The Wandering Naturalist

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 Ave…

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 colle…

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 ne…

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 …

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…

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 he…

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, s…

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 a…

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 i…

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 thes…

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 underc…

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 …

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, t…

Quantina Beck-Jones joins us about her personal experiences in nature, from the time she was a kid to today. Nature has been important to her since she was a child and she shares what it means to her…

Join us as Joel Brown, a professional historic interpreter, talks to us about the legacy of George Bonga and the rest of his family. One of the first African American's born in what became Minnesota,…

In January and the rest of our long winter, many of our Minnesota birds are not here...where do they go and what are they doing?  To give us some perspective on our missing birds of the winter season…