The Wandering Naturalist

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 plant…

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…

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.  

John Moriarty, Senior Wildlife Manager at Three Rivers Park District, returns to talk about how you prepare to reintroduced a rare or endangered butterfly. From planting thousands of host plants to w…

Land management or stewardship is a complex task, especially when you are managing nature on an Army Base. Jessup Weichelt, Land Manager at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin joins us to talk about managing habit…

What is a state pollinator coordinator? Rebecca Gutierrez-Moreno, the State Pollinator Coordinator with the Environmental Quality Board, wanders with us to discuss this and explore how pollinators, e…

Dr. Dan Larkin from the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at the U of M discusses invasive aquatic species, issues with current control methods, and how we can better work t…

Brandon faces his fears and dives with Angela below the water to explore the plants that call lakes, ponds, and rivers home. Donna Perleberg, Aquatic Plant Ecologist from the Minnesota DNR, talks wit…

Sabrina Celis and Emily Althoff, graduate students at the University of Minnesota and members of Frenatae join us to learn about the bugs that keep soil healthy. From tiny springtails to animals with…

Alex Romano from the Land Stewardship Project joins us to talk about how farmers are leading each other to sustainable practices and healthy soil. How can farmers teach each other sustainable soil pr…

Dr. Lee Frelich Director of the Center for Forest Ecology at the University of Minnesota wanders with us as we discuss what makes forest soil healthy around the Twin Cities. We discuss the impacts in…

Nate Huck, Resident Game Bird Specialist, and Timothy Lyon, Research Scientist and Upland Game Project Leader, both from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wander with us to discuss the hi…

Angela and Brandon go on their own hunt to figure out fact and fiction on the topic of turkeys.  Can turkeys fly? How did they get their name? Did Benjamin Franklin really want them to be the nationa…

Teaching and engaging with nature takes many forms, from film, writing, creative art, and much more.  Local writer, organizer, and film producer, Erin Sharkey, joins to discuss the power of nature in…

Connecting everyone with the outdoors and wilderness continues to evolve, those stepping in to continue the legacy of outreach is changing, creating a spark of hope ahead to everyone feeling they bel…