Wild Times in MN Lake Country with Kelly and Carol

The sun is setting on the first season of Wild Times in MN Lake Country. Join Kelly and Carol on the season finale in the heart of MN Lake Country as they talk about endings, discoveries and new beginnings.

Kelly and Carol venture out on a portion of the North Country Trail in Becker County in search of signs of spring. The snow is gone (for now) and there are signs that the woods and vernal ponds are beginning to awaken under the decomposing leaves left over from the fall.

Travel anywhere in MN Lakes Country and you'll likely see, or hear, Trumpeter Swans. It wasn't always the case. Kelly and Carol visit a popular hangout for people and the Trumpeters near Detroit Lakes and talk about how the Trumpeter swan made a triumphant comeback in Minnesota not that long ago. Kelly shares the story of how the Minnesota swan population had dwindled to zero by the early 1900's and how wildlife conservation groups and individuals worked successfully to reintroduce the Trumpeter swans to Minnesota in 1991 near Detroit Lakes. Today the swan population is estimated at 30,000 in Minnesota.

Kelly and Carol take a trip into the sugarbush near Vergas, MN, to catch up with Tom Franklin who is busy collecting sap from the maple trees and turning it into this year's batch of maple syrup.

Join Kelly and Carol as they head to the site of a beaver lodge at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge near Detroit Lakes. This time of year after winter torpor they are hungry and are running out of cache. What do they do?

Venture to Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge with Kelly and Carol for an end-of-winter walk on Hesby Trail among the wild grass, seed pods, deer and swans. What you see sticking out of the snow-covered prairie this time of year appears dried up and brown but Kelly says there's a lot more action going on underground.

As we round the corner from winter into spring (oh yeah!), Kelly and Carol are joined by Dr. Sara Schultz, the Planetarium Director at Minnesota State University Moorhead to point out the wonderful late-winter constellations in the February night sky, and what to look for as Earth tilts into spring.

There is no place more wild than the bird feeder these cold days of February. Join Kelly and Carol for a wildly wonderful episode featuring our hungry little feathered friends.

Impress your Valentine with knowledge about the starry night sky. This special episode of Wild Times in Minnesota Lake Country features Dr. Sara Schultz, Director of Planetarium at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Dr. Schultz points out the constellations in the February sky that simply amaze stargazers of all ages.

It's the beginning of mating season in the woods, lakes and fields of Minnesota Lake Country. Kelly and Carol, with a couple other foxes, share about the wild, weird and wonderful ways the creatures of northwestern Minnesota repopulate.

Take a wild winter walk on a trail in Minnesota Lake Country with Kelly and Carol and discover some weird and wonderful signs that our furry and feathered friends are all around us. Also, learn the answer to the question "What do fish and Kelly love to eat?"

At last, a breath of fresh air. The first Wild Times outdoor adventure. Kelly and Carol don their coats, hats, mittens and snowshoes as they talk the talk while they walk the walk on a typical January day in Minnesota Lake Country visiting sites at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, near Detroit Lakes.

Snowflakes are pretty little works of science which transform our MN Lake Country landscape into a winter wonderland for a good portion of the year. This episode, Kelly and Carol share about the difference between hoarfrost and rime ice, the acoustics of snow, how to be your own snow scientist. Who knows, maybe it will lead you to find peace looking at a snow-covered field, or you will realize that life is all a snowman's dream.

Snowshoeing is an extremely popular wintertime sport in Minnesota's Lake Country, especially this year. Join Kelly and Carol to learn about which wild creatures are naturally outfitted to float effortlessly across the snow.

As we enter what is known typically as the cold weather months, Kelly and Carol share how animals and birds in Minnesota Lake Country keep warm. They also talk about how thinking "onion" may help us humans stay warm this winter as we explore the wild outdoors.

The calendar year resets. The ground and lakes are frozen. The air is fresh in Minnesota Lake Country. The days grow longer. No better time to talk about setting wild-friendly intentions for 2021. Kelly and Carol share a few of their own.

'Tis the season of the Christmas tree. This episode meet the conifers of MN Lake Country, nature's Christmas trees. They not only spruce up the landscape but have a lovely scent that leaves visitors and locals pining for more. This week's mystery sound comes from something that rhymes with "know it".

The Winter Solstice is upon us which gives us plenty of opportunity to see some spectacular sights in the winter night sky (barring any clouds). Dr. Sara Schultz, Planetarium Director at Minnesota State University Moorhead, joins Kelly and Carol to navigate us through the spectacular showing of stars, planets and meteor showers throughout the last month of 2020. Plus, see if you can guess this episode's mystery sound.

Nature-friendly gift ideas for the 2020 will be a hoot in any household during this season of joy. Kelly and Carol offer their holiday ideas, and the mystery sound is sure to stump even the wisest listener.

Are you still feeling stuffed after Thanksgiving? Digest with this week's episode of Wild Times in MN Lake Country as Kelly and Carol explain about animals who must indulge for winter survival. Kelly throws in a word-of-the-day and, of course, a mystery sound.

Two nature-loving friends reunite to share some laughs, holiday survival tips and a mystery sound.