A Flower Patch for the Rusty Patched: Recovery of the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, by Dr. Elaine Evans
2018-04-05 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Dr. Elaine Evans, Assistant Extension Professor, University of Minnesota Bee Lab
Dr. Elaine Evans is an extension educator at the University of Minnesota and a researcher at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab in the Department of Entomology. Her work focuses on conservation of native pollinators. She is author of the books “Befriending Bumble Bees” and “Managing Alternative Pollinators” and engages citizen scientists through the Minnesota Bee Atlas and Minnesota Bumble Bee Survey programs.
POM: Turtlehead, Chelone glabra

Collaborating for Resilience in the Face of Climate Change: The Nature Conservancy's Forest Conservation and Restoration Program, by Jim Manolis, TNC
2018-05-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presented by: Jim Manolis, Forest Conservation Program Director, The Nature Conservancy in MN, ND & SD.
Place-of-the-Month: TNC’s Upper Manitou Preserve

A World-Class Biogeographical Oddity: The Boreal Forests of Door County, by Dr. Lee Frelich, UM
2018-06-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presented by: Dr. Lee Frelich, Director, The University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology.
Plant-of-the-Month: Dwarf Lake Iris, Iris lacustris

Photos by Ken Piehl.

Sedges and Rushes of Minnesota
2018-10-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Welby Smith, MnDNR Botanist.
Place of the month: Uncas Dunes SNA; by Rick Haug, Photographer

Unfenced Rangeland of the North: Plants and Communities of the Subarctic Caribou Lands
2018-11-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenters: Ron Bowen, Prairie Restorations Canoe Guide and Beth Markhart, Prairie Restorations Queen of the Subarctic.
Plant of the Month: Dry-Ground Cranberry – Vaccinium vitis-idaea; by Ron Bowen and Beth Markhart

The Loss of Wildlands at the National and Minnesota Scales since European Settlement
2018-12-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Bruce Anderson; Retired USFS and MnDNR.
POM: TBD by BruceAnderson

Climate Change Adaptation in Parks of the Great Lakes Region
2019-03-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Dr. Lee Frelich, Director, The University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology;
Fellow, Institute on the Environment.
Plant of the Month: Balsam poplar – Populus balsamifera by Lee Frelich

Citizens using Plants (& inverts) to Measure Wetland Health: Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP)
2019-04-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Speakers: Carolyn Dindorf, Vice President/Limnologist, Fortin Consulting, Inc.
Mark C. Gernes, Research Scientist, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Plant of the Month: Marsh Fern, Thelyptris palustris

Status and trends of Wetlands in Minnesota: Minnesota Wetland Condition Assessment (2011-2016)
2019-05-02 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Speaker: Michael Bourdaghs, Research Scientist, MN Pollution Control Agency.
Place of the month: The Whiteface Reservoir

Native Habitats of the Twin Cities and the Plants and Animals that Use Them
2019-06-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Speaker: John Moriarty, Senior Manager of Wildlife, Three Rivers Park District
Other notes: This meeting will include a book sale and signing

Wild populations of reed canarygrass are native! Implications of this discovery.
2019-10-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Neil Anderson, Full Professor University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Plant of the month: Reed Canarygrass

Biology and biocontrol potential of a crown rust fungus affecting two of Minnesota's worst invasive plants: glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea)
2019-11-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Nick Greatens, Graduate Student at the University of Minnesota Department of Plant Pathology.
Plant of the month: Glossy Buckthorn

Exploring and Traversing the Red Lake Peatland on Foot
2019-12-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Jason Husveth, Principal Ecologist, Critical Connections Ecological Services.
Plant of the month: TBD

The Flora of Abisko National Park
2020-02-06 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Scott Milburn.
This is one of Sweden’s 30 National Parks, located in Swedish Lapland near the northern border with Norway. This presentation will focus on the stunning beauty documented this past summer immediately following midsommar, a period of near constant light. The talk will examine the species diversity, particularly ericaceous species, as well as numerous circumboreal species that also persist in Minnesota.

