By Emily Haeg, MNDNR Central Region Information Officer.

Article originally featured in MNDNR’s internal staff newsletter as employee profile.

The Silver Maple tree (Acer saccharinum) can be a divisive topic for arborists and casual tree admirers alike. This native deciduous species is often criticized for growing too aggressively in urban areas and refusing to fit neatly into the spaces around it.

 In DNR Forester Hannah Milos, the Silver Maple has one branch of steadfast support.

“It’s an unpopular opinion, especially for a forester, but they really are one of my favorites,” shares Milos. “They provide excellent shade, a habitat for wildlife, and hold a special place in my heart.”

By Misi Stine, Environmental Educator and member of the MN Herpetological Society

In the December 2024 newsletter article titled Here Kitty, Kitty: Wild Cats of Minnesota (Part 1), we explored the three species of wild cats in Minnesota, focusing on cougars (Puma concolor). Cougars are the second-largest wild cat in North America (after the jaguar) and have the widest historical distribution of any terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere.

By Kaitlyn Egan, MNWWN Executive Committee Member, Graduate Student in UMN Duluth’s Indigenous Environmental Systems and Economics Graduate Certificate program

A note: I’m an Executive Committee member and Metro Area Network Lead with the Minnesota Women’s Woodland Network (MNWWN), and I’m grateful to be part of a community of women learning and caring for land together. This blog grew out of one of my 2025 papers for my graduate course, TRES 5100: Foundations of Indigenous Worlds: Worldviews, Knowledge Systems, and Stewardship. It reflects my ongoing effort as a non-indigenous, Minnesota nature-lover to bring together Indigenous knowledge, ecological science, and lived stewardship in a way that feels grounded, respectful, and useful for fellow landowners and practitioners.

By Misi Stine, Environmental Educator and member of the MN Herpetological Society

As spring approaches, Minnesota’s wetlands come to life with a vibrant chorus of frogs and toads. These calls—males seeking to attract females—create a seasonal symphony that shifts in tone as the weather warms. Among the earliest to emerge is the Wood Frog; these resilient amphibians wake from brumation so early they can occasionally be heard calling from ice-covered ponds as early as March.

By Kaitlyn Egan, MNWWN Executive Committee Member, Graduate Student in UMN Duluth’s Indigenous Environmental Systems and Economics Graduate Certificate program

A note: I’m an Executive Committee member and Metro Area Network Lead with the Minnesota Women’s Woodland Network (MNWWN), and I’m grateful to be part of a community of women learning and caring for land together. This blog grew out of a final project for my graduate course, TRES 5100: Foundations of Indigenous Worlds: Worldviews, Knowledge Systems, and Stewardship. It reflects my ongoing effort as a non-indigenous, Minnesota nature-lover to bring together Indigenous knowledge, ecological science, and lived stewardship in a way that feels grounded, respectful, and useful for fellow landowners and practitioners.

By Kathleen Preece, Executive Director, Minn. Forest Resources Partnership and MNWWN Executive Committee Member

It is one thing to attend a landowner conference and come away from it at the end of the day, knowing a lot more about oak regeneration, and estate planning, and seed collection, and forest management for birds, and growing wild edible plants, and recognizing invasive species and-and-and… It’s another thing to come away feeling like a part of a unique community, like a celebrated disciple of something good, like assuming the role of steward of this Earth.

Salamanders are one of two types of amphibians found in Minnesota; frogs and toads are the other. Salamanders are a group of vertebrates that live both in water and on land at different life stages and are ectotherms, or “cold-blooded”. Unlike frogs and toads, most salamanders retain their tails throughout their lives. When you think of a slimy animal, amphibians fit the bill, with their smooth, moist skin giving them a slippery sort of feel, especially when wet. Their skin is crucial for respiration, allowing them to absorb oxygen directly from their surroundings, including dissolved oxygen in water.

With the holiday season upon us and the widespread use of evergreens in our celebrations, it’s the perfect time to explore how our local wildlife uses this vital winter resource. The tradition of honoring evergreens is an ancient one; Pagans used them as a potent symbol of life during their winter solstice celebrations. As Christianity grew, church leaders often incorporated these Pagan traditions to create a connection for those newly adopting the faith. More modern Christmas tree customs, of course, were thoughtfully developed in Germany by the 16th century.

By Misi Stine, Environmental Educator and member of the MN Herpetological Society

As a child growing up in the 1970’s, I would be excited for the night to come at the family cabin north of Aitkin, because that is when the beautiful and magical blinking lights of the fireflies would light up the sky. I would chase them around the yard, with my cousins and hope to catch one, and hold it briefly in a glass jar to observe it before watching it fly away into the night. These are among some of the most magical memories of my childhood in the woods.

By Misi Stine, Environmental Educator and member of the MN Herpetological Society

Minnesota moose (Alces alces) are the most prominent members of the deer family (cervids) in the state. Northern Minnesota represents the southernmost extent of their range in North America. The habitats where you're most likely to find moose are mixed boreal forests and wetlands, which provide their essential needs: food, shelter, and protection from predators.

By Kathleen Preece, Executive Director at Minnesota Forest Resources Partnership and MNWWN Executive Committee Member

The headlines in the Bemidji Pioneer newspaper on June 21 read: “It’s hard to comprehend . . .” and “Recover.” “Rebuild.”

The northern Beltrami County community of Bemidji was victim of a derecho during the early morning hours of Saturday, June 21.

By Misi Stine, Environmental Educator and member of the MN Herpetological Society

In this second installment of Wild Cats of Minnesota, we will discuss the remaining two wild cats found in the state: the bobcat (Lynx rufus) and the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). Both species are medium-sized cats, and their size ranges overlap, although the lynx appears larger due to its physical features.  

Founded in 2024, MNWiC is a project of Renewing the Countryside in partnership with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Our mission is to engage women in conservation conversations, connecting them with the tools and resources needed to develop their own goals. As Regional Coordinators, we build networks and connect women land stewards to each other and to conservation professionals. 

By Misi Stine, Environmental Educator and member of the MN Herpetological Society

In this continuing series on species identification, we will explore the three wild cats found in Minnesota. I will begin with the species that stands out from the other two: the cougar (Puma concolor), which is the most distinct in size and color/pattern. The cougar is widely distributed across North, Central, and South America and has many common names, including mountain lion, panther, puma, and catamount.

By Misi Stine, Environmental Educator and member of the MN Herpetological Society

This month, we will focus on the two largest canid species found in Minnesota: wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (Canis latrans). These canids belong to the same genus and can easily be confused, as they share many overlapping traits. Even experts sometimes find it challenging to positively identify them.

To simplify, here are some key identification markers most often used:

By Therese Zemlin, MNWWN member

In 2018, my husband and I took ownership of my family’s cabin and property on Indian Lake in Brimson, MN. Spruce budworm was heading our way, and we didn’t think too much about it. It had happened before, and the woods had survived. But this was worse, and by 2020, it was bad. Large swaths of our meandering, lakefront forty acres had turned the copper-oxide green of lichen and the ominous gray of dead spruce and balsam. Then on August 15, 2021, the Greenwood fire broke out approximately 30 miles north of Brimson, burning close to 27,000 acres. We knew this fire absolutely could have been us, and that our luck just might be running out.

By Misi Stine, Environmental Educator and member of the MN Herpetological Society
When you make a list of large mammals found in Minnesota, black bears (Ursus americanus) are right at the top. Black bears in Minnesota are 5- 6 feet long and weigh from 150-500 pounds, the heavier end of the scale favoring males.  Although they are called black bears, their coloring can range from black to dark and light brown, with less than 10% brown color phase documented in Minnesota.