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This book is on my Christmas Wish List

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Finding the Mother Tree is slow burn memoir, whereas the author slowly develops her understanding that trees in forests are interdependent with fungi mycelium. It provides a great understanding of being dedicated, inquisitive and blessed with a chance to learn something monumental.

Author: Suzanne Simard

Published: 2021

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I have spent some time at The American Prairie in Montana. It's an incredible place, and they doing a great deal of restoration.

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Governor, delegation send letter to Interior over American Prairie

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State economy, grazing rights were the primary concern in the letter as ranchers worry about spread of brucellosis

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Here's a link to biomass fuel research from Cornell University (2005). Minnesota research also stated the same, but the comparisons depend on what factors are included in the analysis.

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Turning plants such as corn, soybeans and sunflowers into fuel uses much more energy than the resulting ethanol or biodiesel generates, according to a new Cornell University and University of California-Berkeley study.

"There is just no energy benefit to using plant biomass for liquid fuel," says David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture at Cornell. "These strategies are not sustainable."

Pimentel and Tad W. Patzek, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Berkeley, conducted a detailed analysis of the energy input-yield ratios of producing ethanol from corn, switch grass and wood biomass as well as for producing biodiesel from soybean and sunflower plants. Their report is published in Natural Resources Research (Vol. 14:1, 65-76).

In terms of energy output compared with energy input for ethanol production, the study found that:

corn requires 29 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced;

switch grass requires 45 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced; and

wood biomass requires 57 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced.

In terms of energy output compared with the energy input for biodiesel production, the study found that:

soybean plants requires 27 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced, and

sunflower plants requires 118 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced.

In assessing inputs, the researchers considered such factors as the energy used in producing the crop (including production of pesticides and fertilizer, running farm machinery and irrigating, grinding and transporting the crop) and in fermenting/distilling the ethanol from the water mix. Although additional costs are incurred, such as federal and state subsidies that are passed on to consumers and the costs associated with environmental pollution or degradation, these figures were not included in the analysis.

"The United State desperately needs a liquid fuel replacement for oil in the near future," says Pimentel, "but producing ethanol or biodiesel from plant biomass is going down the wrong road, because you use more energy to produce these fuels than you get out from the combustion of these products."

Although Pimentel advocates the use of burning biomass to produce thermal energy (to heat homes, for example), he deplores the use of biomass for liquid fuel. "The government spends more than $3 billion a year to subsidize ethanol production when it does not provide a net energy balance or gain, is not a renewable energy source or an economical fuel. Further, its production and use contribute to air, water and soil pollution and global warming," Pimentel says. He points out that the vast majority of the subsidies do not go to farmers but to large ethanol-producing corporations.

"Ethanol production in the United States does not benefit the nation's energy security, its agriculture, economy or the environment," says Pimentel. "Ethanol production requires large fossil energy input, and therefore, it is contributing to oil and natural gas imports and U.S. deficits." He says the country should instead focus its efforts on producing electrical energy from photovoltaic cells, wind power and burning biomass and producing fuel from hydrogen conversion.

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Cornell ecologist's study finds that producing ethanol and biodiesel from corn and other crops is not worth the energy | Cornell Chronicle

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Turning plants such as corn, soybeans and sunflowers into fuel uses much more energy than the resulting ethanol or biodiesel generates, according to a new Cornell University and University of California-Berkeley study.

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This video is short and easy to understand and shares how soil is made. Enjoy!

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Making North America | The Ingredients for Soil | PBS LearningMedia

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Examine the ingredients of soil, Earth's thinnest and most fragile layer and the frontier between the worlds of geology and biology, in this video from NOVA: Making North America: Human. Kirk Johnson meets with fellow geologist Dave Montgomery, who reveals the recipe that makes life on land and all agriculture possible.

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If you would like a deeper understanding of the US-Dakota conflict of 1862 and the mass execution that followed in Mankato, I recommend this TPT documentary. I recently watched it, and it is very nuanced and expanded my understanding of Minnesota's history and our relationship with the state's original inhabitants. Frankly, I think this should be required viewing for all Minnesotans.
-Sam

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The Past Is Alive Within Us: The U.S.- Dakota Conflict

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This program will look at the US Civil & Dakota Wars through the lens of public memory.

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Human habitation 3,000 years ago at Mountain Lake

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Human habitation 3,000 years ago at Mountain Lake

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https://www.mnopedia.org/place/mountain-county-park-and-historic-site

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Mountain County Park and Historic Site | MNopedia

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Cottonwood County's now-dry Mountain Lake was the site of Indigenous villages and encampments over the course of 3,000 years. The area has provided clues-some of the oldest evidence of human habitation in present-day Minnesota-about the lives of a group of people who remained relatively isolated from Upper Mississippi trade networks.

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My son Nate has a 3-part series on Lakeland Public TV's Common Ground on tanning hides to make clothing. Living in the ways of the Indigenous people who preceded us is fulfilling, but also takes a lot of time and hard work.

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Common Ground: Nate Johnson makes his own durable leather clothing Part 1

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In this special Hide Tanning Mini Series from Lakeland PBS's Common Ground, Nate Johnson makes his own durable leather clothing from animal hides. Nate Johnson prepares these two hides, a bea...

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Excellent article.

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Breadcrumb

1. Home

2. Celebrating Wildflowers

Have you ever bitten into an unripened apple and experienced an astringent (dry, puckery) feeling in your mouth? You have experienced tannins.

Tannins are complex chemical substances derived from phenolic acids (sometimes called tannic acid). They are classified as phenolic compounds, which are found in many species of plants, from all climates and all parts of the globe. They are large molecules that bind readily with proteins, cellulose, starches, and minerals. These resulting substances are insoluble and resistant to decomposition. Tannins occur in many species of coniferous trees as well as a number of flowering plant families. These tannins can leach out of the plants. The water in the soil becomes rich with tannins and seeps into the ground water or drains into lakes and streams. These waters become brown in color and look like tea.

The word tannin comes from the old German word tanna meaning oak. It refers to the use of wood tannins derived from oak trees that were used to convert animal hides into leather. Other cultures from antiquity obtained tannins from willows ( Salix spp.), quebracho ( Scinopsis balansae), sumac (Rhus spp.), maples ( Acer spp.), wattle ( Acacia spp.), eucalyptus ( Eucalyptus spp.), and red mangrove ( Rhizophora spp.).

Tanning is an ancient technique that is estimated to have occurred as long ago as 5000 B.C. in Egypt. Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have used oak to tan animal skins into leather. In China tanning occurred many thousand years ago.

Different colors, textures, and durability of leathers were achieved by using different formulations of plant tannins referred to as "tanning liqueurs".

In addition to tanning leather, tannins are used in photography, as mordants in dyeing, clarifying wine and beer by precipitating proteins out of them, and as astringents in medicine.

Tannins are found commonly in the bark of trees, wood, leaves, buds, stems, fruits, seeds, roots, and plant galls. In all of these plant structures, tannins help to protect the individual plant species. Tannins that become stored in the bark of trees protect the tree from being infected by bacteria or fungi. In this case, the tannins precipitate out the enzymes and other protein exudates from bacteria and fungi thus not allowing these organisms to infect the tree. Many bud scales on woody plants contain tannins to protect the inner leaf tissue from being consumed and in many seed plants the initial set of leaves from a germinating seed are also high in tannins.

Tannin Facts

Unripened fruits are high in tannin content. The high tannin content discourages fruit eating animals from consuming the fruit until the seeds are mature and ready for dispersal. As the fruit ripens the tannin content lessens.

Beside fruits, tannins are also contained in coffee, tea, red wine and beer. The initial astringent taste when you sip a red wine actually comes from tannins in the wood of the oak barrels in which the wine was aged.

Tannins are also responsible for many of the enchanting colors seen in flowers and the final beauty of autumn leaves.

Fun Fact

Scientists have recently found a gene that controls tannin levels in cottonwood trees. Beavers, who utilize cottonwood trees for food to build dams, avoided trees experimentally bred to have high tannin levels, thereby skewing the dominant trees within the community. This has led to a remarkable understanding of how genetic variability can affect populations and change the species composition of an ecosystem.

Tannins also play a role in medicine and human health. Remember that tannins are astringents that tighten pores and draw out liquids. Witch hazel ( Hamamelis virginiana) is a source of tannin used in a number of skin care products. Although not as popular today, witch hazel can still be bought in bottles at some drug stores. Witch hazel has been used to treat bee stings, skin abrasions, and poison oak and ivy. Witch hazel tannins are also used in mouthwashes, eyewashes and for some bowel conditions.

The tannins in cranberries ( Vaccinium macrocarpon) have been medically proven to help prevent urinary tract infections in women by reducing the ability of the bacteria E. coli from adhering to cells lining the urinary tract. Similarly, this anti-adhesive property may reduce the ability of H. pylori to cause stomach ulcers. Recent medical research has also shown that these polyphenolic compounds can also reduce LDL cholesterol and improve cardiac health.

For More Information

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Ethnobotany is the study of how people of a particular culture and region make use of indigenous (native) plants. Plants provide food, medicine, shelter, dyes, fibers, oils, resins, gums, soaps, waxes, latex, tannins, and even contribute to the air we breathe. Many native peoples also use plants in ceremonial or spiritual rituals.

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Conservation partners strategy for accelerating conservation in the Prairie Region of the state.

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I love the Cool Green Science blog from the Nature Conservancy.  This article looks at "trash" birds and why we dismiss common birds as unworthy of our attention. https://blog.nature.org/science/2021/10/18/why-do-we-hate-trash-birds/

-Britt

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The Australian white ibis, or "bin chicken." © Daniel Lee / Flickr

It's a sunny day in Brisbane, Australia. Dog-walkers stroll along riverside footpaths, coffees in hand. Happy families spread picnic blankets on the grass. And then, a scream.

On the other side of the park, I see a toddler careening across the grass at full speed, clutching a sandwich wrapper in her tiny fist and wailing in terror. An ibis gives chase, wings flapping and bill lunging. A parent dashes forward, scooping up the child and lashing out at the bird with a kick. The parent turns back, only to realize that another bird is rummaging through their picnic.

Did an ibis really just steal that person's lunch?

As a Floridian, I was used to small gangs of American white ibis foraging on lakeshores or through lush suburban lawns, or the occasional glossy ibis wading across a native wetland. But the Australian white ibis is a different bird entirely.

This large, bald-headed bird has taken on the ecological role of a pigeon, rifling through trash bins and skulking around city parks. They're ubiquitous, unperturbed by human presence, and a bit unpredictable.

I love them. For an American whose template of "city" birds included pigeons and house sparrows, seeing an ibis strut beneath skyscrapers and menace city workers for a french fry is about as Australian as it gets. Feral, in a charming way.

Meanwhile, Australians absolutely despise ibis. They call them "bin chickens" - as in garbage bin - and publish tongue-in-cheek Planet Earth mockumentaries and expletive-laden parody songs about them on YouTube.

As an American abroad, I don't have the associated cultural baggage that dictates automatic blind hatred of the ibis. Yet put me on a riverside footpath in New England, and I'll glare at the gaggle of incessantly pooping geese and mutter "trash bird" under my breath.

