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- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
10,001 - 25,000 - Monthly Reach
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25,001 - 75,000 - Active Followers
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5,001 - 15,000
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Recent episodes
Episode 275: The Vernal Pool Parade - Who's With the Band?
Apr 1, 2026
Unknown duration
Episode 274:The Vernal Pool Parade - A Deeper Dive
Apr 1, 2026
Unknown duration
Episode 273: The Vernal Pool Parade - A Dip into the Pool
Apr 1, 2026
Unknown duration
Episode 272: Women and Waterways - Journeys through Time
Mar 4, 2026
Unknown duration
Episode 271: Women and Waterways - Kayaking the Mississippi
Mar 4, 2026
Unknown duration
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| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/1/26 | Episode 275: The Vernal Pool Parade - Who's With the Band? | Our final episode this month goes fully into the vernal pool weeds! Brandon and Ellen bring out their favorite stars of this ecosystem. We talk fairy shrimp, fishing spiders, caddisflies, water boatmen, and backswimmers. For creatures so small, this episode is PACKED with interesting information! | — | ||||||
| 4/1/26 | Episode 274:The Vernal Pool Parade - A Deeper Dive | In our second episode we sit down with Dr. Mark Hanson to hear about his research on vernal pools during his career with the Minnesota DNR. We zoom out a bit from vernal pools themselves and learn about their impact on what's around them. From bears to ducklings, these innocuous pools play an important role in the lives of many woodland organisms. This leads us to discuss how forest management impacts the pools and what people can do to keep them safe and healthy. | — | ||||||
| 4/1/26 | Episode 273: The Vernal Pool Parade - A Dip into the Pool | Time to get your feet wet in the world of vernal pools! This month's topic zooms in on these often overlooked, but crucially important ecosystems. In our first episode we meet with Dr. Darold Batzer, a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia. Dr. Batzer studies the ecology and environmental biology of wetland invertebrates, and gives us an introduction to vernal pools: Who lives in them, what they are, and why they matter. | — | ||||||
| 3/4/26 | Episode 272: Women and Waterways - Journeys through Time | Jade Ryerson, historian with the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, wanders with us through time and she shares stories of women who have connected to the Mississippi River in the past and how that impacts us today. From Dakota women involved with diplomacy, to a court case about slavery that helped escalate tensions leading to the Civil War, to a lamplighter who helped Minneapolis and St. Paul commerce develop, women have had deep connections and impacts on the Mississippi River near us. | — | ||||||
| 3/4/26 | Episode 271: Women and Waterways - Kayaking the Mississippi | Wander with us down the Mississippi River as Devin Brown joins us to discuss how her connection to the Mississippi River changed her life. Her first meeting with the Mississippi River happened in Minneapolis as an adult and inspired her to change her career. Since then she has become an avid paddler. More recently she is the first Black woman to attempt to kayak the entire Mississippi River. From its narrow stretch near Itasca to massive cottonwoods breaching like whales during record flooding, her trip was full of amazing stories. | — | ||||||
| 2/4/26 | Episode 270: Say What? Plants and Fungi | Dr. Peter Kennedy from the University of Minnesota joins us to discuss the latest research on the relationships between plants and fungi. From tree socks to research exchange markets, the interaction between plants and fungi is complicated. What does research really say about this research and what has reporting on this research sensationalized? | — | ||||||
| 2/4/26 | Episode 269: Say What? Talking Plants | Do plants really talk? Not like we do, but Dr. Simon Gilroy, Professor of Botany at the University of Wisconsin Madison, shares the research he and others have done that has shed light on how plants communicate. From leaves hearing and the plant responding, to the smell of fresh cut grass alerting other plants of distress, wander with us as we explore plant communication. | — | ||||||
| 2/4/26 | Episode 268: Say What? Animal Communication | Wander with Brandon and Ellen as they explore how animals communicate. From communication that is obvious to us like sound, to communication we may not have considered such as electricity, animals have complicated ways of sharing information. | — | ||||||
| 1/7/26 | Episode 267: Big Year of Rivers - The Once and Future Mississippi | Dr. John Anfinson, one of the leading experts on the Mississippi River in our area joins us to talk about the past, present, and future of the Mississippi. He tells us stories of the Mississippi as people tried to navigate the gorge, how its unique geology created the Twin Cities, and why the Mississippi between the Twin Cities was changed into a series of lakes. He also discusses the potential future of the Mississippi River and how you can learn about it and join in the conversation about what the Mississippi should be. | — | ||||||
| 1/7/26 | Episode 266: Big Year of Rivers - A Three Hour Tour | In July, 2025 we had a special Wandering Naturalist rafting trip on the Mississippi River with Brandon. Several participants wore microphones and we recorded the whole experience. Raft with us as we talk to Paula Suchy from Mississippi Gateway Regional Park about how the rafting programs work and why they are so important to her as we listen to audio from our rafting trip. | — | ||||||
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| 1/7/26 | Episode 265: Big Year of Rivers - Three Rivers | We start a new season with a new co-host, Ellen, and a new Big Year to celebrate- Big Year of Rivers! Ashley Levoir, joins us to discuss how a big anniversary for the Mississippi River inspired this year's Big Year, plays trivia with Brandon and Angela about the three rivers our park district are named after, and how you can protect our rivers even if you don't live near one. | — | ||||||
| 12/3/25 | Episode 264: The Next Generation | Every season must come to an end so a new season may begin. A warm and engaging nature expert whose voice we've enjoyed for seven seasons is signing off, ushering in a new era of The Wandering Naturalist. Wander with us as we talk about this big change and what's in store for the podcast for season eight. New and exciting journeys are ahead! | — | ||||||
