The Wandering Naturalist Podcast

11/06/2025

"We are on the ancestral and contemporary homeland of the Dakota people." You hear Brandon say this at the beginning of every episode of the Wandering Naturalist. This month we are diving deeper into understanding Dakota stories. Check out this article from the Minnesota Historical Society detailing some important parts of the larger Dakota story in Minnesota.

This National Historic Landmark resides on Dakota homeland, known as Bdote, with history spanning 10,000 years. Learn stories of the military fort and its surrounding area, home to a wide history that includes Native peoples, trade, soldiers and veterans, enslaved people, immigrants, and the changin...

11/05/2025

Episodes out today! This month we are sharing stories of Native American life in the suburbs. Tune in wherever you find podcasts for our three wonderful guests - Dr. Deondre Smiles, Dr. Kasey Keeler, and Tawnya Stewart - as they share their stories and expertise with us.

11/04/2025

Before we get to into the content of our episodes this month, we wanted to share a list of ideas for celebrating Native American Heritage Month. We encourage you to check out your local area and see what events are happening near you!

November is Native American Heritage Month. Check out all the Minneapolis events, businesses, and restaurants where you can celebrate, support and remember the histories of those indigenous to this country.

11/03/2025

Check out this great video describing the history and importance of Native American Heritage Month! Note that the video is from 2022 and some of the updates in the last part of the video refer to events at that time - all the historcal and best practice information is still true today!

“Understanding Native American Heritage” presented by NBCU Academy explains the history behind this cultural observance in November. Alyssa London, NBC News ...

11/02/2025

Welcome to Native American Heritage Month! Our episodes come out on Wednesday and will celebrate Native American stories in Minnesota. In the meantime, we thought we'd share a bit about the history Native American Heritage Month itself.

Honoring Native American Heritage Month: A Brief History November 14, 2023 November marks a special time of the year when the United States celebrates Native American Heritage Month. This month-long observance is an opportunity to recognize and honor the rich history, diverse cultures, and enduring....

10/31/2025

We hope everyone will zom-BE safe and and have a fun Halloween tonight! Hopefully you had as much fun listening to our slime mold episodes this month as Brandon did, but he's always thought that slime molds are a SCREAM! Tomorrow is November 1st which means a new month for a new topic! Are you EEK-cited?

10/30/2025

Happy Halloween-Eve! This article with a video of a pulsating slime mold is labeled as "freaky" but after a month of slime mold content, what do you think? Did we take the spooky out of the slime? Or does it still make you shriek?

It's weirdly alive and beautifully vibrant, but its name might have you turning pale in the face.

10/29/2025

With Halloween fast approaching we wanted to share a slime mold species that is a bit... unsettling. Wasp's nest slime mold can look like a cluster of berries but they will collapse and leave what looks similar to honeycomb!

Inconceivable Slime Molds

Wasp's Nest Slime Mold from Canonica Lambro - Triuggio (MB), Italia on June 12, 2022 at 12:54 PM by Fabio Mauri. Metatrichia vesparia (Batsch) Nann.-Bremek. ex G.W. Martin & Alexop. Reg: BM2628 Su vecchio tronc...

10/27/2025

Were you as inspired by Dr. Johnson's ability to blend science and creative writing as we were? Did you know that there is a free online magazine dedicated to creative writing and art inspired by science? Now you do!

Inconceivable Slime Molds

Science Write Now is a free online magazine dedicated to creative writing and art inspired by science. We believe in accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. We aim to: - help writers and scientists explore creative ways of communicating science - encourage writ...

10/26/2025

Time for another slime mold of the day! Common coral slime looks like tiny icicles or like pale pieces of erect coral. This species is white and appears almost fuzzy-looking due to the spores they produce on their surface.

Common Coral Slime from CR-38, Lutsen, MN, US on July 26, 2025 at 10:41 AM by Emily Raleigh

10/25/2025

Dr. Johnson talked about her use of slime molds to illustrate an argument against racial hierarchies, a form of scientific racism. Scientific racism has been happening for hundreds of years, and can occur in many ways, but her focus was on the baseless ranking of human beings based on superficial traits.

Inconceivable Slime Molds

The author of “Whiteness” traces the evolution of race as a social and political instrument, from its beginnings in ancient hierarchies through European colonial expansion and into contemporary times.

10/24/2025

Dr. Johnson's article in Orion is what inspired us to invite her on the podcast. It's an excellent read and is available here! Check it out!

Inconceivable Slime Molds

There is no hierarchy in the web of life