Three dedicated volunteers from Three Rivers Park District discuss how they monitor and care for a purple martin colony, what they do if a storm blows a house down, and why they enjoy caring for these dazzling birds. 

What does a motorized couch have to do with Purple Martins? Joe Siegrist, President and CEO of the Purple Martin Conservation Association, joins us to explain. Learn what it's like to be on an undercover stakeout in Brazil looking for Purple Martins, why Purple Martins are given fanny packs for their migration, and what research the Purple Martin Conservation Association is doing. 

Angela and Brandon discuss an animal that has become completely dependent on humans for housing, Purple Martins. Angela teaches Brandon about Purple Martin life history, the bird's relationship with humans historically, and dispels a few myths about their relationship with mosquitos.  

Angela and Brandon explore the fascinating history of the largest predator in urban areas, coyotes. From it's plethora of names, to unique adaptations that let it thrive even when hunted by humans, the coyote is a misunderstood animal full of amazing attributes. 

Quantina Beck-Jones joins us about her personal experiences in nature, from the time she was a kid to today. Nature has been important to her since she was a child and she shares what it means to her, why seagulls helped her connect with birds in Minnesota, and her work with Urban Bird Collective to help people overcome barriers to getting into parks. 

Join us as Joel Brown, a professional historic interpreter, talks to us about the legacy of George Bonga and the rest of his family. One of the first African American's born in what became Minnesota, George Bonga's involvement in the fur trade and participation in several treaties helped create the Minnesota we live in today.

In January and the rest of our long winter, many of our Minnesota birds are not here...where do they go and what are they doing?  To give us some perspective on our missing birds of the winter season, Leonal Chavez, a coffee farmer in Honduras, talks with Angela and Brandon about dedicating his land to bird conservation.