Prairie Butterflies
2020-03-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presented by Scott Krych.
Scott Krych, an ecologist with HDR Engineering, will be presenting on butterflies of the prairie. He has been working professionally for over 30 years, which has taken him on a journey through the Midwest and western United States. During his career, he has been able to spend considerable time conducting rare butterfly surveys for such species as the Poweshiek skipperling, Dakota skipper, and Karner Blue. This experience has allowed Scott to photo-document his observations, resulting in an amazing collection of photos.

Moose and Brainworm - CANCELLED
2020-04-02 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS.
Presented by Dr. Tiffany Wolf, DVM, PhD, University of Minnesota.
The moose, an iconic creature of the north woods and an important member of this ecosystem, is in serious decline. This trend is the result of several factors including a parasite, Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, which has been introduced via the expansion of another host species, the white-tailed deer.
Dr. Wolf, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota-College of Veterinary Medicine, is on the front lines. She is working in collaboration with the Grand Portage Band as she explores the impacts of wildlife management practices, pinpointing the parasites temporary hosts, and looking at differences in the DNA of the parasite in hopes of preventing transmission. She will be sharing with us the details regarding her research.

Mussels of Minnesota - ONLINE VIA ZOOM
2020-05-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Due to the current situation of not being able to hold our monthly meetings in-person at Dakota Lodge, we are going to try something different in an attempt to still engage you the member – a presentation via Zoom. Although this is not an ideal situation we still feel as though we need to stay connected somehow.
Program: “Mussels of Minnesota”
by Bernard Sietman, Malacologist, Minnesota DNR
Mussels, a key player in nutrient cycling which benefits aquatic and emergent plants, are under threat due to various factors including water pollution. Bernard Sietman, a malacologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, will present on the ecological role, threats, recovery, and future of this group of specialized organisms.

Ecological Benefits of Native Grasses and their Relationship with Lepidoptera - RESCHEDULED
2020-06-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presented by: Diane Narem, Ecologist with Stantec.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.

Conservation of Minnesota's Big Woods
2020-10-01 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Lee E. Frelich, Director, The University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.

Drivers of Long-Term Ecological Change in Midwestern Forests
2020-11-05 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Donald M. Waller, PhD, J.T. Curtis Professor of Botany – retired (University of Wisconsin-Madison).
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.

Moose and Brainworm
2020-12-03 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by Dr. Tiffany Wolf, DVM, PhD, University of Minnesota.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.
The moose, an iconic creature of the north woods and an important member of this ecosystem, is in serious decline. This trend is the result of several factors including a parasite, Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, which has been introduced via the expansion of another host species, the white-tailed deer.
Dr. Wolf, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota-College of Veterinary Medicine, is on the front lines. She is working in collaboration with the Grand Portage Band as she explores the impacts of wildlife management practices, pinpointing the parasites temporary hosts, and looking at differences in the DNA of the parasite in hopes of preventing transmission. She will be sharing with us the details regarding her research.

Private Land Protection Incentives for Prairie Landowners
2021-03-04 19:00 - 20:30
Title: Private Land Protection Incentives for Prairie Landowners.
Presenter: Tyler Janke, Natural Areas Specialist, MN DNR.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.

Prairie Management and plant/pollinator interactions
2021-04-01 19:00 - 20:30
Title: Prairie Management and plant/pollinator interactions.
Presenter: Diane Larson, Research Wildlife Biologist at the US Geological Survey and Adjunct Associate Professor at the U of M.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.

Reconstructing the first angiosperms and their initial diversification
2021-05-06 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Dr. James Doyle, Professor Emeritus, Department of Evolution and Ecology, College of Biological Sciences University of Califormia Davis.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.
Dr. Doyle’s Research Interest
My research deals primarily with the origin and early evolution of angiosperms. My oldest interest is in Cretaceous fossil pollen and leaves and their implications for the evolution, geographic spread, and original ecology of angiosperms. More recently my research has emphasized phylogenetic analyses of relationships between angiosperms and other seed plants and among living primitive angiosperm groups, based on morphological, molecular, and fossil evidence. I have worked on phylogeny, evolution, and biogeography of several living plant groups, especially the tropical family Annonaceae, the largest family of primitive angiosperms. My current main project aims to integrate Early Cretaceous fossils into the predominantly molecular phylogeny of living primitive angiosperms and to evaluate implications of the results for morphological evolution.

