Karl Erickson is on a mission. As founder and executive director of Urban Ice Anglers in Minnesota, he’s working furiously to take 10,000 kids ice fishing. In one season.
Along the way, he aims to make them all better stewards of the environment. It’s a lofty goal, and the journey to reach it has so far provided a masterclass in overcoming challenges.
Here’s a resolution for 2025: more community science. All in favor, raise your hand … or wing, or fin, or whatever.
In case readers are not aware, community science (alternately, “citizen science”) happens when people with non-scientific backgrounds gather data that contributes to scientific understanding. Examples abound across disciplines, especially in the natural sciences. For outdoor enthusiasts, it means opportunities to contribute to the management of natural resources.
In Minnesota, ‘community science’ has big impact on conservation efforts Read More »
Minnesota’s St. Paul-based Raptor Center – part of the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine – celebrated its 50th anniversary Sept. 28 by releasing four rehabilitated birds at the Carpenter Nature Center near Hastings.
The event marked a highly-successful half century for the nonprofit. To some, four birds may not seem like a lot. But if The Raptor Center has proved anything thus far, it’s that each individual bird is championed by TRC, and that its ultimate goal is healthy and thriving populations of all raptors.
Minnesota Raptor Center celebrates 50 years of bird rehab Read More »
Have you been camping lately? It seems even a simple night in the woods has been invaded by motorized, technologized bells and whistles. A great many campers have ditched their tents for cushy drivable or towable options.
On the other hand, a growing minority has turned to something much more primitive: hammocks.
Interested in hammock camping? Here’s some things to consider Read More »
It’s safe to say few hunters sit by their mailboxes, hoping they’ve been selected to fill out a post-season survey for the Minnesota DNR. For bird hunters who are willing – or eager, even – to contribute data that will aid directly in the management of their favorite species, there’s no longer a need to wait.
The Upland Bird Hunter Diary is set to go live on the DNR website Aug. 15, and it’s expected to provide a bigger, clearer picture of upland bird hunting in Minnesota.
Each year, thousands of Minnesota anglers encounter creel clerks who record details about the day’s fishing activity. But what’s it all about? How is that information used?
In short, the information gathered through these interactions provides data not available through other management activities such as netting surveys.
“It’s really important,” said Brad Parsons, DNR Fisheries Section manager, “and we wish we could do more creel surveys than we do.”
Minnesota DNR creel surveys offer valuable info from anglers Read More »
For generations, companies extracted iron ore from northern Minnesota pits, sending it out to build a nation. When mining had largely ended in the latter half of the 20th century, the land looked radically different, with new hills piled up and pits carved hundreds of feet into the earth.
“It fell to different government agencies to take claim to that land and decide what to do with it. So (the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board) was the primary agency that looked at the potential of these lands and found a way they could be incorporated into recreational programs,” said Dave Weitzel, Northeast Region assistant regional fisheries manager for the Minnesota DNR.
Northern Minnesota’s ‘Pit lakes’ offer a special variety of fishing Read More »
A study recently published by a University of Minnesota research team shines new light on deer behavior, by comparing populations considered “savvy” and “naive” to wolf predation.
Dr. Ellen Candler, postdoctoral associate and lead author of the study, said it should be of interest to hunters in that it looks at how humans, their prey, and the predators they share it with all interact and affect each other.
Newly-published study examines deer behavior in the presence of wolves Read More »
Sometimes to get the job done, you have to call in the reinforcements.
The Wisconsin DNR has recently done just that in its lake sturgeon tagging program. And thanks to a handful of dedicated citizen anglers, several hundred more St. Croix River “dinosaurs” are sporting new bling.
Since August, volunteer anglers have caught just over 400 sturgeon on hook and line, and turned them back to the St. Croix with tags that should provide valuable data for years to come. This will build on work begun in 2015, when Wisconsin DNR fisheries personnel began netting and tagging below St. Croix Falls each spring.
Volunteers assist Wisconsin DNR with lake sturgeon conservation on St. Croix River Read More »
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