Yes, that’s a turtle under the ice. And yes, it’s just fine.
Turtles can survive under frozen lakes through a metabolic slowdown called brumation.
November 30, 2025
Minnesota has wild cranberries, if you can find them
American native fruit grows in challenging locations, so they’re not usually foraged.
November 23, 2025
How the northern lights earn their colors: electrons, solar winds, excited oxygen
Minnesotans and others around the country got a rare treat on Nov. 11 with an aurora borealis supercharged by the sun.
November 16, 2025
Unleash the rockhounds. It’s the season to hunt the Lake Superior shore for colorful agates
The gales of November are good weather to spread Minnesota’s state gemstone onto the shore.
November 9, 2025
Food, fiber and firestarters: Cattails are versatile year-round
Found in Minnesota lakes and wetlands, native cattails provide many benefits.
November 7, 2025
In the boreal forests of northern Minnesota, the trees wear beards
Old man’s beard lichen resembles the Spanish moss of the South, but it’s a different being entirely.
October 26, 2025
The tannins from fallen leaves lend a root beer tint to Minnesota rivers
That amber glow and fluffy foam are both natural qualities of northern Minnesota waterways.
October 19, 2025
Mating season and fewer leaves make autumn ideal for seeing Minnesota’s elusive moose
It’s not easy to spot one of the state’s approximately 4,000 moose, but you can improve your chances.
October 12, 2025
Bursting with scarlet and maroon hues, northern red oaks provide fall’s second act
Less flashy than maples, red oaks play a pivotal forest role in Minnesota.
October 5, 2025
Bumblebee mating season: Queens have left the colony in search of mates
Look for those big females in Minnesota gardens gathering nectar and males this time of year.
September 28, 2025
Fuzzy caterpillars are crawling about, but don’t pick them up. Here’s why.
The bristly hairs are protective, meant to ward off birds, bats – and humans.
September 21, 2025
One of Minnesota’s Hautman brothers wins the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest again
The three wildlife painting brothers have now won the prestigious contest a total of 16 times.
September 20, 2025