Gulls. House sparrows. Starlings. Rock pigeons. Canada geese. Mallards. While what's considered a trash bird varies by location, the sentiment is the same. This bird is worthless.

After witnessing yet another melodramatic incident of picnic terror, I started to wonder: Why exactly do we hate trash birds so much?

To summarize decades of neuroscience research into a single sentence: the human brain is hard-wired to like novelty. Our brain's reward centers light up with pleasure when we encounter new stimuli, and that fixation affects how we interact with nature.

Taxonomic bias is a well-recognized phenomenon in conservation, science, and environmental policy. A small group of species commands a disproportionately large chunk of scientific attention, conservation funding, and public interest. Often these species are the charismatic megafauna - think rhinos and tigers and pandas - who are a combination of rare, endangered, beautiful, cute, impressive in some way, or dangerous.

When scientists collate lists of the world's most charismatic animals based on those criteria, bird species of any kind aren't usually on the list . But the same bias can play out any taxonomic group. It's the reason most people have heard about toucans and peacocks, but not Hartlaub's gulls or Euler's flycatchers. It's why listers long for the species they have not seen.

And it's why endangered species captivate our attention, while the ubiquitous pigeon is a trash bird.

The tendency to dismiss trash birds is stronger in some types of birders than others.

Backyard birders have an encyclopedic knowledge of their local area, be it a backyard or local park. They know exactly when the migrating warblers will arrive, or where the local barred owl likes to roost. They appreciate all species equally, but they're often uninterested in species outside of their local area. (I'll never forget the moment when an acquaintance of mine from Colorado - a passionate birder and local naturalist - shrugged with boredom when I described seeing my first bird-of-paradise in Papua New Guinea.)

Twitchers are at the other end of the spectrum. They could care less about the cardinals nesting in your backyard, but they'll spend hours regaling armchair ticks from the latest eBird taxonomy update, or the status of their various life lists, or the trip to Tanzania where they racked up 200+ new species in a week.

There are various subspecies - the feeding enthusiasts, the photography nerds, the listers, taxonomy geeks, and patch loyalists - to name a few.

I'd argue that both extremes end up poorer for their myopia.

Focus too much on your own backyard, and you miss the staggering diversity of the bird world. With 10,000 species on earth, the bird world is a never-ending smorgasbord of avian wonder. To share this planet with them - emu and Andean cock-of-the-rock, hornbills and great blue herons, ant pittas and king parrots - is a gift.

And yet species should be more than just a tick on a list. There is a deeply rewarding value to local knowledge, to learning the intimacies of the birdlife around you. Learning about bird biology and behavior makes you a better birder. There is no such thing as a trash bird.

Every birder falls somewhere along this spectrum, depending upon their motivation for birding and other factors, like financial security or concern about their carbon footprint.

I'd like to pretend that I sit firmly in the middle. I pride myself on understanding the intricacies of my local ecology, but I'll also co-opt vacation itineraries to find new species and compulsively buy field guides for far-off countries, marveling over the existence of secretary birds and aracaris.

In reality, I probably lean more towards the twitcher end of the spectrum. Recognizing the calls of my neighborhood dawn chorus provides me a sense of belonging and deep comfort. It's how I feel at home. But seeing a bin chicken for the millionth time just doesn't deliver the same dopamine hit as a cassowary.

Our positions on the birding continuum aren't fixed, and I'm starting to change. Thanks to Australia's closed-border policy during the pandemic, I've been grounded in the same country - and the same state - for 2 years. And as crazy as it sounds, many a moment of pandemic homesickness has been soothed by the sight of an ibis ferreting through a public trash can. Majestic they are not, but they remind me of home.

Which is why I'm heartened to see that some Aussies are rehabilitating the bin chicken's bad reputation, from literal trash bird to national icon. If you wander to the trendy, hipster-ish parts of Brisbane, you can find ibis street art, ibis t-shirts with religious parodies, and even crafty resin earrings - an ibis dangling from one ear, a garbage bin from the other.

The bin chicken might be a perfect avian symbol for Australia: a bit rough around the edges, yet lovable all the same. A true Aussie larrikin.

And to the Americans reading this, we're not off the hook. We're just as guilty of undervaluing our local wildlife. Whenever my accent gives me away as a foreigner, Australians often regale me with tales of their travels in my homeland: New York City! Las Vegas! The Grand Canyon! And squirrels.

I can think of at least seven occasions where an Australian gushed with wonder about the first time they saw a squirrel. Are they really everywhere? Do they bite? Why do they do that thing with their tails?

Australians might giggle at tourists fawning over a kangaroo, but they're amazed by squirrels.

It's hilarious, and telling. We're all guilty of dismissing the wildlife we see most often, focusing too much on the new. Squirrels are just as interesting as kangaroos, we're just used to them. Bin chickens - and other trash birds - are just as worthy of studied observation, even when they're rooting through garbage and terrorizing picnickers.

One woman's trash bird (or squirrel) is another's treasure.

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Why Do We Hate Trash Birds? - Cool Green Science

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It's a sunny day in Brisbane, Australia. Dog-walkers stroll along riverside footpaths, coffees in hand. Happy families spread picnic blankets on the grass. And then, a scream. On the other side of the park, I see a toddler careening across the grass at full speed, clutching a sandwich wrapper in her tiny fist and wailing in terror.

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If you are interested in Earth science, climate, and ecosystem health, Eos is a great newsletter for you. Each week, the news update provides a list of recent research articles. The link takes you to an understandable summary of the research that includes a link to the published article if you want to dig deeper. To subscribe, go to https://eos.org/

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This website was recommended by Ron Spinosa at the, "Getting to Know Minnesota Mushrooms" online seminar on 10/14. The call will be online at the West Metro MNat website: https://westmetromasternaturalists.weebly.com/

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This site is the creation of Michael Kuo. With some exceptions, the site is based on my collections of North American mushrooms, made over the past 25 years, and the more than 1200 species pages here illustrate and describe these collections, along with collections that have been sent to me by others for study.

MushroomExpert.Com contains no information about the edibility or toxicity of mushrooms. I think mushrooms are much more interesting, engaging, and important than figuring out what happens to humans who digest them-so you will need to consult other resources if eating mushrooms (or avoiding poisonous ones) is your goal.

Would you like to get an email when new material appears at MushroomExpert.Com? Let me know and I will add you to the list!

I am incredibly grateful for the support of my readers. So many have donated over the years, in amounts ranging from a few dollars to hundreds, and many readers donate regularly. Thank you for your generosity! Donations can be made through PayPal, using the button to the right-or feel free to email me to ask about other ways to donate.

The Herbarium of Michael Kuo

My herbarium contains more than 4000 mushroom collections from North America (and a few from elsewhere). The herbarium database contains records for all collections. If you would like to contribute to the herbarium, please don't hesitate to email me. Many of this site's pages rely, in whole or in part, on well-documented collections that were sent to me for study; collectors carefully documented, photographed, preserved, and mailed their mushrooms. Examples include Clathrus baumii, Daldinia childiae, Gomphidius smithii, and Amanita westii.

Be sure to visit midwestnaturalist.com, a companion site for non-mushroom natural wonders in the Midwest!

About MushroomExpert Contact & FAQ

Bird's Nest Fungi

Key to the species of Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, Nidula, and Nidularia in North America.

Genera treated: Collybia, Gymnopus, Rhodocollybia, Tricholomopsis, Flammulina, Calocybe, Crinipellis, Clitocybula, Callistosporium, Megacollybia, Xerula, and some of the larger species of Marasmius.

Definition and discussion; partial key; links to species pages; list of references for cup fungus identification.

Errata
for Mushroom Publications

Text corrections for How to Know the Gilled Mushrooms (Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979), How to Identify Mushrooms to Genus IV: Keys to Families and Genera (Stuntz, 1973), and The Boletes of North America: A Compendium (Both, 1993).

Key to 25 mushroom-eating mushrooms and fungi.

Phallaceae

The stinkhorns; key to North American species. (Includes the former family Clathraceae.)

Explanation of citations at MushroomExpert.Com; complete source list; list of field guides, general interest, and beginning mushroom identification sources.

Stemonitis spp.

(Slime Mold; featured at companion site midwestnaturalist.com)

Toothed Mushrooms

Key to the genera (and some species) of toothed or spiny mushrooms.

Common name for mushrooms belonging in several genera, including Hygrophorus and Hygrocybe.

List of works referred to at this site.

All text and images © mushroomexpert.com

Kuo, Michael (2021). Mushroomexpert.com homepage. Retrieved from the Mushroomexpert.Com website: www.mushroomexpert.com/index.html

All text and images © , Mushroomexpert.com

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This site is the creation of Michael Kuo. With some exceptions, the site is based on my collections of North American mushrooms, made over the past 25 years, and the more than 1200 species pages here illustrate and describe these collections, along with collections that have been sent to me by others for study.

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Benjamin Vogt has recently been a huge inspiration for me. He focuses on prairie restoration but not just large sites but for the suburban lawns as well. I enjoy following his posts on facebook and instagram. He also has a few books on gardening that focus more on natural landscapes with aesthetic appeal. He maybe considered elitist but he has definitely shifted my thinking on how I can better help the environment.

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Great film on how restoring our soil can help with the stabilizing our climate.

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Narrated and featuring Woody Harrelson, Kiss the Ground is an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis.

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Psbl Grant for Prairie and Watershed improvement

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Psbl Grant for Prairie and Watershed improvement

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Here's a link if you are in the Lower MN River Watershed District for a grant application:
Grants & Cost Sharing :: Lower Minnesota River Watershed District (lowermnriverwd.org)

I was able to submit and receive a grant for our Condo Association property in Bloomington.

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Grants are available for projects that protect and improve water and natural resources within the Lower Minnesota River Watershed

2021 Cost Share Incentive and Water Quality Restoration Program

The Lower Minnesota River Watershed District ("LMRWD") values and supports efforts made by residents to help achieve the goals of the LMRWD. Through the Cost Share Incentive and Water Quality Restoration Program (the "Program"), the LMRWD hopes to engage citizens in community actions that protect local lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and fens.

Purpose

Cost share funds are available to public or private landowners within the LMRWD to carry out projects that support one or more of the following goals:

Improve, protect or restore water quality of lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and fens

Increase the capacity of the watershed to store water

Reduce bluff, streambank, or mainstem erosion

Protect or restore groundwater resources

Enhance navigation on the Minnesota River, excluding dredging projects

Reduce the impact of invasive species on lakes, streams rivers, wetlands and fens

Preserve, protect or restore native plant and wildlife habitats with emphasis on lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands and fens

Provide public education benefits and engage the public in stewardship

Grant funds are available to residents, associations, nonprofits, schools, businesses, and cities for projects located within District boundaries.

Many types of projects are eligible for grant money. A few examples include: raingardens, shoreline restoration, permeable pavers, buckthorn removal with native restoration, and more!

Grant Funding

Grants will be awarded for up to 50% of a project's cost, on a reimbursement basis, for materials, labor, engineering, and consulting fees. The minimum grant award is $500.

Maximum grant award:

$2,500 for residential projects

$7,500 for townhome, condominium, or lake associations

$20,000 for commercial, government, or nonprofit projects

Grant Guidelines

Review the cost share grant guidelines before filling out and submitting your application. The grant guidelines contain important information about eligible projects and expenses, reporting requirements, and application requirements.

