The Wandering Naturalist

Mar 05 2025 236 ep. 28 mins 209
The Wandering Naturalist Podcast artwork

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.

  Science
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


Episode 236: Women and Wilderness – What Was Lost

Mar 05 2025 26 mins  
Get a taste for hands on experience with land management from prescribed fire and bison introductions with Molly Tranel from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Women stepping into leadership roles has been a welcomed observed change over time and provides a necessary spark for confidence building. Brining awareness early to career opportunities is key for ensuring the f

Episode 235: Women and Wilderness – Authentic Representation

Mar 04 2025 22 mins  
Talk story and authentic representation with guest Mary Montes to explore the importance of hands on experience within environmental stewardship. Starting with a Marine Science degree out of Hawaii to joining Conservation Corps in Minnesota, learn how relationships to land can differ. An important reminder that everyone is connected through story as people but also to the land and

Episode 234: Women and Wilderness – Forestry Learning

Mar 04 2025 30 mins  
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 personal and professional journey. From various learning styles to the importance of family and connection to community there are many ways to make everyone feel welcomed in the outdoors. Endi

Episode 233: Ripples in the Wetlands - Muskrats Management

Feb 04 2025 34 mins  
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 and also has a knack for impacting humans.

Episode 232: Ripples in the Wetlands - Muskrats and Cattails

Feb 04 2025 20 mins  
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 working to determine how invasive hybrid cattail and muskrats impact each other.

Episode 231: Ripples in the Wetlands - Muskrats 101

Feb 04 2025 30 mins  
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 and water and find their source- muskrats.

Episode 230: Echoes of the Woodpeckers - Red-headed Woodpeckers

Dec 31 2024 28 mins  
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 their populations. From studying fledglings in the nest to determining what kind of trees need to be present around nesting trees, she is providing a roadmap to restoring these woodpec

Episode 229: Echoes of the Woodpeckers - Thriving in the Suburbs

Dec 31 2024 26 mins  
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 was shocked at how much they thrived. Join us to find out why they can thrive near us and hear stories of Cooper's Hawks, garbage trucks, and other obstacles to his research.

Episode 228: Echoes of the Woodpeckers - From Beak to Toes

Dec 31 2024 27 mins  
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 explore why they do that and how they survive.

Episode 227: Dragonfly Festival Live - Audience Questions

Dec 17 2024 24 mins  
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 dragonfly habitat at home?