Fire behavior and tree mortality, by Dr. Lee Frelich
2025-11-12 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
The recorded presentation is available on the Video page.
Presenter: Dr. Lee Frelich – Director of the Center for Forest Ecology, University of Minnesota
Presenter Biography: Lee Frelich is Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology. He has authored 200 publications with 275 coauthors from 25 countries. He is listed among the top 1% of all scientists in the world (Ecology and Environment category) by the Web of Science. His research has been featured in the news media 500 times, including The New York Times, Newsweek and Washington Post. Current research interests include large-scale fire and wind, earthworm invasion, and climate change in temperate and boreal forests.

An Evening of Q&A with Ron Bowen, founder of Prairie Restorations, Inc.
2025-12-18 19:00 - 20:30
The recorded presentation is available on the Videos page.
Presenter: Ron Bowen – founder of Prairie Restorations, Inc.
Program: Spend an evening participating in a Q&A with special guest Ron Bowen, founder of Prairie Restorations, Inc.
Presenter Biography: Ron began dreaming of and creating what would become Prairie Restorations, Inc. (PRI) in the early 1970s after finishing a forestry degree at the University of Minnesota. His first restorations were created while working as a gardener for Bruce Dayton of the famed Dayton family. PRI was incorporated in 1977 as Ron and his brother John moved the business up to the Anoka Sandplain and ramped up seed and plant production. Over time, PRI has grown to be a leader in the ecological restoration movement, continuing to do meaningful projects and inspiring others to do the important work of restoring native plant communities.
We will be exploring the early days, with stories of challenges and successes, hear about some of Ron’s favorite plants, and what is in store for the future of Ron and PRI.

Active augmentation and recovery of rare species and native orchids – what we’re learning so far
2026-02-12 19:00 - 20:30
The recorded presentation is available on the Video page.
Presenter: Dr. David Remucal – Curator of Endangered Plants, Adjunct Professor University of Minnesota
Biography: The Plant Conservation Program works to promote the conservation of rare and native plant species of Minnesota, reaching region and nation-wide. Our focus is on individual species preservation, with a focus on applied research and ex situ conservation. We manage a long-term seed bank for rare plants and native orchids. As part of this work, we research the propagation of all of these species, with special attention to the complex propagation and ecology of terrestrial orchids. Our goal is to create a rigorously scientifically-supported set of guidelines and protocols for preserving and restoring some of the most complex species which are not currently restoration material as well as develop the infrastructure to support restoration efforts with these plants with field protocols and scaled-up production of the plants. As climate change and human manipulation of the environment progresses, this work becomes increasingly vital and must extend beyond pure basic research to application.

Peat Keepers: Healing Minnesota’s Carbon-Rich Landscapes
2026-03-12 19:00 - 20:30
Note date change: Thursday, March 12. This will be online through Zoom only. MNNPS members, check your email for instructions.
Presenter: Meredith Cornett – MNDNR Peatland Resilience Project Planner
Program: Peat Keepers: Healing Minnesota’s Carbon-Rich Landscapes
Description: With more peatlands than any other state in the US outside Alaska, Minnesota has a role to play in sustaining and restoring peatlands as part of a multifaceted climate mitigation strategy. The state’s Climate Action Framework recognizes the power of peatlands, naming the restoration of partially drained peatlands as an important strategy for climate mitigation. The 2023 Minnesota Legislature created the MNDNR’s Peatland Protection and Restoration Demonstration Project as a first step toward implementing the Climate Action Framework’s peatland strategy. We will dive into peatland restoration work being planned for the DNR’s Winter Road Lake Peatland Scientific and Natural Area in Lake of the Woods County, including our approach to monitoring pre-restoration conditions for vegetation, hydrology and greenhouse gases. For more information about the project: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/wetlands/peatland-resilience-initiative.html
Biography: Meredith Cornett is the Peatland Resilience Project Planner at Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR), a role she has held since January 2024. She has come full circle in returning to the DNR, where she began her professional career in conservation as a Community Forest Ecologist in the Twin Cities Metro Area. For nearly two decades, Meredith served as Director of Science for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Over the years, she has also enjoyed working with students and faculty at the University of Minnesota through an adjunct appointment in the Conservation Sciences Graduate Program. She lives with her family in Fredenberg Township, where they harvest sunlight, tend beehives, protect pine seedlings from deer browsing, and coexist with human and other neighbors.