Eligible Expenses

It is the primary intent of the program to reimburse the cost of materials. Labor and volunteer time will be considered an in-kind contribution from the recipient. Grants will be awarded for up to 50% of the eligible expenses. Projects that are completed or in progress prior to application are not eligible for funding. Eligible Best Management Practices (BMPs) could include:

Buffer strips

Rain gardens

Shoreline, streambank, or riverbank restoration

Pervious pavers and porous concrete or asphalt

Unique solutions for soil erosion and sediment control practices

Native habitat restoration with priority given to waterways, lakes, buffers, and ponds

Volume reduction and runoff treatment practices (infiltration basins & trenched, cisterns, green roofs, and bio-filtration)

​​​Any other innovative stormwater runoff treatment or volume reduction management practice Eligible studies/investigations could include:

Water quality management and restoration

Water quantity management and restoration

Groundwater management and restoration

Unique resource (fen, trout stream) management and restoration

Best Management Practice (BMP) feasibility and restoration

Cost Share Worksheet Tool
Application Submittal and Approval

The LMRWD will accept new applications until April 15, 2021. If funds remain, applications will continue
to be accepted until all funds are used. Applications can be downloaded from the LMRWD website.
Completed applications can be submitted via e-mail or US mail and must include all information
requested.

Once available funding has been consumed, applications will no longer be reviewed and applicants will
be informed of the situation. Applicants are required to submit a grant application that includes the
following:

1. Signed and dated application form

2. Narrative of proposed project

3. Location map

4. Record of property ownership

5. Construction/installation site plan, designs and specifications

6. Estimate of water captured and pollution removed (if applicable)

7. Itemized budget

8. Contractor bid (if using)

9. Plant list (if applicable)

10. Accounting of in-kind contribution of labor and materials, if any

The application must be signed and dated. Applications can be submitted electronically. If submitting electronically, submit as one complete document, with the work plan, budget and supporting materials integrated into the document.

Application can be sent via e-mail to:
naiadconsulting@gmail.com

Applications can be sent via US Mail to:
Linda Loomis Lower Minnesota River Watershed District 112 E. 5th Street #102 Chaska, MN 55318

Eligibility

Funding Agreement

Each applicant selected is required to enter into a Cost Share Grant and Maintenance Agreement with the LMRWD defining the obligations of the applicant and the LMRWD. The amendment of any terms of the agreement will be by mutual written agreement signed by all parties to the original agreement.

The agreement includes, but is not limited to, such items as promoting and acknowledging LMRWD sponsorship, reporting, payment schedule, terms of the agreement and use of funds, cost overruns and cancellation. The agreement also allows the LMRWD access to the project area for evaluation and promotion of the project. The applicant is responsible for securing all permits necessary for the work.

For projects receiving $10,000 or more, the LMRWD may require an agreement for maintenance of the project up to ten (10) years.

Reporting Requirements

Within 30 days of the completion, a summary report must be submitted with paid receipts before final reimbursement can be dispersed. Grantees will be required to include original receipts of the expenses, digital or hard copy photos of events, and electronic copies of all education materials produced.

For More Information

Please review the Cost Share Program Guidelines. If you have additional questions contact the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District by e-mail at naiadconsulting@gmail.com or by telephone at 763-545-4659.

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Grants & Cost Sharing :: Lower Minnesota River Watershed District

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2021 Cost Share Incentive and Water Quality Restoration Program The Lower Minnesota River Watershed District ("LMRWD") values and supports efforts made by residents to help achieve the goals of the LMRWD. Through the Cost Share Incentive and Water Quality Restoration Program (the "Program"), the LMRWD hopes to engage citizens in community actions that protect local lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and fens.

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MN programs and funding for pollinator habitat restoration

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MN programs and funding for pollinator habitat restoration

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Looking for grants or orgs to help with prairie / pollinator habitat restoration? Look no further!

-Jake

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Available funding for habitat projects plays a key role in the support of pollinator populations. The table below summarizes state and federal water quality and habitat focused conservation programs that can be used to restore pollinator habitat as primary or secondary project goals. Also included is a table summarizing the partners who are working to restore and/or protect pollinator habitat in Minnesota and the role of the agency or organization.

Most of the state programs listed in the table are focused on solving water quality issues or providing high quality habitat and are competitive grant programs. The federal sources listed generally have primary goals of restoring habitat and environmental quality as part of agricultural production.

Local conservation districtsand watershed districts are generally the most knowledgeable about what state and federal programs may be the best fit for an individual project; and if there are other "local" sources of funding that could be used for smaller projects that may not be eligible for state or federal funding.

This table is designed to aid the selection of conservation programs that can be used to restore pollinator habitat. The table summarizes state and federal programs, and sources of additional match. Landowners should work with local NRCS, SWCD, Watershed District or DNR staff as needed for additional guidance.

State Program

A new program focused on planting residential lawns with native vegetation and pollinator friendly forbs and legumes to protect a diversity of pollinators.

This project was funded by the legislature in 2019. Grant funds for individual landowners and demonstration neighborhoods are available for projects to be installed in Spring or Summer of 2020. Extensive guidance materials have been developed. Check web link for further information and updates.

Federal Program

To improve water and soil quality, restore wildlife habitat, enhance pollinator habitat, and facilitate flood control by providing financial and restoration assistance.

Grassland Restoration - A 50% cost-share for restoration work is provided for sites of a minimum of 10 acres, except for school gardens, for 15 years. Uplands with existing restorable wetlands present are preferred. The USFWS or a local conservation organization may work with the land owner to prepare and seed the site. Native vegetation is planted using site specific forb dominated seed mixes focusing on pollinator habitat. There is no haying or grazing typically allowed.

USFWS also enhances seed mixes for butterflies and bees for school yard gardens and may offer assistance for cost-share on a host of lands. Lands enrolled in CRP, WRP, CREP, or other conservation programs may also be eligible.

Federal Program

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Habitat and Wetland Easements (USFWS) (Agricultural Land)

To improve water and soil quality, restore wildlife habitat, enhance pollinator habitat, and facilitate flood control through perpetual easements.

Habitat Easement - A one lump payment is given based on fair market value determined by the USFWS appraiser. Payments vary by restrictions on use or location of the easement. Tracts with existing or restorable grasslands and wetlands are considered. The landowner maintains ownership, controls access, and pays taxes; haying and grazing options are available. The USFWS maintains the right to manage the habitat on the easement. Native forb dominated seed mixes are used to best promote pollinator habitat.

Landowner Match

Local Foundations

Garden Clubs

Soil & Water Conservation Districts

Counties

Private Companies

Local Sportsman's Clubs

Environmental Non-Profits

Watershed Districts

Cities

Lake Associations

Neighborhood Associations

Master Gardeners

Schools

School Clubs

Minnesota Cities and Counties

Restore and protect pollinator habitat as part of natural resource management and landscape plantings.

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Pollinator Toolbox - Identifying Programs and Funding

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Available funding for habitat projects plays a key role in the support of pollinator populations. The table below summarizes state and federal water quality and habitat focused conservation programs that can be used to restore pollinator habitat as primary or secondary project goals.

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NPIC (national pesticide information center - Oregon State)

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NPIC (national pesticide information center - Oregon State)

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Here's a great resource for learning more about herb/pesiticides, their uses, dangers, and effects on the environment

-Jake

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Pests are destructive or nuisance organisms (insects, weeds, bacteria, wildlife) that affect crops, food, livestock, health, etc.

According to the law, a pesticide is any substance "intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest."

Pesticide Information and Resources:

From NPIC:

Social Media:

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National Pesticide Information Center - Home Page

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Pests are destructive or nuisance organisms (insects, weeds, bacteria, wildlife) that affect crops, food, livestock, health, etc. According to the law, a pesticide is any substance "intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest." Pesticide Information and Resources: Social Media:

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This information can be found at: nwf.org/grasslandsconference. This is just the top of the page, if you scroll down there are 5 (I think) links one to each of the past 5 conferences.

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I bought this book for my son's girlfriend, who is an environmental scientist. It's a collection of essays by a lot of different people--all women. Available in hardback, paperback, audio and digital formats.

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Information on how local, regional, national and international partners are working collaboratively on conservation programs in the Prairie Pothole Region.  They provide interesting maps, factsheets, reports, etc.  They also maintain a Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PrairiePotholeJV/

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2021 RFP: Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative

The Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative grant program RFP is open and will award land trusts around $300,000 to as many as 16 projects. Applications are due March 1, 2021 with funds dispersed in May.
Read More

Video: Erickson Ranch

This video visits the Erickson Ranch in Langford, SD, a 5-generation ranch that integrates a cow-calf operation with progressive cropping practices and good range management.
Read More

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The Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative grant program RFP is open and will award land trusts around $300,000 to as many as 16 projects. Applications are due March 1, 2021 with funds dispersed in May. Read More This video visits the Erickson Ranch in Langford, SD, a 5-generation ranch that integrates a cow-calf operation with progressive cropping practices and good range management.

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The University of Minnesota's Conservation Science program has a webinar series that covers a wide range of topics. Most recently I watched the fish owl episode, definitely check it out if you're into winter, owls, and Russia. I also appreciate how the series addresses diversity, equity & inclusion in the conservation field.

https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/conservationsciencesseminar/seminar-archive/fall-2020

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Find Endangered Species by State and County

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Find Endangered Species by State and County

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Good resource to find out what species are endangered in your County.

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You Are Here: Endangered Species Home "

Ensuring an Effective Endangered Species Act

The ESA provides a broad and flexible framework to facilitate conservation with a variety of stakeholders. Learn about the tools in place that help us work with our diverse network of partners to deliver meaningful conservation.

Humpback Chub Reclassified from Endangered to Threatened: Collaboration by Partners Has Improved Conservation Status

Thanks to the hard work of state, regional, Tribal and federal agencies, as well as private partners, significant progress has been made conserving and recovering the humpback chub...
News Release

What's in Your Backyard?

Learn about the endangered and threatened species in your area and what is being done to help recover them.

An Integrated Framework for Conservation

The Species Status Assessment was developed to enhance conservation success under the ESA. This framework is based on the best available scientific and commercial information, and it delivers the foundational science for informing all ESA decisions...

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Endangered Species, Sarah Leon

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You Are Here: Endangered Species Home " The ESA provides a broad and flexible framework to facilitate conservation with a variety of stakeholders. Learn about the tools in place that help us work with our diverse network of partners to deliver meaningful conservation.

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He changed my thinking on gardening, and now has opened up another new world in understanding oaks and how they enrich the lives around them.
If this seems a little too tame for your taste, check out Jonathan Slaght’s Owls of the Eastern Ice. His work in studying the world’s largest owl with his wild and (in some cases truly) crazy colleagues in eastern Russia is gonzo field biology at its finest.

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Beautiful coffee-table style book featuring incredible photography of America's grassland grouse species, including the Greater and Attwater's Prairie Chickens, with text by noted nature writer Joel Vance

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A new book by award-winning photographer, Noppadol Paothong, and noted outdoor writer, Joel M. Vance, strives to rescue grassland grouse from the brink of extinction by showing the world what it stands to lose if these species are allowed to disappear forever.

This 204-page hardbound book, Save the Last Dance - A Story of North American Grassland Grouse, captures the dazzling beauty of seven grouse species whose populations are diminishing across the prairies and plains of America - and one species that has already lost its battle for survival.

Fortunately, many conservation groups have championed the cause of grassland grouse.

But will it be too little, too late?

The birds can be saved if enough people care. The book fosters knowledge and understanding of these spectacular birds and their diminishing habitats so future generations, too, can marvel at their grace and beauty.

The book covers the following species: Heath Hen, Greater Prairie-Chicken, Lesser Prairie-Chicken, Attwater's Prairie-Chicken, Greater Sage-Grouse, Gunnison Sage-Grouse, and Sharp-tailed Grouse, along with conservation efforts to save these species.

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About the Book | Noppadol Paothong Photography

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A new book by award-winning photographer, Noppadol Paothong, and noted outdoor writer, Joel M. Vance, strives to rescue grassland grouse from the brink of extinction by showing the world what it stands to lose if these species are allowed to disappear forever.

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I don't watch much TV, but instead spend my free time reading or listening to podcasts.  Below is a list of my favorite nature-based podcasts.  *There are many more great podcasts out there, these are just my favorites.*  These made my top five based upon production value, quality of information, diverse hosts, how engaging I find them to be, and overall how I feel while listening - IE they inspire me in some way!

The Wild with Chris Morgan
PBS's Nature - Going Wild hosted by Raewyn Grant
Threshold hosted by Amy Martin
Many episodes of This is Love hosted by Phoebe Judge
Seedcast hosted by Nia Tero

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“What it is like to be a bird”

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I have been listening to the Wandering Naturalist. Brandon also does a FB live presentation and Q&A to stump the the naturalist.

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The Wandering Naturalist podcast explores the natural and cultural history of the 27,000-acre Three Rivers Park District and the surrounding Twin Cities area. Hosted by Brandon Baker, an interpretive naturalist at Eastman Nature Center, and Wildlife Biologist Angela Grill, the podcast covers a new topic each month. Baker and Grill discuss the basic science and biology of each month's topic and interview expert guests for a lively and in-depth conversation on how natural and cultural history shapes and impacts the parks of today and their surrounding communities.

Join us as we wander from park to park and discuss the stories of the past, the nature in our present, and how they have shaped our parks. Come explore with us!

The Wandering Naturalist podcast has been honored with a Media Award from the National Association for Interpretation. Learn more about the award.

Alan Holzer from Mississippi Gateway Regional Park joins us to talk about what mussels are, their unique life story and survival strategies, and why mussels are now one of the most endangered groups of animals.

Hear from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and a Clemson University graduate student about their studies of mussels. Learn how they are affected by humans and what successes they have had restoring some species, including endangered ones.

Liz Gilles from the Minnesota Zoo discusses the zoo's Show Us Your Mussels Challenge. Learn about the work the zoo is doing to educate people about mussels and what research is being done to figure out how to reintroduce mussels.

In this episode, we explore the third river in Three Rivers: the Crow River. Dan Nadeu from Wright Soil and Water Conservation District explains why the Crow River used to be called "the armpit of the Mississippi" and how the partnering with farmers in the area is crucial to improving the river's water quality.

Brad Redlin, manager of the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program, shares more about the team effort between the Department of Agriculture and farmers to improve water quality in Minnesota. Learn how water quality certification works and how it leads to more sustainable farming.

Jerry Jennissen's farmland includes the ditch that is the official start of the Crow River. Any action he takes on his farm has a direct impact on the entire river. Hear about his experience with the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program and why sustainable farming matters to him.

Many migratory birds that spend summers in Minnesota live on coffee farms in the winter. Learn how coffee farms affect birds and how they can help support a wide array of bird species.

Amanda Eastwood of Westrock Coffee Company talks about what it's like buying coffee from farmers, how the process can support local economies and improve the health of farmers, and why that is important in the coffee trade. She also shares tips on how to tell if your coffee supports coffee farming communities.

Three coffee farmers share their perspective on farming everyone's favorite morning drink. Ashley Prentice in Guatemala, Gabriel Miari in Brazil and Mario Palomo in Honduras discuss their approaches to growing coffee and steps they have taken to be environmentally friendly. Translation is done by Giannina Posner.

Anne Costello of Peace Coffee Company in Minnesota discusses how coffee is roasted, the environmental impacts of roasting coffee, and best practices in the coffee industry. Julia Holiday, a historical interpreter from Three Rivers, coffee substitutes of the past.

Want to learn more? Read Brandon's reflection on why he drinks bird-friendly coffee on the Three Rivers blog.

Listen as Anne Ketz, co-founder of 106 Group, discusses how archeology has revealed human use in the area of The Landing going back 3,000 years. Learn about the award-winning archeology project 106 Group did in partnership with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community on the village of Tinta Otunwe, and the importance of working with American Indian communities as an archeologist.

It takes cooperation between education and natural resource management to interpret a historic village. Listen as Steven Hogg, natural resources supervisor, and Bill Walker, historical programs supervisor, discuss how nature and history are managed at The Landing.

Learn more about The Landing.

Listen in as Angela and Brandon celebrate Mother's Day by discussing the variety of parental care found in nature. Some animals are hardly involved in raising their offspring while others put in as much energy humans. It all depends on the species and their life strategy.

Visit Gale Woods Farm with supervisor Tim Reese to learn all about farm babies. Learn about Lamb Watch, a volunteer project, and other farm babies you may encounter while at Gale Woods.

Childcare among humans has differed throughout history and within many cultures, but it has never been easy. Listen as Michelle Defoe of the Red Cliff Ojibwe talks about traditions she has reclaimed after they were lost or suppressed during the Boarding School area and how she feels they have helped her in raising her children.

Listen as guest Jayne Becker from The Landing explained how early European settlers managed childcare. How was the diaper invented? What games were played? Tune in to find out!

Learn more about the good, the bad and the ugly of raising farm babies on the Three Rivers Blog!

Luke Skinner, Associate Superintendent of Three Rivers Park District, discusses how and why we have created a spectrum of parks - from parks primarily for recreation to parks with large tracts of recreated habitat.

Learn how we decide which areas of a park should be developed and which should be preserved from Associate Superintendent Jonathan Vlaming and Senior Wildlife Manager John Moriarty.

Steven Hogg explains Three Rivers' 80/20 policy, why it is so important for managing the habitat of our park reserves, and how we use GIS to track it.

To celebrate the past 50 years, Brandon and Angela are talking to special guest Bill Walker, Cultural Resources Manager of Three Rivers Park District, to discuss the how and why Three Rivers was created. 2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of Minnesota's first public nature center, the Lowry Nature Center at Carver Park Reserve. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the first planted prairie at Crow-Hassan Park Reserve. Join them on a journey to discover this rich history and how the two are connected.

The first nature center, Lowry Nature Center, was built in 1969. Tag along as hosts Brandon and Angela interview Tom McDowell, retired park employee of 40 years, to explore the story of how outdoor education molded our mission of promoting environmental stewardship through recreation and education in a natural-resource based park system for the past 50 years.

Listen in as Brandon and Angela journey to 1969 to explore Crow-Hassan Park Reserve and the first planting of the restored prairie. Joined by Senior Wildlife Manager John Moriarty, they dig deeper to discover the challenges that seeded the way for large-scale restoration with what is now the largest, first restored prairie in the metro area. Now home to unique wildlife and a high diversity of plant life, you will want to hear this origin story.

Three Rivers has worked to make our parks home for surrounding communities and wildlife over the past 50-plus years. Building a foundation on educating others for a chance to nurture an interest in natural happenings in the outdoors led to many great things, including prairie restoration. Kirk Mona, interpretive naturalist, joins to discuss the present and future of Three Rivers' mission.

Learn how prairie restoration in Three Rivers began and how it has evolved since 1969 on the blog.

Join us as we talk with Ojibwe students about their experience with maple syrup. We discuss how they maple syrup today both on a reservation and in the middle of the cities; how today's techniques differ from their ancestors; and what maple syruping means to them.

We talk with our Forestry Supervisor Dan Comerford about the unique structure of maple trees that allow us to turn its sap into syrup. Explore with us as we discover the science behind maple syruping and learn how climate change will impact our maple trees.

Discover the secrets to cooking with maple syrup as Andi Anderson from Gale Woods Farm joins us to help us in the kitchen. We discuss how to substitute syrup for sugar in recipes. We also help you decode the meaning of Grade A and Grade B syrup.

Sugar maples make maple syruping possible. Learn all about these iconic trees on the Three Rivers blog!

Brandon

Brandon Baker is an interpretive naturalist at Eastman Nature Center and has degrees in biology and environmental studies from St. John's University. Brandon's passion is connecting people to the great outdoors. Each year he introduces thousands of children and adults to the natural world through innovative and informative interpretive programming. He enjoys learning how human history and the natural environment have combined to shape the world we live in.

Angela

Angela Grill graduated from Minnesota State University-Mankato with degrees in ecology and geography. She has a passion for being outdoors and ensuring conservation of the natural heritage of our lands. As a wildlife biologist at Three Rivers Park District, she enjoys working on a wide range of projects from restoring prairies to pollinator surveys. Outside of work she can be found in the garden where she is in the good company of wonder dog, Sid, and two rented chickens, Cersi Henister and Princess Leialot.

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The Wandering Naturalist podcast explores the natural and cultural history of the 27,000-acre Three Rivers Park District and the surrounding Twin Cities area. Hosted by Brandon Baker, an interpretive naturalist at Eastman Nature Center, and Wildlife Biologist Angela Grill, the podcast covers a new topic each month.

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I have just finished reading this great book by Julie Zickefoose and found all sorts of really useful information on feeding and rehabilitating wild birds, the ethical issues with handling wildlife and the incredible intelligence of Jays.

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A great citizen science resource for monitoring phenology and migrations.  You can get involved by reporting your sightings. You can also monitor progressions by viewing online maps and data.  They also have resources for educators to use with their classrooms.

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This is an app from the Cornell Bird Lab that uses your mobile device's microphone to listen for and identify the birds calling around you. Super interesting.

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Merlin Bird ID - Free, instant bird identification help and guide for thousands of birds

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Bird ID Wizard-Step-by-step

Answer three simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify and Merlin will give you a list of possible matches. Merlin offers quick identification help for all levels of bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts to help you learn about the birds in any country in the world.

Identify Bird Songs and Calls

Sound ID listens to the birds around you and shows real-time suggestions for who's singing. Compare your recording to the songs and calls in Merlin to confirm what you heard. Sound ID works completely offline, so you can identify birds you hear no matter where you are.

Available for birds in the US, Canada, Europe, with some common birds of Central and South America, and India. More species and regions coming soon.

Identify Birds in a Photo

Snap a photo of a bird, or pull one in from your camera roll, and Photo ID will offer a short list of possible matches. Photo ID works completely offline, so you can identify birds in the photos you take no matter where you are.

Save Birds to Your Life List

Build a digital scrapbook of your birding memories with Save My Bird. Tap "This is my bird!" each time you identify a bird, and Merlin will add it to your growing life list.

Explore Lists of Birds Near You

Merlin is powered by eBird, allowing you to build custom lists of the birds you're likely to spot wherever you are. Use the filter options to explore birds for different locations or time of year, or switch to show all the species in the Bird Packs you've downloaded. Get more from the app with these Merlin Tips and Tricks.

See How Merlin Can Help You ID Birds

The Best Birding App, Powered By You

Merlin features the best of community contributed photos, songs, and calls, tips from experts around the world to help you ID the birds you see, and range maps from Birds of the World-all powered by billions of bird observations submitted to eBird.

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Bird ID Wizard-Step-by-step Answer three simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify and Merlin will give you a list of possible matches. Merlin offers quick identification help for all levels of bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts to help you learn about the birds in any country i

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Although it is non-fiction, this book (and all of Mary Roach's other books) doesn't read like an informational book.  It really is a hoot and an interesting glimpse into the lives of professional wildlife managers.

-Britt

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One of Bookpage's Most Anticipated Nonfiction Books of 2021

Coming September 14th 2021

Join "America's funniest science writer" (Peter Carlson, Washington Post), Mary Roach, on an irresistible investigation into the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans meet.

Table of Contents | Excerpts

What's to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days, as  New York Times  best-selling author Mary Roach discovers, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology.

Roach tags along with animal-attack forensics investigators, human-elephant conflict specialists, bear managers, and "danger tree" faller blasters. Intrepid as ever, she travels from leopard-terrorized hamlets in the Indian Himalaya to St. Peter's Square in the early hours before the pope arrives for Easter Mass, when vandal gulls swoop in to destroy the elaborate floral display. She taste-tests rat bait, learns how to install a vulture effigy, and gets mugged by a macaque.

Combining little-known forensic science and conservation genetics with a motley cast of laser scarecrows, langur impersonators, and trespassing squirrels, Roach reveals as much about humanity as about nature's lawbreakers. When it comes to "problem" wildlife, she finds, humans are more often the problem-and the solution. Fascinating, witty, and humane, Fuzz offers hope for compassionate coexistence in our ever-expanding human habitat.

Praise for Mary Roach

"There is much to enjoy about Mary Roach-her infectious awe for quirky science and its nerdy adherents, her one-liners. . . . She is beloved, and justifiably so."
-Jon Ronson, New York Times Book Review

"Our most consistently entertaining science journalist . . . Roach goes where other writers wouldn't dare. . . . And her search produces images-a kind of technopoetry-that are hard to forget."
- O, The Oprah Magazine

"Nobody does weird science quite like [Mary Roach]."
-Lexi Pandell, Wired

"[Mary Roach] is a bold, tenacious, and insatiable reporter. . . . [She] has a knack for posing the embarrassing, nonlinear and too obvious questions that others are always afraid to ask."
-Pamela Paul, New York Times Book Review

"[Roach's books are] meticulously researched, beautifully written, and disturbingly funny. . . . Roach's prose is a triumph-an engaging blend of anecdote, research, and reflection. . . . She's the most courageous-and empathetic-science writer we've got."
-Emily Rapp Black, Boston Globe

"Roach excels in capturing science's 'foreign country' aspect-roaming as a stranger in a strange land among its weird norms and novelties, grand monomaniacal passions, practitioners' idiosyncrasies and obscure lexicon. . . . She writes exquisitely about the excruciating."
-Stephen Phillips, Los Angeles Times

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Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, by Mary Roach

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Coming September 14th 2021 Join "America's funniest science writer" (Peter Carlson, Washington Post), Mary Roach, on an irresistible investigation into the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans meet. Table of Contents | Excerpts What's to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree?

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From Lindsey D: This is a super entertaining movie about the importance of soil.... one of the people is a wildlife photojournalist so it's shot like a nature movie and it's gorgeous.

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The Biggest Little Farm Trailer #1 (2019) | Movieclips Indie

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What color is the soil in your jar and what might it tell you?

Iron Oxide minerals- Red
Iron Sulfide minerals - Black
Calcium minerals - White
Low Oxygen - Grey
Organic Matter - Dark Brown

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Chris Helzer, Prairie Ecologist - rec. by Candace Thomas

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Chris Helzer, Prairie Ecologist - rec. by Candace Thomas

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Chris is the Nature Conservancy's Science Director in NE, but he is well-known among people working in prairie conservation and land management all over. Subscribe to his blog to get updates https://prairieecologist.com/

He is an amazing photographer, especially with macro-photography.  He published a beautiful book with these photos last year:
https://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/books/9781609386931/hidden-prairie

One of my favorite posts from a few years ago was about prairie root systems. It addresses some inaccuracies, acknowledges we still have more to learn,  and offerss some research links: https://prairieecologist.com/2018/06/19/a-closer-look-at-prairie-roots/

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People who haven't been a prairie manager (or any kind of land manager) often don't understand everything that goes into the job. There is, of course, a lot of arduous fieldwork, including tasks like prescribed burning, mowing, fencing, invasive species control, seed harvest, and much more. Doing that kind of work well takes a lot of skill, and I don't want to downplay that. However, because of the complexity of ecosystems and the challenges of restoring and maintaining them, it's really the cerebral part of land management that is most important.

The strategic, intellectual aspects of land stewardship are probably underrecognized because they are literally less visible. You can photograph and share images of someone using a drip torch but you can't photograph them devising a new way to minimize the impacts of an invasive species or rethinking a grazing approach that isn't working as expected. As a result, many people (including employers) have a very limited mental image of what a land steward should be, especially in the Great Plains. That image is often of a stoic burly man who grew up on a farm or ranch, knows his way around engines and other machinery, and is an avid hunter and fisherman.

There are multiple problems with that image, of course. First, it's unfair to stoic burly men who might have a lot more to them than just aptitude with a wrench and a nice bass boat. More importantly, however, it contributes to unfair, limited, and dangerous limitations on the kind of people who appear to be good fits for a career in land stewardship. Not only does it affect the way employers evaluate potential employees, it also restricts the number and kinds of people who aspire to be land managers.

I know lots of excellent prairie managers who aren't men, burly, or stoic. Many (gasp!) don't even hunt or fish. Regardless, they are really good at their jobs and we need more like them. To be fair, I also know some stoic burly men who are really good at their jobs and deserve more credit for their intelligence and creativity. In an attempt to help inspire future prairie managers and celebrate the good ones we already have, I've tried to describe (below) the kinds of traits I think are found in good land stewards. I also hope this will be helpful to those who hire and supervise land stewards and lead to a more diverse and effective workforce.

Prairie management starts with prairie ecology. A land steward needs to understand as much as they can about the ecological communities they're working with. They need to recognize many of the species in those communities, but also how those species interact with each other and with changes in habitat and weather patterns. A formal background in biology and ecology helps, of course, but the most important training occurs through observation. Quality is as critical as quantity here - it's not just how many years you've been working in prairies that matters, it's how closely you've paid attention.

Gaining natural history knowledge takes time, but it can be sped up considerably if someone has access to mentors who can share their knowledge and experience. Even with access to mentors, however, most ecological knowledge is picked up through personal experience. That experience includes spending abundant time exploring and observing prairies, as well as looking up information on the species seen in the field. Some of that can happen while spraying weeds or fixing fence, but it also requires time dedicated simply to exploration.

A good foundation in natural history allows a manager to predict how species and communities will respond to management treatments. That ability to predict responses is key to being able to devise and adapt plans for how and when to employ prescribed fire, grazing, mowing, and other treatments. It might be the most difficult skill to develop among land stewards. Here is a short list of the kind of responses prairie managers have to think about as they consider a particular action:

How will the competitive balance shift within the plant community? What plant species will thrive and which will be stressed? Which will bloom, and in what abundance?

How will habitat structure look? Which animals (large and small) will respond positively and negatively to that habitat structure?

What kinds of interactions will take place because of changes in abundance/vigor of affected species?

What are the short-term and long-term consequences of each occurrence? What will need to happen to allow stressed species to recover and how long will that take?

The more management treatments someone sees, the better they get at recognizing and predicting responses. Because of that, the best managers take every advantage they can to experiment. If a steward is planting prairie, they might try a different seed mixture or planting technique in a few small places to see what happens. If they're using fire or grazing, they'll include small patches where fire or grazing is excluded to provide a comparison. Alternatively, they might burn or graze one patch one way and try a different approach in other patches. There are countless ways to obtain more data points and speed up a manager's learning curve.

In order to maximize that learning curve, it's also important to set clear objectives and then assess whether those objectives are being met through various approaches. That may seem really obvious, but it's surprising how many managers struggle to verbalize exactly what they're trying to achieve (both short term and long term) with their current management or restoration strategies. Are they managing for a diversity of birds or the abundance of particular species? Trying to maximize plant diversity or ecological resilience? Just hoping to make through the next few years and retire?

Once a manager has specific objectives, they can define the specific outcomes or metrics that will tell them whether or not they're succeeding. That might involve collecting some data, but it doesn't have to. Sometimes measuring success can be as easy as walking around with a critical eye to see what happened and taking some notes for later reference. I've written much more on monitoring in previous posts, so I won't belabor it here. The key point is that good managers know where they're trying to go and are always checking to see whether they're headed in the right direction.

While a lot of land management is repetitive manual labor (cutting down invasive trees, harvesting seed, fixing fence, etc.) the most important work - and what sets the best managers apart from the rest - relies on observation, creativity, and strategic thinking. Good stewards have an understanding of natural history, an ability to predict how various management approaches might work, and devise and test strategies experimentally. Prairie management is full of challenges and those challenges are ever-growing. We need smart, innovative people to meet those challenges on both private and public lands. That can certainly include some stoic burly men, but we have to expand that profile if we're going to be successful.

...
This has already been a long post, but if you hire or supervise land managers and you've read this far, here are a few last thoughts for you:

Be thoughtful about job descriptions and work plans for your land managers. In some situations, a lot of the manual labor of land management could potentially be done by contractors or technicians, freeing up your land managers to have time for the more important aspects of their job - the aspects that can only be done by a real land steward with the qualities described above.

Be open minded about what a land manager can look like. That includes sex, race, and other demographics, of course, but also skillsets. Make sure you're not overly limiting who is qualified because they might have a different mix of skills than who you've hired in the past. There are many ways to build an effective land management team (see first bullet).

Work with stewards on strategic planning. When buried by work, it can be hard to step back and think strategically about how best to deploy resources. Make sure they're putting together short and long-term work plans that lay out objectives, strategies, and metrics.

Encourage land managers to take the time to explore and be curious. Allowing them to grow as naturalists and ecologists will make them more effective stewards, but will also keep them motivated and energized. Make sure they have the time to explore and learn, as well as your explicit permission to do so.

Encourage (force?) land managers to take the time to visit other sites and exchange ideas with other managers. It's really easy to focus on the work in front of them, but it is invaluable to see what others are doing and brainstorm with their peers.

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People who haven't been a prairie manager (or any kind of land manager) often don't understand everything that goes into the job. There is, of course, a lot of arduous fieldwork, including tasks like prescribed burning, mowing, fencing, invasive species control, seed harvest, and much more.

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Entertaining and informative.  Four seasons of episodes on many prairie topics, from seed mixes to the reintroduction of Bison at Minneopa.  Each episode is in three parts--the main discussion, a science/literature recommendation section, and "Take a Hike" where participants recommend great prairie sites to visit. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/prairiepod/index.html

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Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

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The Podcast

The Prairie Pod is a podcast that communicates the science surrounding prairie conservation, restoration/reconstruction, and management. Each episode covers a prairie-focused topic, and offers insights on related literature and places to explore Minnesota's beautiful prairies and other amazing natural areas. You'll hear discussions from a variety of experts, tackling the complexity, challenges and beauty of Minnesota's prairie landscape.

This work is part of the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Partnership, which works underneath the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan to protect, restore and enhance prairie and wetland habitats.

The Episodes

New episodes are available weekly. Episodes are available to download or listen to in iTunes.

Season Four

Episode 38: Seeds of Wisdom from the Prairie: how listening to stories from a diversity of cultures perfects our prairie understanding

Guest(s): Rowzat Shipchandler (DNR), May Vang (Urban Roots)

We've been reminded this season that there's wisdom in the land itself. What it's telling us if we're willing to listen. The lesson of diversity there is ever-present and we talk a lot on this show about how plant diversity makes a prairie stronger and more resilient. We can use basically the same logic to show how human diversity can make prairie conservation stronger and more resilient. There is so much to learn about prairie, and often it seems like an ever-deepening mystery: when we answer one question, a dozen more pop up. So knowledge is a crucial resource, and we can't limit the sources of that knowledge and expect to conserve and manage prairie effectively. The greater the diversity of the sources of our knowledge, the greater our capacity to counter the huge challenges we face to protect prairie. Above all, increasing the roles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in prairie conservation is just the right thing to do, for all sorts of reasons. It's win-win-win all over the place. We're taking a page out of the prairie's book and connecting with DNR's Diversity Program Coordinator, Rowzat Shipchandler and Urban Roots' Conservation Program Coordinator, May Vang to chat about expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work of prairie conservationists.
Resource List

Left: Even superheroes need to take a break to learn some new skills on the prairie (Urban Roots' youth learn native prairie plants).
Right: DNR's Diversity Coordinator, Rowzat Shipchandler kneels in her boulevard prairie garden
Listen to Episode 38

Episode 37: Climate Change Consequences: how the weather will determine how your prairie weathers

Guests: Kenny Blumenfeld, Fred Harris (DNR); Marissa Ahlering (The Nature Conservancy)

On today's podcast, we're talking Climate Change Consequences: how the weather will determine how your prairie weathers. Climate change is a bigger topic than ever today-we're seeing evidence of it around us all of the time-6" rain anyone? No longer can we talk about climate change strictly as a future phenomenon: it's happening now. But we're not helpless, and in fact it may even create some opportunities for prairie conservation. Today's land managers should be thinking about climate change in most everything they do, which is why we've brought in Senior Climatologist, Kenny Blumenfeld, Research Scientist, Fred Harris, and TNC Lead Prairie Ecologist (MN, ND, and SD) Marissa Ahlering to cover steps managers can take to build resilience and protect prairie biodiversity. Climate, prairie, Kenny, Fred, and Marissa. What could be better?
Resource List

Kenny's Picks:

2018: Midwest. In Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II, Angel, J., C. Swanston, B.M. Boustead, K.C. Conlon, K.R. Hall, J.L. Jorns, K.E. Kunkel, M.C. Lemos, B. Lofgren, T.A. Ontl, J. Posey, K. Stone, G. Takle, and D. Todey, 2018, U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 872-940. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH21

Ch. 18: Midwest. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, Pryor, S. C., D. Scavia, C. Downer, M. Gaden, L. Iverson, R. Nordstrom, J. Patz, and G. P. Robertson, 2014, U.S. Global Change Research Program, 418-440. doi:10.7930/J0J1012N.

Marissa's Picks: Fred's Picks: Visit a Prairie

Marissa Ahlering (Left) The Nature Conservancy's Prairie Ecologist stands in front of a rolling prairie landscape
Fred Harris (middle) DNR's Prairie Ecologist looks up from collecting data in the rain
Kenny Blumenfeld (right) DNR's senior climatologist shows he's not afraid of a little snow as he bikes to work.
Listen to Episode 37

Episode 36: Beyond the walls of grass: the importance of structure in a prairie (Restoration Series)

Guests: Chris Helzer (The Nature Conservancy)

Today's podcast is talking about the importance of prairie structure with our very special guest, The Nature Conservancy's Director of Science and Prairie Ecologist, Chris Helzer. Diversity, restoration planning and design, and management choices, all play a role in how we achieve different prairie structures to benefit a wide variety of wildlife species. Tune in to hear more about how to shake it up and allow for structural change in your prairie to maximize wildlife benefits. Heterogeneity is the word of the day. What's that mean? It's a fancy way to say diversity. A word of the day and a podcast right on theme with diversity, this episode is already sure to be swell-zer.
Resource List
Visit a Prairie
Chris's picks

Episode 35: The legacy of restoration in Minnesota (Restoration series: common mistakes and lessons learned)

Guests: Gina Quiram (DNR) and Sue Galatowitsch (University of Minnesota)

Today's podcast is talking about the legacy of restoration in Minnesota. We have two very special guests, Dr. Gina Quiram (DNR Restoration Evaluation Specialist) and Dr. Sue Galatowitsch (Professor, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota) who have been actively working to evaluate reconstructions. We know they've got the goods on lessons learned, common mistakes, and the future of restoration in Minnesota.
How can we connect a landscape where more than 98 percent of it has been lost and find balance in our current world? Big questions, thoughtful answers, and a deep dive into how we can improve is what you'll hear on today's podcast. Key tagline: don't be afraid to try new things, we learn from failure.
Resource List

Episode 34: Invasive species support group Part 2: how to cope with Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome

Guests: U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service: Sara Vacek; DNR: Cory Netland; Borad of Wwater and Soil Resources: Dan Shaw

Today's podcast is part 2 of our invasive species support group. If you missed last week's episode go check it out so you can be caught up on how to manage the struggle with smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass. We'll chat with a new group of land managers and landowners about their experiences dealing with these two prairie invasive species and they'll provide you with helpful tips and insights on how to manage for the long-term and make sure your prairie passes its next health checkup.

Episode 33: Invasive species support group Part 1: how to cope with Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome

Guests: U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service: Becky Esser; DNR: Rhett Johnson, Dustin Graham

Today's podcast is continuing our mental health theme and featuring an invasive species support group. Have you ever struggled with smooth brome or Kentucky bluegrass in your prairies or reconstructions? Well, help is on the way! We'll chat with land managers and landowners about their experiences dealing with these two prairie nemeses. They'll provide you with helpful tips and insights on how to manage for the long-term and make sure your prairie passes its next health checkup.

For part 1, we'll be joined by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist Becky Esser, DNR Private Lands Specialist Rhett Johnson, and DNR Plant Ecologist Dustin Graham.

We're here to help Prairie Pod listeners!

Episode 32: Prairie's importance as a mental health refuge

Guests: Verónica Jaralambides (DNR), Ann Vogel

On today's podcast we'll be chatting with Verónica Jaralambides, DNR's Marketing Consultant with the Parks and Trails Division as well as local medical doctor, Dr. Ann Vogel where they share with us prairie's importance as a mental health refuge. Need a brain break? This is just the ticket. To quote one of our guests, "this is a medicine, you don't even need to look on a label for." No side-effects guaranteed.
Resource List

Episode 31: The How not the Cow (Restoration Series: Grazing Grasslands)

Guest(s): Kent Solberg (Sustainable Farming Association), Amber Knutson (DNR)

Today's podcast is talking about grazing grasslands. Grasslands rely on disturbance for their survival. The challenge is building disturbance back into a landscape that's deeply fragmented. Luckily we have two smart scientists: Kent Solberg (sustainable farming association) and Amber Knutson (DNR Assistant Area Wildlife Manager) to walk us through adaptive management grazing, their successes and challenges, and figuring out how to get grazing animals back on the prairie when the historical pattern is largely unknown and some historical grazers no longer roam widely or free. Prairie disturbances (grazing, fire, and climate) still provide so many mysteries to uncover starting with our favorite phrase from Kent: "it's the how not the cow."
"Every act of eating is an act of creating."-Fred Provenza
Resource List

Episode 30: Tohan tataŋkaḣca kiŋ hdipi (When the Bison Came Home)

Guests: Scott Kudelka, Molly Tranel (DNR); Glenn Wasicuna (Minnesota State University-Mankato), Gwen Westerman (Minnesota State University-Mankato)

Today's podcast is talking about a very special occurrence that happened right here in southern Minnesota just outside of the City of Mankato. It's a story of healing, Dakota history, ecology, and restoration of a landscape that has been reduced to just under 2% of its native range in Minnesota. We'll be chatting with four very special guests: DNR Parks and Trails Naturalist Scott Kudelka, DNR Regional Resource Management Specialist Molly Tranel; Minnesota State University-Mankato Dakota Instructor Glenn Wasicuna, Minnesota State University-Mankato Professor Dr. Gwen Westerman to hear them describe the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd, the return of Bison to Minneopa State Park, what it has meant to them, and what it means for the prairie.
Resource List

Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota, Gwen Westerman and Bruce White, 2012, MN Historical Society Press ISBN: 9780873518697, book

Bison grazing increases arthropod abundance and diversity of a tallgrass prairie, Moran, M.D., 2014, Environmental Entomology 43(5) : 1174-1184, journal article

Caught up Success: the complexities of managing bison, Dana Kobilinsky, Jan/Feb 2017, The Wildlife Professional, The Wildlife Society, publication

Visit a Prairie

Episode 29: Snake, Rattle, and Roll: Minnesota's bluff prairies in summer to cozy hibernaculum in winter

Guests: Jaime Edwards and Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer (DNR)

Today's podcast is talking about ssssnakes! Don't get scared, snakes are a super important part of the prairie. Whether we're talking the fabulous bluff prairies of the east or the majestic expanses of prairie in western Minnesota, snakes are an important piece of what makessss prairies function. We'll be joined by DNR Nongame Biologist Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer and DNR Wildlife Manager Jaime Edwards as we slide into the details about Minnesota's only venomous snake and incredibly rare reptile, the timber rattlesnake, as well as a hibernacula success story at Blue Mounds State Park. It'ssss going to be sssuper!
Resource List

Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer (left) holds a bullsnake on the prairie as part of a study to learn more about these super beneficial snakes
Jaime Edwards (right) shows off a bullsnake while CCM crew member, Dylan Olson, holds a hognose snake in a bluff prairie in southeast Minnesota
Listen to Episode 29

Season Three

Episode 28: Holiday Bonus Episode! ( Stories from the Field)

The Minnesota Prairie is a legacy that connects us through the sounds, sights, smells and memories for all who are lucky enough to stop and take notice. This year, for the holiday #prairiepod we offer you the power of prairie through the voices of people who share our passion. We hope you'll laugh, cry, and lose yourself for a little while in the stories of what prairie offers us: the power to make us whole again. We recommend a blanket, fuzzy slippers, a mug of hot chocolate, and at least 20 cookies as you listen. #discovertheprairie

Episode 27: Land manager take-over part 2

On today's podcast, we're covering Part 2 of our special bonus episode where we're offering you a virtual way to connect with each other and answer your questions!

If you missed it, make sure you check out part one because it covers your questions about prairie reconstructions in the establishment phase, how to balance cost, nesting sites for bees and dealing with climate change. This episode covers questions related to restoration management: how can I make my prairie more diverse, what to do about weeds, and how to burn and provide refugia for pollinators.

