at the University of Minnesota,  join us to discuss how Three Rivers Park District surveys for birds. How do you document all the birds in an area? Do you really have to wake up before dawn? Do the birds at least make you coffee? How can you use bird calls to evaluate restoration practices? All this and more will be answe...

Join Angela and Brandon as they explore how birds make the complex calls that both delight and sometimes aggravate at 4 in the morning. From the syrinx, to what the calls mean, and regional accents in birds, join us as we tune in to bird calls.

Three dedicated volunteers from Three Rivers Park District discuss how they monitor and care for a purple martin colony, what they do if a storm blows a house down, and why they enjoy caring for these dazzling birds.  

What does a motorized couch have to do with Purple Martins? Joe Siegrist, President and CEO of the Purple Martin Conservation Association, joins us to explain. Learn what it's like to be on an undercover stakeout in Brazil looking for Purple Martins, why Purple Martins are given fanny packs for their migration, and what research the Purple Martin Conservation Association is doing.  

Angela and Brandon discuss an animal that has become completely dependent on humans for housing, Purple Martins. Angela teaches Brandon about Purple Martin life history, the bird's relationship with humans historically, and dispels a few myths about their relationship with mosquitos.   

Geoff Miller, a PhD student working with the Twin Cities Coyote and Fox Project joins us to talk about the research he is doing to shed light on what coyotes are doing in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Having found coyotes everywhere in the cities, from completely urban to city parks, he explains how the project works, why it is being done, some preliminary discoveries, and how our listeners can partic...

Scott Noland is a Land Manager with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He joins us to talk about land management with coyotes, the benefits they bring to the area he manages, and how people should act when they see a coyote.  

Angela and Brandon explore the fascinating history of the largest predator in urban areas, coyotes. From it's plethora of names, to unique adaptations that let it thrive even when hunted by humans, the coyote is a misunderstood animal full of amazing attributes.