The Role of Prairie Restorations in the Conservation of Native Bee Communities Across a Gradient of Agricultural Land Use
2021-06-03 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Dr. Ian Lane, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.
Dr. Lane’s Research Interest
My work primarily focuses on native bee conservation, with a focus on understanding how bee communities respond to the floral and landscape elements of prairie reconstruction. I also have an avid interest in the specialized relationships between bees and their host plants and habitats. I am also a native plant enthusiast with a hobby garden in my backyard where I try to grow some of my favorite species. My favorite native plants are Amorpha canescens and Pedicularis canadensis.

An Update on Conservation Activities at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
2021-10-07 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by David Remucal, Curator of Endangered Plants, University of MN Landscape Arboretum.
This will be a Zoom meeting. MNNPS members, watch your email for instructions.

How a diversity of human cultures perfects our understanding of conservation
2021-11-04 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Rowzat Shipchandler: MNDNR Diversity Coordinator.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.
We often talk about how having a diversity of plant species makes a native plant community stronger and more resilient. Similarly, human diversity can make our work in conservation stronger and more resilient. Greater diversity in the sources of our knowledge are crucial to managing and conserving our resources. We learn more about the Minnesota DNR’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and will talk about how expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work of conservation can improve decision making and open our perception of nature.

80 Years of Minnesotan Ecology: An Update form Cedar Creek
2021-12-02 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by by Dr. Caitlin Potter, Education and Community Engagement Coordinator, Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.
This will be a talk about the past, present and upcoming research projects at Cedar Creek. and will give folks who haven’t heard about Cedar Creek a peek into our legacy, while also providing something new.
Dr. Caitlin Potter is the education and community engagement coordinator at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve. Her background is in wildlife ecology, and she holds a B.S. in Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology as well as a masters and Ph.D in ecology and evolutionary biology. She studied wildlife and animal behavior all over the world (mostly monkeys in Ethiopia) before finding her true passion doing environmental education! Now, she runs school field trips and public events at CCESR, works with scientists to get their results into the hands of students, and organizes several citizen science projects.

Plants on the Edge: Monitoring rare disjunct and range-edge species on Lake Superior islands
2022-02-03 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Dr. Sarah Johnson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources, Northland College
Plant of the Month: Bistorta alpina, the alpine bistort – Presented by Scott Milburn
This will be a Zoom meeting. MNNPS members, check your email for instructions.
Sarah Johnson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources at Northland College, will present on her collaborative work with the National Park Service to monitor rare coastal plants around the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Isle Royale National Park. Rocky coastlines of these Lake Superior archipelagos provide habitat for many range-edge species, including several Arctic/alpine disjunct species. Sarah will share photos and key insights from this work, including the status and trends in populations of some of the rarest species in the western Lake Superior region.
Presenter Bio: Sarah Johnson teaches field botany, wetlands, and natural history courses at Northland College. Sarah is the co-chair of the Plants and Natural Communities Working Group for the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts. She earned a Ph.D. in Botany at UW-Madison.

Importance of Habitat Structure in Prairies
2022-03-03 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Chris Helzer, Nature Conservancy’s Director of Science in Nebraska.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.
Chris Helzer, Nature Conservancy’s Director of Science and Prairie Ecologist, will talk about the importance of habitat structure in prairies. Every animal has its own individual preferences for habitat structure, including short/sparse vegetation, tall/dense, or a patchy mix of those. Some animals need access to multiple types of habitats. Providing for the needs of animals (including invertebrates) means providing the widest possible range of habitat types. Chris will discuss various approaches to creating those habitats at both large and small scales.
Presenter Bio: Chris Helzer is the Nature Conservancy’s Director of Science in Nebraska. Chris’s main role is to evaluate and capture lessons from the Conservancy’s land management and restoration work and share those lessons with other land managers. Chris works to raise awareness about the value of prairies and prairie conservation through photography, writing, and presentations. Chris is the author of two books published by the University of Iowa Press, “The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States” and “Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter.”
2017 burn in patch-burn grazed restoration at Suck Pasture. The Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies, Nebraska.