Special thanks to our partners ( MnDNR, Prairie Reconstruction Initiative, The Nature Conservancy, UMN Bee Lab, and USFWS) from our Restoration and Pollinator Field Days Team. #prairietuesdays just got even better in September!
Resource List

Q1: Adding forb diversity to a sea of grasses

Interseeding Wildflowers to Diversify Grasslands for Pollinators, Dave Williams et al. 2018 Xerces Society Publication

Advancing Ecological Restoration Practice in Minnesota, Susan Galatowitsch and Julia Bohnen 2016 University of Minnesota Publication

Q2: Weeds in my prairie reconstruction

Cost-effective pollinator seed mix design and first-year management, Justin Meissen, Dave Williams, Laura Jackson 2017 Tallgrass Prairie Center Publication

Persistence of native and exotic plants 10 years after prairie reconstruction, Diane Larson et al. 2017 Restoration Ecology Vol 25, Issue 6: 953-961 (this is from S3, ep. 3) Journal Article

Lasting signature of planting year weather on restored grasslands, AM Groves, JT Bauer, LA Brudvig 2020 Scientific reports Vol 10, Issue 1: 1-10 Journal Article

Saving Pollinators One Thistle at a time, Chris Helzer 2015 The Prairie Ecologist Blog

Remembering why we are fighting invasive plants, Chris Helzer 2019 The Prairie Ecologist Blog

Improving ecological restoration to curb biotic invasions, Guo et al. 2018 Invasive Plant Science and Management Vol 11, Issue 4: 163-174 Journal Article

Q3: Timing for prescribed burns

A critique of the historical fire regime concept in conservation, Freeman et al. 2017 Conservation Biology Vol 31, Issue 5: 976-985 Journal Article

Q4: Burning, refugia, pollinators...and Oak Savanna's

Bee community response to a gradient of oak savanna restoration practices, Lettow et al. 2018 Restoration Ecology Vol 25, Issue 5: 882-890. Journal article

Long-horned bee on yellow coneflower in a prairie reconstruction at the 2019 Pollinator and Restoration Field Day
Photo used with permission from Diane Larson
Listen to Episode 27

Episode 26: Land manager take-over part 1

Today's podcast is a land manager takeover. We'd much rather be in the field with you sharing this knowledge and learning from you and your experiences, but we're still excited to offer you this virtual field day with all of the original partners that would've been in the field with you: MN DNR, UMN Bee Lab, TNC and PRI. Establishment phase challenges, cost, climate change, host plants, and creating nesting sites for pollinators are just some of the questions you asked and we answered. We think these are great Q+A and we're not pollen your leg, either!

This is one of two bonus episodes this season where we're offering you a virtual way to connect with each other, hear your pressing questions read aloud, and have this group of talented and entertaining scientists answer them! We broke this up into two podcasts. This first one is focused on questions related to establishment, cost, and climate change as it relates to our goals of including more diversity into our prairie reconstructions so they can be resilient and support a healthy and diverse population of pollinators.
Resource List

Q 1: Instant gratification and long-term diversity

Prairie Restoration Diversity - , Jessica Petersen 2017 MNDNR

Prairie Pod: What goes in the mix makes the cake (S1, Ep.5) 2020 MNDNR

Q 2: Plants, host plants, and best layout for pollinators

Prairie Reconstructions for Pollinators Ian Lane, 2019 Univ. of Minnesota-Bee Lab, MNDNR, and Prairie Reconstruction Initiative

Expanding the Floral Palette for Bees in Prairie Reconstructions, Ian Lane 2019 Univ. of Minnesota-Bee Lab, MNDNR, and Prairie Reconstruction Initiative

Q 3: How do I plan for nesting sites?

Wild Bee Nests and Building Wild Bee Houses Nesting Habitat, Various 2020 UMN Bee Lab

Nesting and Overwintering Habitat, Sarah Foltz Jordan, Jennifer Hopwood, and Sara Morris, 2020 Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Q 4: Does planting method and timing matter?

Persistence of native and exotic plants 10 years after prairie reconstruction, Larson et al. 2017 Restoration Ecology Vol 25, Issue 6: 953-961 (this is from S3, ep. 3)

Q 5: Should I inoculate seed for better success?

Inoculation with remnant prairie soils increased the growth of three native prairie legumes but not necessarily their associations with beneficial soil,
microbes, E. Grman et al. 2020 Restoration Ecology

Native plant abundance, diversity, and richness increases in prairie restoration with field inoculation density of native mycorrhizal amendments, L. Koziol, T.E. Crews, J.D. Bever 2020 Restoration Ecology

Q 6: How can I make the best reconstruction with a low budget?

Prairie Pod: Diversity makes the world go round, (S3, Ep.3) 2020 MNDNR

Q 7: Should we be planting different varieties of trees from the next warmest zone (assisted migration)?

Prairie Pod: Where can I get that prairie seed?, (S1, Ep.3) 2020 MNDNR

When a Tree Falls in the Woods: What will replace it? Minnesota forests face a changing future in a warmer, wetter climate, Amanda Kueper May/June 2020 MN Conservation Volunteer

A Climate Change Atlas for 134 Forest Tree Species of the Eastern United States [database], Anantha M Prasad, Louis R Iverson, Steve Matthews, Matt Peters 2007 NRS-4151, USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Delaware, Ohio

Prairie Reconstruction Initiative Database, 2018 Prairie Reconstruction Initiative

Q 8: How will climate change effect MN and what are other groups doing to respond?

Minnesota Climate Trends Tool, 2020 MNDNR

Minnesota Watershed Health Assessment Framework, 2020 MNDNR

Episode 25: Getting back to our roots: prairies do it best

On today's podcast, we're getting back to our roots with Justin Meissen with the Tallgrass Prairie Center in Iowa. We'll be digging deep and I mean really deep because we're talking about prairie roots, people! Some prairie roots have been documented to grow more than 14' into the ground and that's not even counting how far they can go horizontally! We'll learn more about the intricate underground world that makes prairies one of the most productive places on earth!
Resource List

Digging Deep reveals the intricate world of roots, Becky Harlan 2015 National Geographic

A deep rooted prairie myth, Chris Helzer 2019 The Prairie Ecologist, TNC

Soil-Root Relationships of Certain Native Grasses in Various Soil Types, J.E. Weaver and R.W. Darland 1949 Department of Botany, University of Nebraska

Prairie Plants and Their Environment, J. E. Weaver 1968 University of Nebraska

Tallgrass Prairie Center Roots Project, 2020 Tallgrass Prairie Center, University of Northern Iowa, No. 153

Soil health recovery after grassland reestablishment on cropland - the effects of time and topographic position, Mriganka De, Jason A. Riopel, Larry J. Cihacek, Michael Lawrinenko, Rebecca Baldwin-Kordick, Steven J. Hall, and Marshall D. McDaniel 2019 Soil Science Society of America Vol. 84(2): 568-586

Temporal Changes in C and N Stocks of Restored Prairie: Implications for C Sequestration strategies, R. Matamala, J. D. Jastrow, R. M. Miller, and C. T. Garten 2008 Ecological Applications Volume 18(6):1470-1488

Visit a Prairie

Dr. Jerry Glover of the Land Institute in Kansas poses in front of a mass of entangled prairie roots. Photo © taken by Jim Richardson and posted here with permission.
Listen to Episode 25

Episode 24: The MN Prairie gets a health check-up: Grassland Monitoring Team

In today's podcast we are going to talk about the Grassland Monitoring Team. Did you know even prairies need a health check-up? Turns out, there's a whole team of scientists invested in assessing the health of Minnesota's prairies! Diversity, resilience, and persistence are all top marks we want to see on this health exam.
Resource List

Episode 23: Farming for Pollinators

Today's podcast is going to talk about bees! Wait, didn't we just do this one? We did talk about surveying for bees during our last episode, but bees are so important we're covering them again and this time we're going to focus on what you can do on and around the farm to help provide habitat for these winged beasties! We're joined by Karin Jokela with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to hear about how she works with farmers and land managers to spread the buzz (literally).
Resource List

Episode 22: What's Buzzing on the prairie: the Minnesota bee survey

Today's podcast is going to talk about bees! They've been in the news, they've been in your garden, and most importantly they're on the prairie! We'll chat with a familiar voice in Invertebrate Ecologist, Jessica Petersen, joined by MBS Bee Survey Specialist, Nicole Gerjets, to hear about their work surveying bees, why these tiny fliers are so busy, and all the incredible things they're doing right under our noses.
Resource List

Episode 21: A Legacy of Love for the Prairie Landscape: A Landowner's Perspective

Episode 20: Diversity makes the world go round (Restoration Series: seed mix design and research update)

Episode 19: Let's get our feet wet (Restoration series: Prairie Streams)

In today's podcast we're getting our feet wet (not literally, I hope). We'll be talking with River Ecologist, Luther Aadland and Clean water Specialist, Brooke Hacker about stream restoration in the prairie landscape.
Resource List

Episode 18: Mussel Mania

Today's podcast is going to talk about mussels! Caution, if you listen to this podcast, you will get mussel mania (extreme excitement over all things mollusk).
Resource List

Season Two

Episode 17: Holiday Bonus Episode! (Stories from the field)

Too many cookies, chilly weather, and frostbite already have you in a winter funk? Fear not, there's sunshine on the horizon because this is a HOLIDAY BONUS EPISODE of the Prairie Pod. Listen in to hear stories from the field that will warm you right up with the storytellers' love for the prairie and their descriptions of Minnesota's golden season.

Stiff goldenrod covered in snow. Habitat-friendly solar planting in the background.
Listen to Episode 17

Episode 16: The hills are ablaze (Restoration Series: Fire Management in Prairies)

Guests: Joe Blastick, TNC, Chris Smith, Wildlife Research & Consulting Services, LLC

Today's podcast is going to talk about prescribed fire! We call it prescribed because even though anyone who does fire management as part of their job loves the thrill of fire, these are controlled burns for the purpose of disturbance-based management. Prairies are a disturbance-based habitat, which means they need disturbance in order to persist. Without it, they will change into a forest or become overgrown with non-prairie species. Joe Blastick (TNC) and Chris Smith (MNDOT) will share their experiences with fire management and how we can use this tool more effectively to achieve healthy, functioning grasslands that have a diversity of wildlife using and living in them.
Resource List

Episode 15: How do I know if I'm doing a good job? (Prairie and Grassland Monitoring)

Today's podcast is going to talk about monitoring! It's hard to know where you're going if you don't know where you've been. We all know prairies change through time and that is a normal and natural process-albeit frustrating when you are trying to re-build them! Monitoring plays a key role in understanding what's happening on your site and how that piece of land is being affected by the surrounding landscape. Once you know that, then you have the incredibly difficult job of trying to decide what to do next and sometimes that right next step is the hardest thing of all...having patience while you let nature go through the magic and change of succession.
Resource List

Episode 14: Bringing Diversity Back, Baby (Restoration Series: Interseeding)

Guests: Jeff Zajac, Curt Vacek

Today's podcast is going to talk about Interseeding! This is the practice of adding wildflowers or other missing guilds to an already established stand of grass. How can we bring lower diversity established stands of grasses up to a higher level of diversity that will ultimately benefit more species and help with grassland function? What we really want here is MORE FLOWERS.
Resource List

Episode 13: Herp Tracking in the Minnesota River Valley-Snakes, Skinks, and More!

