Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast

In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we talk with Dr. Alison Wallace, a biologist and ecologist from Minnesota State University, Moorhead, and a researcher who worked on the climate science team during the Biden Administration. We also talk with acclaimed artist Corinne Teed, a professor at Temple University who teamed up with Dr. Wallace and their students titled "Fragile Preservation: A Tallgrass Community," which is a permanent art installation at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo.Listen to the episode to hear how collaborations between science and art can drive policy and grow community across the prairie. Thank you to Crista Fiala for producing the episode and Matthew Connolly for the theme music.Special thanks to the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust for the generous grant funding that supports Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast.

In today's episode, we speak with soil health expert Jon Stika about lessons from his career and his influential book A Soil Owner's Manual: How to Restore and Maintain Soil Health. Listen to the episode to learn how to apply the principles of soil health to any farm, ranch, or garden. Listen to deepen your understanding of how healthy soil is supposed to function, and how healthy soil has many cost benefits to a farmer's bottom line. Listen to learn why Jon says that the most important step to restoring soil health begins with changing our attitudes and our mindsets toward the soil.Thank you to Crista Fiala for producing today's episode and to Matthew Connolly for providing our theme music.Special thanks to the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust for providing a generous grant to support our work here at Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast.

In this episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, we talk with folks from Ducks Unlimited about how wetlands and grasslands are not only good for ducks, but for soil health and working farms and ranches. Join us for our conversation with Robert Ford, a biologist for Ducks Unlimited, and Emily Schwartz, an agronomist. We speak with Robert and Emily out on a protected wetland site, during the spring migration season.In this episode, you'll learn why small wetlands are a big deal for migratory birds. And how wetlands and grasslands contribute to soil health. Thanks to the ND Natural Resources Trust for the grant funding that made today's episode possible. Thanks also to Crista Fiala, our sound editor, and Matthew Connolly, who produced our theme music.We hope you enjoy the show!

In today's episode, we talk with the United Prairie Foundation to learn how seed collection, public outreach, and fire management work together to restore prairie ecosystems. Throughout the episode, founder John Devries and biologist Patrice Delaney repeat the phrase "no fire, no prairie." Listen to the episode to learn why fire is so vital to the prairie and to hear about how the United Prairie Foundation is working to "make prairie common again" (a phrase they recently trademarked). Please consider supporting the ⁠United Prairie Foundation⁠ by visiting their website and learning about their incredible work in North Dakota and Minnesota. We also encourage our listeners to purchase a copy of Under Mother Tree, the beautiful and thought-provoking children's book illustrated by Patrice Delaney. The book offers young readers a stunning introduction to the mycelium fungi network under trees and a heartfelt story of interspecies connection including frogs, birds, and a host of other living creatures. Under Mother Tree is available for purchase on ⁠Amazon⁠ and ⁠Thrift Books⁠. Special thanks to Matthew Connolly for producing our theme music and to Crista Fiala for producing today's episode. As always, thanks to ND Natural Resources Trust for the generous grant that makes our work at Common Ground possible. We hope you enjoy this month's episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast

In Episode 3, we ask "what does it take to change our minds and our relationships to land?" And, "how could we begin to think like a prairie?" To explore these questions, we talk with Dr. Curt Meine, senior fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the Center for Humans and Nature. Listen to the episode to learn how Aldo Leopold's mind changed about land over the course of his illustrious career. From his work to designate the Gila Wilderness as the world's first protected wilderness area in 1924 to his groundbreaking book A Sand County Almanac (1949), we explore Leopold's legacy in American conservation and discuss how we can continue to learn from Leopold's example today. Dr. Meine is the author of the first biography on Aldo Leopold and the on-screen narrator for the Emmy-winning documentary Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and A Land Ethic For Our Time. We'd love to have you share your stories about moments when your ideas or relationships to land changed. For inspiration, check out Aldo Leopold's essay "Thinking Like a Mountain," which inspired today's episode of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast. The podcast is supported by a generous grant from the ND Natural Resources Trust. This episode was produced by Crista Fiala. Theme music provided by Matthew Connolly. #Aldoleopold, #Asandcountyalmanac, #Aldoleopoldfoundation, #centerforhumansandnature, #conservation, #prairie, #nature, #wolves

In Episode 0, we introduce you to Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast. Join Dr. Josh Anderson on his journey through the rich and rugged landscapes of North Dakota, where he introduces a wide range of guests involved in conservation efforts. Listen to Episode 0 to learn how Josh went from a professor of American literature in New England to a conservationist in his home state of North Dakota. Listen to learn how famed American author Mark Twain’s essay “Two Ways of Seeing a River” inspired the podcast, and stay tuned to learn about how Indigenous writers Louise Erdrich, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Layli Long Soldier, Susan Power, and Stephen Graham Jones have inspired Josh along the way. Episode 0 features music by Matthew Connolly, sound-editing by Anthony Butler, and interview clips with our guests, including John DeVrie and Patrice Delaney of the United Prairie Foundation, Naeem Kalwar of NDSU Extension, Dr. Alison Wallace of Minnesota State University Moorhead, local farmer Steve Enger, Heather Husband of the North Dakota Meadowlark Initiative, and Mike Jacobs, a journalist for The Grand Forks Herald. Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast is funded in part by a generous grant from the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust. This episode was produced by Anthony Butler. Theme music provided by Matthew Connolly. To learn more about the origins of Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast, read Delaney Otto’s feature article in the Grand Forks Herald.