Dr. Adam Berland from Ball State University joins us to talk about research on why trees are important for people in an urban environment. He also talks to us about the surprising conclusions from his research in Minneapolis on how urban foresters can plant trees to prevent future large die offs from climate change and invasive species such as we've seen from Ash trees with Emerald Ash Borer, and Elm trees with Dutch Elm disease. He gives some advice on how you can choose trees that will help increase the resilience of trees to stress in the area. 

Laila Bacon and Makayla Freeman started working with Analyah Schlaeger do Santos when they were 14 years old. Seven years later they are still planting trees in Hennepin County were tree deserts exist, and teaching their community how to plant and care for the trees. Join us as they discuss why this work is important to them, the accomplishments and challenges they have faced over the last seven years, and how they keep hope alive despite the despair they sometimes feel trying to mitigate climate change. 

Trees provide health, economic, and many other benefits just by being present. However, some suburbs and urban areas in and around Minneapolis and Hennepin County are tree deserts. Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos, Environmental Justice Youth Director & Global Climate Justice Coordinator, MN Interfaith Power and Light, among many other things,. Joins us to talk about work she has done to increase tree cover in parts of Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs that had none, why that is important, and how it became a community effort. 

While connecting with fisher researchers Angela and Brandon were told over and over that there was one researcher they had to talk to. Dr. Roger Powell, Professor Emeritus at NC State University in North Carolina has been researching fishers for decades and is considered the expert on them. He shares his insights into fishers, how he raised fishers to learn more about them, and how they fit into, what he calls, a fitness landscape. 

Dr. Michael Joyce of the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) at the University of Minnesota joins us to talk about why NRRI is researching fishers as they move from the north woods to southern Minnesota. What are the risks and rewards for a fisher living in a Three Rivers Park? How is he studying fishers? How can you help his research? Wander with us to find out. 

Fishers have been moving from northern Minnesota south and can now be seen in the Twin Cities area. What is a fisher? Join Brandon and Angela as they discuss what makes this large member of the weasel family special, and the special adaptations it has to help it hunt foods from rabbits to porcupines. 

Why does a scientist want poop mailed to them? Find out as Dr. Dr. Michelle Power joins us all the way from Australia! She has a passion for engaging the public in scientific research using it to help study diseases. We discuss what One Health is and how that impacts wildlife and human health. She also gives advice on what you can do to prevent antibiotic resistance and diseases in animals. 

Have you ever seen a sick fish? Dr. Isaiah E Tolo, Fish Health Supervisor at the Minnesota DNR, discusses diseases that affect fish, how he monitors for them, and what, if any, impacts they have on us. Learn how to help keep fish healthy as we dive deep into fish diseases. 

Just like humans, animals can get sick too. We wander with Dr. Michelle Carstensen, Wildlife Health Program Supervisor for the Minnesota DNR. How do animals get sick? What are some of the diseases the Minnesota DNR is looking out for in wildlife and how do they monitor for them? How can you help keep animals from getting sick? Wander with us to find the answers. 

Starting their research right here at Three Rivers, Dr. Jeanine Refsnider, shares the journey of being curious about Minnesota's State Threatened, Blanding's turtle, led to having her own lab at University of Toledo.  Jeanine shares past and current studies exploring turtle adaptions.