Season Watch Newsletter: 9/22/2023

This week, I'm willing to grudgingly admit that fall isn't so bad after all. The sun's been out, the leaves are beautiful, and I learned new things about salamanders! What more could I ask for?

FEATURE: A wild Latimer appears!

Hear ye, hear ye, John Latimer fan club! The ol' fella is speaking on Sept. 30th in Cohasset as part of the "Phenology in the Garden" event. The event is put on by the Grand Rapids Garden Club as the fall meeting of the 8th District Horticultural Society, and includes awards, raffles and lunch.

John will talk about what natural phenomena await us as winter approaches. If you want to listen, support, or heckle, you can register by emailing dwildung@mchsi.com. (Move fast! Registration closes Saturday night.)

Learn more!

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STUDENT AND LISTENER CONTRIBUTIONS

Where are all those garter snakes going? You'll find answers to that and more in this week's Phenology Talkbacks, featuring reports from Bemidji all the way to Topeka, Kansas.

Hear their voices!

JOHN LATIMER'S WEEKLY REPORT

Ya know what'll take the sting out of a hornet? Some sweet, sweet (and slightly alcoholic) Jack pine exudate. John reports on drunken hornets, fall colors, and chunky hummingbirds!

Listen to John's report!

Support Season Watch here!

CHARLIE'S RECOMMENDATION

This week, thanks to the the Ely Field Naturalists group (no one tell them I don't live in Ely), I learned that red-backed salamanders don't have lungs and are one of the most abundant organisms in deciduous woodlands. They're also one of the six salamander species native to Minnesota!

My curiosity piqued, I plunged deep into the internet and found that they have the greatest biomass of all vertebrates in a hardwood forest landscape. WHAT. Plus, their young only have gills for a day before they go live their lung-less terrestrial life! I found this video which hits all my favorite points in a delightful way.

SALAMANDERS ARE SO COOL!

Season Watch Photo Feature:

Michael Harthan

Northern lights (Aurora borealis). Ojibwe: Waawaate

Bonus fact: Auroras are more likely to be seen around the equinox!

Don't get in fights, go see the Northern lights!

Northern Community Radio

KAXE/KBXE

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Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The Trust Fund is a permanent fund constitutionally established by the citizens of Minnesota to assist in the protection, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the state’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources.