
Ep. 351 (Coffee Time) The Pollinator Prairie Death Spiral and the Details on The Boundary Waters
From The Prairie Farm Podcast by Nicolas Lirio & Kent Boucher
April 22, 2026 · 48 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the interdependence of pollinators and prairies, alongside the ecological stakes in the Boundary Waters mining debate.
A new ISU study is shaking up how we think about prairies. It turns out pollinators don't just need the prairie, the prairie needs them back. Kent, Nicolas, and Riley dig into what declining pollinator populations mean for plant diversity, then shift to the Boundary Waters mining fight and what's actually at stake ecologically. Hoksey Native Seeds (for all your backyard prairie, CRP, Prairie Strip Mixes, Hunting Habitat and More) IowaCoverCrop.com (for all your cover crop and small grain needs)
People in this episode
Hosts: Kent, Nicolas
Guest: Riley
Topics covered
- pollinators
- prairie ecology
- plant diversity
- Boundary Waters
- mining impact
- environmental issues
Keywords
- pollinators
- prairie
- ecology
- Boundary Waters
- mining
- plant diversity
- environment
Sponsors
Hoksey Native Seeds, IowaCoverCrop.com
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ISU
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