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 co...
Dec 22, 2020•54 min
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 a...
Sep 08, 2020•55 min
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 ...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 26 min
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! For resources and more detail...
Aug 25, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Today's podcast we are going to cover 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. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod
Aug 18, 2020•54 min
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). For r...
Aug 11, 2020•57 min
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. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at ...
Aug 04, 2020•54 min
Today's podcast is going to feature a very special prairie enthusiast, yes, we mean that literally. Prairie enthusiasts are not just people who drive around getting excited any time they see grasses and wildflowers blowing in the wind. They are groups of dedicated individuals who take their personal time to educate, protect, and restore prairie and savanna habitats in the Upper Midwest. In short, they're a prairie army equipped with drip torches, clippers, and knowledge. Just the kind of army yo...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Today's podcast is talking about my favorite subject: diversity! After all, it makes the world go round. We'll be highlighting key updates about seed mix design including the latest research findings, plant and pollinator relationships, wildlife benefits, and more. Mike and I may even duke it out to see who has the best diversity knowledge. Science is fun! For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod
Jul 21, 2020•1 hr 19 min
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. We'll describe restoration techniques, best practices, highlight challenges and successes, and you may even hear about the great snake save of 2019 that took place during the Blue Mounds State Park stream restoration. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find ...
Jul 14, 2020•58 min
Today's podcast is going to talk about mussels! No Mike, not those mussels on top of your beefy arms, but rather Minnesota's freshwater invertebrates that are the unsung heroes of our lakes, rivers, and streams. We'll talk with Malacologists, Mike Davis and Bernard Sietman as well as Mussel Propagation Biologist, Maddie Pletta to hear about their work with these fascinating keystone species that are critically important to the health of our lakes, rivers, and streams. "Conservation is a state of...
Jul 07, 2020•57 min
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. As always you can find more information about today's episode and all of our previous episodes on our website at mndnr.gov/prairie pod.
Dec 24, 2019•54 min
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 e...
Aug 27, 2019•50 min
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 wha...
Aug 20, 2019•50 min
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. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod
Aug 13, 2019•55 min
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. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod
Aug 06, 2019•51 min
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! For resources and mor...
Jul 30, 2019•45 min
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! For resources and more details related to toda...
Jul 23, 2019•48 min
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. For...
Jul 16, 2019•51 min
Today's podcast is going to talk about butterflies! And not just any butterflies, little big eyed ones called skippers. We'll talk with Butterfly Conservation Specialist, Cale Nordmeyer to hear about his work with rare butterflies and a reintroduction effort that's underway at Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie in Lincoln County, MN."A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." -Aldo Leopold For resources ...
Jul 09, 2019•47 min
This week, we'll talk pheasants, grassland birds and the fall hunting season.
Aug 28, 2018•50 min
Today, we'll talk about the establishment phase of restoration with Area Wildlife Manager, Jeff Zajac. Visit mndnr.gov/prairiepod for the episode resource list and recommendations on prairies to visit.
Aug 21, 2018•48 min
Today's podcast features a prairie in Nobles County and the challenges of restoring an entire section of land to prairie and wetland habitat.
Aug 14, 2018•39 min
Today we'll talk about one of our favorite subjects - building seed mixes. We'll explore how to evaluate your site, why diversity matters, seeds per square feet, and general guidelines for success. Visit mndnr.gov/prairiepod for episode notes and resources.
Aug 07, 2018•51 min
Today's podcast features a special conservationist, Dave Trauba. Dave worked as the Lac qui Parle Wildlife Management Area manager for 24 years. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod
Jul 31, 2018•49 min
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. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod
Jul 24, 2018•51 min
We'll cover the Walk-in Access Program, what it is, how it works, and how to hunt on these awesome private lands.For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod
Jul 17, 2018•41 min
This is the inaugural episode for the DNR Prairie Podcast - Today's podcast is about our favorite subject, prairies and how to grow them from scratch. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod
Jul 09, 2018•44 min
