Speaker Series

Heather Holm, Pollinator Conservationist and Author, “Restoring Ecosystem Functionality and Biodiversity” Monthly chapter meetings are held the second Thursday of the month, September-May, at 7:00 p.m. They are open and free of charge to everyone. They include time to socialize and brief chapter announcements, followed by featured presentations each month on a range of topics. […]

Kao Thao, Minnesota State Park Naturalist, will present “Stories from a POC Environmentalist.” Kao believes that we, as Minnesotans, are fortunate to have abundant parks and wildlife spaces supported by some of the best environmental protection practices in the nation. In addition to telling stories of his own experiences as a person of color (POC) […]

Wildlife Ecologist Michael Joyce will present “Distribution and Ecology of Fishers in Southern Minnesota.” Fishers are cryptic forest carnivores in the weasel family native to Minnesota. They have expanded their range in Minnesota over the last two decades, moving into southern Minnesota, including the greater Twin Cities Metro area. Michael will discuss a general history […]

Karla Bloem will present “Real Life Great Horned Owl Soap Opera.” The presentation will only be available via Zoom Join Meeting  We are limited to 95 participants so join early. A real-life soap opera has played itself out over the past 19 years between more than 25 captive and wild Great Horned Owls, forming the basis […]

Kara Snow will present “The Breeding Ecology of Boreal Chickadees in Northern Minnesota.” Kara will share her research and findings related to Boreal Chickadees with us. The MN DNR lists Boreal Chickadees as a species in great conservation need (SGCN), with declines attributed to habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation. However, the specific impacts of fragmentation […]

Rebecca Heisman will discuss her book "Flight Paths - How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration." ** THIS IS A ZOOM ONLY […]

 Dominant science's impact on Indigenous peoples in historical and contemporary contexts ** THIS IS A ZOOM ONLY PRESENTATION ** Dr. Smiles will speak on how modes of ‘dominant’ science have […]

Storytelling that honors our bird relatives - Birds of Ojibwe Legends Change in Venue **Zoom Only** Winter is traditionally storytelling season in our Native communities in Minnesota.  So many Ojibwe […]

Tim Mitchell will present “The Road to Recovery? Roadside Habitat for Pollinators.” Habitat loss is the primary factor behind the decline of pollinators.  Roadside rights-of-way represent a substantial area of […]