Guests: Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer, Carol Hall, Jeff LeClere

Today's podcast is going to talk about everyone's favorite subject: snakes and skinks! That's right, we're going reptile folks and we aren't going back! We'll talk with Nongame Biologist, Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer, Herpetologist, Carol Hall, and Animal Survey Specialist, Jeff LeClere to hear about their work tracking gopher snakes and five-lined skinks in the Minnesota River Valley.
Resource List

MN River Reptile Project

J.J. Moriarity and C.D. Hall, 2014 Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota

Hecnar, S.J., and D. Brazeau., 2017 Population Trends and The Effect of Ground Cover on Habitat Selection of the Five-lined Skink at Rondeau Provincial Park with a Suggested Ranking of Locations for Translocation in the Carolinian Region

Kapfer, Joshua M., James R. Coggins and Robert Hay, 2008 Spatial Ecology and Habitat Selection of Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi) at the Northern Periphery of Their Geographic Range

LeClere, Jeffrey B., Erica P. Hoaglund, Jim Scharosch, Christopher E. Smith and Tony Gamble, 2012 Two Naturally Occurring Intergeneric Hybrid Snakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi ·Pantherophis vulpinus; Lampropeltini, Squamata) from the Midwestern United States.

Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer, 2018 Reptile Renaissance MNDNR Conservaton Volunteer

Dave Crawford, 2013 Serpentine Science MNDNR Conservaton Volunteer

Visit a Prairie

Episode 12: Going Native: Native Prairie Bank Easement Program-The Deets

Guest: Rhett Johnson

In today's podcast we are going to talk about the Native Prairie Bank Easement Program. Did you know if you have remnant prairie (never been broken by a plow) on your land, you may qualify for an easement program that can keep that prairie land for future generations? How awesome is that? More Prairie, More Awesome is what we always say. We'll be chatting with DNR Private Lands Specialist, Rhett Johnson about all the details. You may even get to hear about his magical vest!
Resource List

Episode 11: A Legacy of Conservation with the Service

Feature Conservationist: Marty Baker, USFWS

Today's podcast is going to feature a very special conservationist, Marty Baker. Marty has worked for the USFWS for 28 years and he mostly works on prairie and wetland restorations. There is no substitute for practitioner experience-those who know by getting their hands dirty and trying new things. Marty is one of those rare gems who has an incredible wealth of knowledge to share and we're excited to learn all we can from him during today's episode!
Resource List

Episode 10: We're in this for the long haul (Restoration Series: Long-term management)

Guests: Joe Stangel, Jeanine Vorland.

Today's podcast is going to talk about long-term management of prairies and grasslands! Some people say diamonds are forever, well we say, prairies are forever. With the right management tool we can keep them thriving and healthy for many generations to come. We'll chat with Asst. Regional Wildlife Manager, Joe Stangel, and Area Wildlife Manager, Jeanine Vorland, to hear how they prefer to manage prairies and grasslands and cover some of the basics in terms of management tools and timelines.
Resource List

Episode 9: A lost prairie butterfly gets reintroduced (Dakota Skipper Reintroduction at Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie)

Today's podcast is going to talk about Dakota skippers, a rare prairie butterfly, and their reintroduction into a Minnesota prairie.
Resource List

Season One

Episode 8: Pheasants, Feathers and Guns

This week, we'll talk pheasants, grassland birds and the fall hunting season.
Resource List

Episode 7: What you do Now, Matters Later (Restoration Series: Establishment Phase Management)

Today, we'll talk about the establishment phase of restoration, with Area Wildlife Manager, Jeff Zajac.
Resource List

Episode 6: Putting Prairie Back is Hard

Episode 5: What Goes in the Mix, Makes the Cake (Restoration Series: Building a Seed Mix)

Episode 4: A Legacy of Conservation at Lac qui Parle

Episode 3: Where Can I get that Prairie Seed? (Restoration Series: Seed Sourcing)

We'll discuss sourcing seed for prairie restorations. Should you mix or match seed? How far is too far? And general guidelines for safe seed sourcing.
Resource List

Espeland, E. K., N. C. Emery, K. L. Mercer, S. A. Woolbright, K. M. Kettenring, P. Gepts, and J. R. Etterson. 2017. Evolution of plant materials for ecological restoration: insights from the applied and basic literature. Journal of Applied Ecology 54: 102-115.

Meissen, J. C., S. M. Galatowitsch, and M. W. Cornett. 2015. Risks of overharvesting seed from native tallgrass prairies. Restoration Ecology 23: 882-891.

Native plant suppliers in Minnesota.

Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center - Technical guides

Tallgrass prairie center video on basics of seed collecting

Seed Sourcing for Resilient Reconstructed Prairies

Visit a Prairie

Episode 2: Walking into the Prairie (Walk-in Access Program)

Episode 1: How to Grow a Prairie from Scratch (Restoration and Reconstruction)

Today's podcast is about our favorite subject - prairies and how to grow them from scratch.
Resource List

The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands (The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration Series) by Stephen Packard (Editor), Cornelia F. Mutel (Editor)

Sluis et al. 2017 Multiscale metrics differentiate among tallgrass prairie restorations and remnant ecosystems along a restorative continuum. Restoration Ecology.

Chris Helzer: The Prairie Ecologist Blog

Visit a Prairie

Interested in more Science?

Check out these great podcasts and audio files to keep the knowledge flowing like the wind through the prairie:

The pod covers new discoveries across all of the science disciplines. It's only 10 minutes and natural resources' hot topics and discoveries cycle through quite a bit. You may not know this, but the 'NR' in DNR stands for natural resources so we're pretty excited about this pod!

This audio file is part of an oral history project about one of our beloved Minnesota State Parks. Tune in to hear naturalist, Sara Holger, share the history of the park and how it came to be a southeast Minnesota treasure.

The pod explores the natural and cultural history of the 27,000-acre Three Rivers Park District and the surrounding Twin Cities area. Tune in to "wander" the parks. We particularly like this pod's dedication to diversity and preserving nature.

The Department of Natural Resources supports and promotes podcasts that share and uplift our mission to work with Minnesotans to conserve and manage the state's natural resources, to provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and to provide for commercial uses of natural resources in a way that creates a sustainable quality of life.

The Voices

Jessica and Megan met on the prairie in 2016. From there, they formed a fast friendship and launched the Prairie Pod in 2018. Mike joined the pod-squad in 2019 and is featured as co-host starting in season 3. They all share a passion for prairie, natural lands, and the wildlife that live there.

Megan is a regional ecologist who is fascinated by the science of restoration and the challenge of building better, more resilient prairies with diversity always as the backbone.

Mike is a nongame wildlife biologist who has developed a love of all things prairie, and strives to protect prairie and the wildlife who depend on it through monitoring and science-based habitat management.

Jessica is an invertebrate ecologist with a passion for communicating science to land managers and prairie practitioners.

Photo who's who - (Jessica, top left, Megan, top right, Mike, bottom)

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The Prairie Pod podcast engages natural resource professionals and land managers in the latest prairie-related science and practical experience related to prairie restoration. You'll hear discussions from a variety of experts, tackling the complexity, challenges and beauty of Minnesota's prairie landscape.

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Braiding Sweetgrass is a truly fantastic read about plants, Native perspectives, botany, connection, and more. Sweetgrass itself is fascinating! Highly recommend. The author is Robin Wall Kimmerer.

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Entangled Life - How Fungi make our Worlds. Change our Minds & Shape our Futures. by Merlin Sheldrake.

Truly wondrous read-Leaves me even more in awe of nature. Your understanding of ecology and ecosystems will forever be changed.

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They are inside you and around you. They sustain you and all that you depend on. As you read these words, fungi are changing the way that life happens, as they have done for more than a billion years. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel and behave.

"I fell in love with this book. Merlin is a scientist with the imagination of a poet and a beautiful writer... This is a book that, by the virtue of the power of its writing, shifts your sense of the Human... it will inspire a generation to enter mycology."

"One of those rare books that can truly change the way you see the world around you, Entangled Life is a mercurial, revelatory, impassioned, urgent, astounding, and necessary read. It's fearless in scope, analytically astute, and brimming with infectious joy."

"Reading this book, I felt surrounded by a web of wonder. The natural world is more fantastic than any fantasy, so long as you have the means to perceive it. This book provides the means."

" Entangled Life is a gorgeous book of literary nature writing... ripe with insight and erudition... food for the soul."

"Brilliant... entrancing... when we look closely [at fungi], we meet large, unsettling questions... Sheldrake... carries us easily into these questions with ebullience and precision... challenging some of our deepest assumptions... A 'door-opener' book is one with a specialist subject in which it finds pathways leading everywhere ... Sheldrake's book is a very fine example."

"You may never look at fungi in the same way... Entangled Life is an eye-opening exploration of this mysterious taxonomic kingdom... a journey into an untapped world. It is both a wonderful collection of fungal feats... and a personal account of Sheldrake's experiences with these miraculous organisms."

"From bread to booze to the very fiber of life, the world turns on fungus, and Sheldrake provides a top-notch portrait."

"Masterful... A superb science book about a ubiquitous yet vastly underappreciated life form."

"A true masterpiece: a thrilling and fascinating insight into the living world, beautifully written, entertaining, funny and inspiring, while representing the science carefully and responsibly. I hope and trust that it will become an instant classic."

" Entangled Life is a triumph, and a thing of vast beauty."

"Unputdownable, this extraordinary work explores the awesome range of activities of fungi: enabling the first life on land; interacting in countless ways with other life forms; shaping human history and potentially safeguarding our future. At once rigorously scientific and boldly imaginative, it raises fundamental questions about the many natures of life on Earth."
- Nick Jardine, Emeritus Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge

"This is an adventurous and indeed daring book, opening several unfamiliar micro-domains in the organic life world and its multiple connections. There is much to be learned in this wide field, and this vivid, scrupulous guide points the way!"

- J. H. Prynne

"Entangled Life is a revelation with life-changing consequences. I now realize how distorted my views on fungi have been, having been deeply educated in modern medicine. This book expanded my worldview and I hope it is read widely in the medical profession. We are in dire need of it."

"After reading Sheldrake's masterpiece I am more convinced than ever that we will never solve the grave problems of our times unless we deeply re-entangle our lives 'fungus-style' into the living fabric of our lustrous planet."
- Dr Stephan Harding, Senior Lecturer in Holistic Science and Deep Ecology, Schumacher College

"Fungi are fascinating! Elegant life strategies meet with delicate omnipresence, driving global ecosystems. Sheldrake's book informs and offers new concepts. Looking through Sheldrake's lens, fungal biology integrates with art, philosophy and human society. His voice is real and personal. His book educates and entertains."
- Uta Paszkowski, Professor of Plant Molecular Genetics, University of Cambridge

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They are inside you and around you. They sustain you and all that you depend on. As you read these words, fungi are changing the way that life happens, as they have done for more than a billion years. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel and behave.

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There's another one for conifers as well.

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Common Ground 707 - Identifying Trees of Northern Minnesota

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