The Wandering Naturalist
Explore the history and present of over 27,000 acres of park land inside Minnesota's Hennepin County and surrounding areas. Hosts Angela (wildlife biologist) and Brandon (interpretive naturalist) guide you through this suburban wilderness managed by the Three Rivers Park District.
- Update frequency
- every 9 days
- Average duration
- 28 minutes
- Episodes
- 254
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
Episode 234: Women and Wilderness – Forestry Learning
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 persona…
Episode 233: Ripples in the Wetlands - Muskrats Management
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…
Episode 232: Ripples in the Wetlands - Muskrats and Cattails
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…
Episode 231: Ripples in the Wetlands - Muskrats 101
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…
Episode 230: Echoes of the Woodpeckers - Red-headed Woodpeckers
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…
Episode 229: Echoes of the Woodpeckers - Thriving in the Suburbs
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 w…
Episode 228: Echoes of the Woodpeckers - From Beak to Toes
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 …
Episode 227: Dragonfly Festival Live - Audience Questions
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 drag…
Episode 226: Dragonfly Festival Live!
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…
Episode 225: Getting Squirrely - A Hmong Perspective
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 hunti…
Episode 224: Getting Squirrely - City Squirrels
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 c…
Episode 223: Getting Squirrely - What is a Squirrel?
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 di…
Episode 222: Veterans in Nature - A Personal Story
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 …
Episode 221: Veterans in Nature - 23rd Veteran
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 pro…
Episode 220: Veterans in Nature - Why Nature Helps Continued
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 wh…
Episode 219: Veterans in Nature - Why Nature Helps
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 …
Episode 218: Intriguing Bats of Minnesota - Endangered Species
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 …
Episode 217: Intriguing Bats of Minnesota - White-nose Syndrome
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…
Episode 216: Intriguing Bats of Minnesota - Not so scary
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 sh…
Episode 215: Sustaining Oaks - From Acorn to Oak
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 …