The Wandering Naturalist

Jessica Heim has a Master's in the field of Cultural Astronomy. She joins us to discuss her Master's Thesis on light pollution, what causes it, and how we can work together to reduce it.

Join Angela and Brandon as they explore how the final frontier, space, impacts the animals in Three Rivers Parks. From moths orbiting the light outside your house, to dung beetles setting course with the Milky Way, open your hailing frequencies, set your course for the second star on the right, and engage the podcast as we explore the night sky.

Raul Velaquez joins us to share his immigration story. Originally from Colombia, he came to Minnesota to study engineering. He now works for the Minnesota Department of Transportation to design better roads. Hear how his connections to the land influenced his choices. A special thank you to Green Card Voices for connecting us with Dr. Raul Velaquez.

Professor Dalma Martinovic immigrated to Minnesota from Croatia in 1996. Join us as she shares why she moved to Minnesota, her experiences here, and how our parks differ from parks back in Croatia. A special thank you to Green Card Voices for connecting us with Professor Martinovic.

Join us as Jayne Becker, from our history interpretation team, starts our conversation on neighbors by telling us about immigrants from Switzerland who settled in the area that is now Elm Creek Park Reserve. Their immigration story started in the 1850s, after Native Americans were forced from the land and the U.S. Government made it available for purchase. Jayne shares details on who these Swiss i...

Grant Armour- Recreation Program Specialist from our Outdoor Recreation School talks to us about how the greatest threat in nature is ourselves. Grant discusses the importance of knowing your boundaries and recognizing when you are in a growth state or panic state when trying recreational activities. He gives tips on how to evaluate activities in nature to make sure you are safe and prepared.

John Moriarty, Senior Wildlife Manager, talks to us about whether we have anything to fear in our parks. We discuss what, if any animals pose threats to us in Three River's Parks; how perceived lack of control makes humans pretty bad at judging potential threats, and steps you can take in our parks to remain safe.

Bill Walker, Historical Programs Supervisor, joins us to give a European historical perspective on fear of nature. Why did early American settlers fear the wilderness? Was Thoreau talking about wilderness at Walden's Pond, or something else? How did Manifest Destiny play into American's fear of nature?

Dr. Rachel Putnam joins us to talk about current research on climate change's impacts on forests in North America. She then talks about her own research on how different sugar maple tree populations may adapt to climate change.

We are joined by Shawn Howard, Nursery Operations Supervisor, and Paul Kortebein, Senior Manager of Horticulture and Forestry to discuss how the park district raises and plants several thousand native trees and shrubs a year and the challenges of starting a native nursery back in 1970 that is still helping to restore forests in all of our parks.

Join Angela  and Brandon as they discover that trees do more than just sleep during the winter. They discuss what causes fall colors, how the colors are made by the tree, what trees actually do in the winter, and what trees have to do before they can grow in the spring.

Liz Gilles from the Minnesota Zoo discusses the zoo's "Show Us Your Mussels Challenge", the work the zoo is doing to educate people about mussels, and research being done at the zoo to figure out how to reintroduce mussels.

Mike Davis (MN DNR) and Olivia Poelmann (Graduate Student at Clemson SC) join us to talk about how the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are studying mussels, the impacts humans currently have on them, and some of the successes they have had restoring species, including endangered ones.

Alan Holzer from Mississippi Gateway Regional Park joins us to talk about what is a mussel, their unique life story (including interesting techniques they use to get fish to host their young), and how human's history with them has resulted in mussels becoming one of the most endangered groups of animals.

Jerry Jennissen's farmland includes the ditch that is the official start of the Crow River. Any action he takes on his farm has a direct impact on the entire Crow River. He talks about his experience with the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program, why farming sustainably is important to him, and Angela gets to discuss how Jerry's farm makes award winning cheese.

Brad Redlin, Manager of the Minnesota Agriculture Water Quality Certification Program from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture talks about how it is a team effort between his department and farmers to improve water quality around Minnesota. Brad Redlin explains how the Water Quality Certification works and how it is helping farmers navigate challenges to farming and result in a more sustainabl...

Join us as we explore the third river in Three Rivers - The Crow. Dan Nadeu joins us from Wright Soil and Water Conservation District. He explains why the Crow used to be called "the armpit of the Mississippi" and how the partnerships he has with farmers along the Crow River are integral to improve its water quality.

Park Service Assistant Thao Vang talks to us about fishing in Three Rivers Park District, how fishing has changed over time for Hmong culture in Minnesota, and how to create a welcoming environment for people new to fishing.

Nick Sacco from Three River's Outdoor Recreation School and Janine Kohn from the Minnesota DNR drop us a line to go over fishing basics such as how to get started, what equipment you might need, where to go, and proper fishing etiquette. 

Join us as we dive under the water to explore fishing habitats with Brian Vlach, Water Resources Senior Manager at Three Rivers.  Diverse aquatic habitats throughout Minnesota support a huge range of fishes, not all lakes are the same. We also discuss how climate change is impacting fish populations in Minnesota.

The great coffee migration ends back in Minnesota where we talk to Anne Costello of Peace Coffee Company, a local Minnesota roaster. Anne discusses how coffee is roasted, the environmental impacts of roasting coffee, and best practices in the coffee industry.  Julia Holiday, a historical interpreter from Three Rivers joins lastly to share past coffee substitutes. 

In this episode we are joined by three coffee farmers to hear their perspective on farming everyone's favorite morning drink. Ashley Prentice in Guatemala, Gabriel Miari in Brazil, and Mario Palomo in Honduras discuss the similarities and differences of growing coffee in their different companies and steps they have taken to grow environmentally friendly coffee. Translation is done by Giannina Pos...

Amanda Eastwood of Westrock Coffee Company joins us to talk about what it is like buying coffee from farmers, how the process can support local communities economically and improve the health of farmers, and why that is important in the coffee trade. She also provides some recommendations on what you can look for on coffee labels to see if your coffee supports coffee farming communities.  

Birds and coffee have more in common than just hearing both early in the morning. Many of the migrating species that call Minnesota home in the summer live on coffee farms in the winter. Learn how coffee farms impact birds and steps that can be taken to create coffee farms that have bird biodiversity as rich as actual rainforests. 

Three Rivers believes you belong here. Making sure that "You" applies to everyone is a continual job with a lot of work going on behind the scenes to ensure our parks are accessible. Join us as we talk to Chris Boyer, Executive Director of Three Rivers Park District Foundation about what the Foundation is, and how it helps make our parks more accessible. Then, Lynn Stoltzmann, Director of Facility...