The Wandering Naturalist

Our final episode this month goes fully into the vernal pool weeds! Brandon and Ellen bring out their favorite stars of this ecosystem. We talk fairy shrimp, fishing spiders, caddisflies, water boatmen, and backswimmers. For creatures so small, this episode is PACKED with interesting information! 

In our second episode we sit down with Dr. Mark Hanson to hear about his research on vernal pools during his career with the Minnesota DNR. We zoom out a bit from vernal pools themselves and learn about their impact on what's around them. From bears to ducklings, these innocuous pools play an important role in the lives of many woodland organisms. This leads us to discuss how forest management impacts the pools and what people can do to keep them safe and healthy.  

Time to get your feet wet in the world of vernal pools! This month's topic zooms in on these often overlooked, but crucially important ecosystems. In our first episode we meet with Dr. Darold Batzer, a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia. Dr. Batzer studies the ecology and environmental biology of wetland invertebrates, and gives us an introduction to vernal pools: Who lives in them, what they are, and why they matter.   

Jade Ryerson, historian with the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, wanders with us through time and she shares stories of women who have connected to the Mississippi River in the past and how that impacts us today. From Dakota women involved with diplomacy, to a court case about slavery that helped escalate tensions leading to the Civil War, to a lamplighter who helped Minneapolis and St. Paul commerce develop, women have had deep connections and impacts on the Mississippi River near us.   

Wander with us down the Mississippi River as Devin Brown joins us to discuss how her connection to the Mississippi River changed her life. Her first meeting with the Mississippi River happened in Minneapolis as an adult and inspired her to change her career. Since then she has become an avid paddler. More recently she is the first Black woman to attempt to kayak the entire Mississippi River. From its narrow stretch near Itasca to massive cottonwoods breaching like whales during record flooding, her trip was full of amazing stories. 

Dr. Peter Kennedy from the University of Minnesota joins us to discuss the latest research on the relationships between plants and fungi. From tree socks to research exchange markets, the interaction between plants and fungi is complicated. What does research really say about this research and what has reporting on this research sensationalized?  

Do plants really talk? Not like we do, but Dr. Simon Gilroy, Professor of Botany at the University of Wisconsin Madison, shares the research he and others have done that has shed light on how plants communicate. From leaves hearing and the plant responding, to the smell of fresh cut grass alerting other plants of distress, wander with us as we explore plant communication. 

Wander with Brandon and Ellen as they explore how animals communicate. From communication that is obvious to us like sound, to communication we may not have considered such as electricity, animals have complicated ways of sharing information. 

Dr. John Anfinson, one of the leading experts on the Mississippi River in our area joins us to talk about the past, present, and future of the Mississippi. He tells us stories of the Mississippi as people tried to navigate the gorge, how its unique geology created the Twin Cities, and why the Mississippi between the Twin Cities was changed into a series of lakes. He also discusses the potential future of the Mississippi River and how you can learn about it and join in the conversation about what the Mississippi should be.  

In July, 2025 we had a special Wandering Naturalist rafting trip on the Mississippi River with Brandon. Several participants wore microphones and we recorded the whole experience. Raft with us as we talk to Paula Suchy from Mississippi Gateway Regional Park about how the rafting programs work and why they are so important to her as we listen to audio from our rafting trip.