| 12/3/25 | Episode 263: Stories in the Snow - Deer Guts | Grace Milanowski, Coordinator, Offal Wildlife Watching Project (with UMN Extension) and Dr. Ellen Candler from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, talk to us about the project they are doing in partnership with Minnesota hunters to see what visits gut piles from deer. Hunters are participating in citizen science by putting trail cams by their deer gut piles and sending the photos to the Offal project. Grace Milanowski and Dr. Candler discuss some of their findings, including some surprising scavengers of deer guts. | — | ||||||
| 12/3/25 | Episode 262: Stories in the Snow - Connecting to Lakota Knowledge | Michael Kurtz, enrolled member from the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, shares how he taught himself to read animal signs and photograph them. He talks about the experiences with animals he has had following animal signs and how it connects him to the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of his ancestors. | — | ||||||
| 12/3/25 | Episode 261: Stories in the Snow - Reading the Stories | Adrian Iacovino, Education Program Coordinator at Mississippi Gateway Regional Park and professional animal tracker, wanders with us as he recounts how he learned to read the stories left by animal tracks and signs. He shares some of his favorite stories, the community behind tracking, and how listeners can learn to read animal stories. He also discusses how reading animal signs helps him spot preconceived notions in other parts of his life. | — | ||||||
| 11/5/25 | Episode 260: Native American Life in the Suburbs - Basset Creek/ Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ | Before Basset Creek was named Basset Creek it was named by the Dakota and called Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ. Tawnya Stewart, an Ojibwe woman who grew up within a few miles of the creek talks about what it was like growing up in Hennepin County suburbs as a Native person. She explores why the original names of the landscapes are important, why she likes dual naming, and the importance of education when it comes to bringing back something's original name. | — | ||||||
| 11/5/25 | Episode 259: Native American Life in the Suburbs - Life in the Suburbs | Dr. Kasey Keeler wanders with us to discuss her personal experience and her professional research on life in the suburbs as a Native American in Hennepin County. We discuss what it is like growing up as a Native person in the suburbs, how access to nature can be improved, and why suburbs are often overlooked as Native places. | — | ||||||
| 11/5/25 | Episode 258: Native American Life in the Suburbs - Paul Bunyan | Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox are classic stories in Minnesota culture. Where did these stories originate from? How are they connected to Ojibwe culture and history? How have these stories shaped our views of history? Dr. Deondre Smiles discusses his research on the origin of Paul Bunyon stories and the impacts it has had on Ojibwe life. | — | ||||||
| 10/1/25 | Episode 257: Inconceivable Slime Molds - Slime that's Write?! | OK, slime molds don't write. But amazing things have been written about them, allowing us to appreciate their wonder, explore societal ideas, and inspire future scientists. Dr. Lacy Johnson, from Rice University in Texas joins us to discuss why she chose to write a creative writing essay on slime molds and why she views creative writing as essential to science communication. | — | ||||||
| 10/1/25 | Episode 256: Inconceivable Slime Molds - Slime that's Intelligent?! | How is intelligence defined? If you define it as learning and applying knowledge, then slime molds are intelligent. How did scientists determine this? How is a single celled organism with no brain or sensory organs able to experience its world and learn from it? Dr. Nirosha Murugan from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario Canada wanders with us to discuss research about slime mold intelligence, and maybe even a cyborg future. This may be Brandon's favorite episode ever! | — | ||||||
| 10/1/25 | Episode 255: Inconceivable Slime Molds - Slime that Moves?! | What is a slime mold? It is an inconceivable single celled organism that can weigh up to 40 pounds, think and learn, and crawl around the forest floor searching for food. How can a single celled organism be 44 pounds, learn, and move? Matt the Regular Slime Guy joins us to help introduce us to what a slime mold is and how such an inconceivable creature lives its life. | — | ||||||
| 9/3/25 | Episode 254: Wonders of Wild Rice - What is it? 1854 Treaty Authority | Darren Vogt, Resource Management Division Director at 1854 Treaty Authority, joins us to discuss what the 1854 Treaty Authority is, how the Ojibwe views on partnership with the land impact how the 1854 Treaty Authority stewards the land and the living things on it, and how wild rice being viewed as a gift by the Ojibwe creates a different perspective on managing it than other organizations might have. He discusses how they engage in wild rice and the research they are doing. | — | ||||||
| 9/3/25 | Episode 253: Wonders of Wild Rice - Restoring it in Three Rivers | How do you restore wild rice to an area? Steven Hogg, Senior Manager of Wildlife at Three Rivers Park District, talks about the work done to bring back wild rice. From sourcing seeds, to distributing them, and making sure it grows Steven talks about the challenges, what he's learned, and how the restoration is going at Three Rivers. | — | ||||||
| 9/3/25 | Episode 252: Wonders of Wild Rice - What is it? | Wild rice can be found in every grocery store, but what is it? Is it a rice? A grain? Find out as we learn about this uniquely North American food that has been in Minnesota for at least 12,000 years. Ann Geisen from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wanders with us as we paddle through that rich history and context around wild rice in Minnesota. | — | ||||||
| 8/6/25 | Episode 251: Urban Trees - Preventing Future Ash Borers | 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. | — | ||||||
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Chart Positions
1 placement across 1 market.
Chart Positions
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