In this episode, Dr. Grace Schuster joins co-hosts Andy and Nathan to discuss her PhD research on how bioenergy crop production impacts grassland bird communities in southwestern Nebraska. From the feasibility of large-scale switchgrass production to conservation strategies, this episode explores the balance between fueling the future and protecting our wildlife. Can agricultural landscapes support both renewable energy goals and healthy bird populations? Tune in for a fascinating conversation at the intersection of ecology, agriculture, and conservation.

Resources:

• Bioenergy Crop Production: Implications for Grassland Bird Communities in Southwestern Nebraska (Thesis)

• Further information on this research project (AWESM Lab)

Dr. Grace Schuster [website]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

In this episode, we're joined by Jake Koenig, Midwest Habitat Program Manager for the Monarch Joint Venture, to explore the fascinating world of monarch butterflies. Jake shares insights into their incredible multi-generational migration, the challenges they face, and what conservation efforts are underway to support their survival and growth. He also takes us along on his recent trip to Mexico, where monarchs gather in breathtaking numbers at their overwintering grounds. From the incredible spectacle of migration to possible ventures in milkweed production, we explore the incredible world of the monarch and the role we can play in it.

Resources:

• Monarch Life Cycle Cards

• Habitat signs for advocacy

• Remote sensing

• Mowing management best management practices

• Community science opportunities

• Research reviews

• Solar synergy program

Jake Koenig [website, Instagram, Facebook]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

If you grew up on or near a farm, you might think back fondly on summer days spent fishing in your local pond. From small ponds to large reservoirs, water in working landscapes providesnumerous opportunities while also facing challenges. This month we are joined by Jeff Jackson, Aquatic Habitat Program Manager at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, to talk about fishery and pond management in agricultural and working landscapes. From water quality and sedimentation to healthy bass fisheries and beyond, Jeff covers the challenges facing our ponds and lakes and what we can do to ensure healthy waters for everyone.

Resources:

• Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

• Nebraska Game and Parks 2026 Fishing Guide

Jeff Jackson [contact]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

If you drive across the Midwest, much of the landscape is under production for corn and soybeans. But, it didn't always look like that. Only a couple of generations ago, farmers were planting more diverse fields, many of them including wheat. This month we are joined by Nathan Mueller, Executive Director of Nu Horizon Genetics and producer, to talk about the "third crop" -- winter wheat. Learn how wheat can improve farms, provide valuable habitat for wildlife, and help improve our landscapes and ecosystems.

Resources:

• Nu Horizon Genetics

• Nebraska Wheat Production

• New wheat growers: Avoid these 5 common mistakes

• Adding Winter Wheat to a Crop Rotation

Nathan Mueller [website]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

This month we are joined by Carlie Gizel, Wild Turkey Biologist with National Wild Turkey Federation and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. As a native species of Nebraska, wild turkeys have lived and evolved in the Great Plains for years, at times exploding in numbers and at others succumbing to new threats. Through it all, they have remained an iconic species of the landscape, and hunters from near and far come to Nebraska seeking out this special bird. Join Carlie, along with co-hosts Andy and Nate, to talk about all things turkey.

Resources:

• Wild turkey hunting in Nebraska (Nebraska Game and Parks Commission)

• Nebraska State Chapter of NWTF

• Current Research: Wild Turkey Ecology in Western Nebraska (AWESM Lab)

Carlie Gizel [website]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

This month we are joined by Sam Wilson, Furbearer Biologist at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and Frank Andelt, retired Furbearer Biologist and Sam's predecessor at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, to share the amazing story of the river otter in Nebraska. From thriving populations to complete extirpation, river otters were wiped out across the state. But as our guests share, otters are a resilient species. After a few local otter sightings, Frank shares the story of reintroduction of otters to Nebraska and how far they have come since then.

Resources:

• The River Otter – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

• Recovery of a Native Furbearer

Sam Wilson [website]

Frank Andelt

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

This month we are joined by Dr. Jordan Giese, Research Assistant Professor at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University - Kingsville, to talk about prairie strips and his research on bird responses to prairie strips in row crop acres. From songbirds to Ring-necked pheasants, Dr. Giese shares how prairie strips can be beneficial for a range of wildlife within agricultural landscapes. Whether you are interested in birding, hunting, wildflowers, or soil health, prairie strips offer immense benefits for farmers across the Midwest.

Resources:

• Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS)

• Prairie Strips farmer and landowner testimonials

Dr. Jordan Giese [website, @birdnbiologist]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

What makes the Great Plains such a productive agricultural hotspot? And why are some fields just more productive than others no matter what? It turns out the secret is in the soil. This month we are joined by Dr. Ray Ward, founder of Ward Laboratories, to discuss how our soils came to be and how a better knowledge of your soil can lead to healthier farms and ecosystems overall. With a PhD in Soil Fertility and personal farming experience, Dr. Ward shares how practices like cover crops and diversifying an operation can lead to massive benefits – in soil health, water quality, wildlife abundance, ecosystem health and farmer profitability.

Resources:

• Ward Laboratories

• Ward Labs Resources

Dr. Ray Ward [website]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

This month we are joined by Dr. Jesse Bell, Claire M. Hubbard Professor of Water, Climate, and Health in the Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the School of Natural Resources within the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also serves as the director of the Water, Climate and Health Program at UNMC and the director of Water, Climate and Health at the University of Nebraska's Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute. Following our previous episodes on nitrate issues in drinking water, Andy and Nate chat with Dr. Bell about the specific health risks associated with nitrates in drinking water. They dive into what the science tells us about adverse health outcomes, who should be concerned, and things we can do to help mitigate against these risks.

Resources:

• UNL Water – Nitrate

• Water, Climate and Health Program

• Reducing nitrate intake and health complications from drinking private well water

Dr. Jesse Bell [website, academic profile]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

This month we are joined by Jackson Stansell, Founder and CEO of Sentinel Ag. Following our previous episode on nitrate issues in drinking water with Crystal Powers, Andy and Nate chat with Jackson about how his team at Sentinel is tackling the nitrate issue head on – while also helping farmers be more profitable and efficient. From being good stewards of our land and natural resources to the importance of rural prosperity for the benefit of all, we cover the ins and outs of nitrogen in farming and how new innovations are helping to build a healthier future for people, wildlife, and the land.

Resources:

• Sentinel Ag

• UNL Water – Nitrate

Jackson Stansell [website, X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin