Minnesota DNR Prairie Pod

Prairie Pod listeners, we are delighted to be here with you again during this holiday season and season of reflection, joy and, most importantly, hope. We’re closing out season six with our final episode of the Prairie Pod. We know endings can be hard, and we want you to know how much joy this special project has given us, sharing our love of the prairie with all of you. But while this is one sunset, the sun rises again tomorrow and there are lots of Prairie Pod episodes to go back and listen to! Thank you for spending this time with us. Listening to our passion, our joy, and how wonderful it is when you discover the prairie.

The prairie and indigenous people have persisted through time, and indigenous people’s role in prairie stewardship is intertwined with the survival of prairie on the landscape. Prairie Pod listeners, we’re honored to debut for you part two of our Dakota connections to the prairie series, featuring staff from the four Dakota communities within the borders of Minnesota. These episodes were recorded on November 9, 2022. The second part of this series covers how Dakota people and tribal staff are managing and stewarding the prairie today, and how we can all learn from each other to strengthen our understanding of prairie and the landscape as a whole. If you missed part one, make sure to go back and listen, to learn about Dakota historical and cultural perspectives and connections to the prairie. We hope you enjoy learning during these episodes, just as much as we did while making them.

The prairie and indigenous people have persisted through time, and indigenous people’s role in prairie stewardship is intertwined with the survival of prairie on the landscape. Prairie Pod listeners, we’re honored to debut two special podcast episodes we’ve been working on with staff from the four Dakota communities within the borders of Minnesota. These episodes were recorded on Nov.9, 2022. The first part of this series will cover Dakota historical and cultural perspectives and connections to the prairie. Next week, we’ll be right back here to talk about how Dakota people and tribal staff are managing and stewarding the prairie today. Both episodes feature traditional ecological knowledge and the power of prairie. We hope you enjoy learning during these episodes, just as much as we did while making them.

We're talking about how our love of the prairie and its many forms inspires us and sparks our imaginations to energize us into action. Namely, the act of creating art.

We also know that we've lost much of our connected native prairie as well as our large grazing mammals like bison. And while there are some places where we're working hard to reintroduce bison to their prairie home, what about the places where we can't reintroduce bison? We're talking about research on haying prairies as a management tool to limit invasive cool-season grasses and to promote overall prairie biodiversity.

We know that we've lost much of our connected native prairie as well as our large grazing mammals like bison. And while there are some places where we're working hard to reintroduce bison to their prairie home, what about the places where we can't reintroduce bison? We're talking about research on haying prairies as a management tool to limit invasive cool-season grasses and to promote overall prairie biodiversity.

We're talking about savannas - the unsung hero of the prairie landscape. A special class of habitat that includes both prairie vegetation in the understory and mature towering oaks or even jack pine in the overstory. These transitional communities play an important role connecting Minnesota's prairies and enhancing biodiversity.

Prairies are powerhouses of diversity, and that diversity on the landscape is vitally important to clean air, clean water and healthy soils—things we all depend on for survival. While climate change can be a difficult topic, this episode may bring you some hope about how the prairie is already making a difference in helping us to adapt.

Whether you are contemplating a small container garden, a backyard design, or converting larger acreages, planted prairie restorations can play a key role in helping connect the native prairies we have left. Today, we're going to put our heads together and share our personal stories of our own pocket prairies and how you too can experience the joy of native plants in your own home!

When we think about the prairie, there are so many things that catch our eye. Sights, sounds, touch — it's an overwhelming sense of wonder to describe just what it's like to finally discover the prairie. And as in life, we all have a favorite. What better way to celebrate the diversity of experiences and favorites than by having a whole episode dedicated to some of our favorite things about prairie?

We're featuring many special guests and people of the prairie to showcase their stories of connection, diversity, and learning as they pass on their experiences. Thinking of prairie as a tradition is at the heart of our conservation efforts. We all work so hard together because prairie isn't just a thing that's out there on the land living, it is a place where we belong and our memories are shared as the moments we spend become legacies we leave. It is a legacy that connects us through the sounds, sights, smells and memories for all who stop and take notice. On this #prairietuesday, we hope you enjoy the voices of people who share our passion and take a moment to laugh, cry and lose yourselves for a little while in the stories of what prairie offers us: mystery, discovery and hope. We hope these prairie stories warm you up and remind you of golden prairie days outside over the winter ahead.

One of the hardest things to quantify is how much things like clean air, drinkable water, flood control, and healthy soils are worth. How do you quantify the benefit of these ecosystem services and what is the cost when we lose the land that provides them? Arguably, even harder to quantify are the intangible benefits like mental health and well-being, spiritual connections, and a sense of peace one can derive from the prairie. From pheasant hunting to an improved quality of life, we've done the math to help you make dollars and ‘sense' out of the prairie.

We're getting our feet wet in Minnesota's shallow lakes. Coming in at depths under 15 feet these permanent and sometimes semi-permanent water bodies are a critical habitat component for Minnesota's wildlife.

Prairie landscapes are renewable energy rich with all the wind and sun our prairies experience, and renewable energy development can have a big footprint in these landscapes. Today we discuss an emerging trend to develop pollinator-friendly solar energy facilities that also support local agriculture through sheep grazing.

Featuring places near and dear to our hearts: Minnesota State Parks and Trails! We are joined by park managers and naturalists to share the special prairie places in the parks they love. Hear insider tips from the people who know the parks best.

We often talk about diversity above-ground in prairie ecosystems, but this week we'll be going underground to uncover the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the success of prairie reconstructions.

With the tallgrass prairie landscape reduced to just under 2% of its historic range in Minnesota and less than 1% of its range in North America, it is the most endangered ecosystem on this continent. Luckily, practitioners, scientists, and landowners are putting their heads together to come up with solutions to help keep our prairies genetically fit and diverse.

Predators sometimes get a bad rap because they, well, eat the critters we admire. But it's important to understand that they play pivotal roles in the prairie ecosystem. Predators are a key ingredient of prairies.

On today's podcast, we're featuring people of the prairie to showcase their real life work in the fight to save a landscape that hangs on with just under 2% left in the state. Their special connections show us the joy and power of prairie.

Hosts Megan and Mike take the prairie pod on the road and come to you live from the Minnesota State Fair. They share the importance of prairie, what they love about it, and four special places you can discover the prairie after the Fair!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

On today's podcast we'll be chatting with Verónica Jaralambides, DNR's Marketing Consultant with the Division of Parks and Trails as well as local medical doctor, Ann Vogel where they share with us prairie's importance as a mental health refuge. Need a brain break? This is just the ticket.

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 of course 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.

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.

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.

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

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! For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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! For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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 details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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

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 resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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 mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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 you want when you're working to preserve this amazing landscape. We'll chat with prairie enthusiast and Minnesota landowner, Henry Panowitsch, about his experiences with the prairie and how he first fell in love with this incredible landscape. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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

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 us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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 harmony between men and land." -Aldo Leopold. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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.

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. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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. For resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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

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

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 more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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 today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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 resources and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod

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 and more details related to today's episode, find us on the web at mndnr.gov/prairiepod