Help Support Phenology!

KAXE's Phenologist John Latimer and DNR Forest Ecologist John Almendinger talked with Welby Smith, the author of "Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota".

Welby Smith is the foremost botanist of Minnesota and endangered species expert. Here's some information about the book:

With more than two hundred tree, shrub, and woody vine species in Minnesota, anyone with an interest in the outdoors has likely encountered an unfamiliar plant and wondered about its name, origin, characteristics, and habitat. In this new identification resource, the state's foremost botanist and endangered species expert Welby R. Smith provides authoritative, accessible, and up-to-date information on the state's native and naturalized woody plant species. This fully illustrated resource features: - Easy identification: more than one thousand color photographs of fruit, flowers, bark, and leaves for every species, as well as more than one hundred illustrations by botanical artist Vera Ming Wong - Distribution maps: more than five hundred maps, including state and North American range maps - Interesting background: descriptions of each species' habitat, natural history, and ecology, which provide context to the entries - Comprehensive coverage: includes all native and naturalized trees, shrubs, and woody vines in Minnesota from Abies balsamea" to Zanthozylum americanum." Written for everyone from scientists and environmentalists to teachers and people interested in horticulture and gardening, Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota" will engage and educate anyone with a curiosity about the natural world. Welby R. Smith is a botanist for the Division of Ecological Resources at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He is the author of Orchids of Minnesota" (Minnesota, 1993).

All this year, this 25th year of Phenology, we are celebrating by creating a fund that ensure that Phenology will continue into the future. Continue on the airwaves of 91.7KAXE and in the classrooms of Northern Minnesota. What is phenology?

As John Latimer says at the beginning of every show, "Phenology is the rhythmic biological nature of events as they relate to climate".

If you listen to Phenology once or twice or every week, you realize that you start to witness the world around you in a different way. Instead of saying "oh that's a pretty little bird" you might say, "Hey, that's the chickadee I heard about - the one that has that fee-bee call." And suddenly you know more about trees and lakes and bogs and the world outside our windows.

You can support the efforts of John Latimer - as he goes to the classrooms of the kids of Northern Minnesota - classrooms of children who have learned to notice and name the birds and critters and vegetation of where they live. Your contribution will also help support the raingarden at KAXE as well as the martin bird houses.

If you pledge your support at $250 for the year we'll get you a wonderful Phenology t-shirt, a hand lens to examine the outdoors more closely AND Welby Smith's amazing reference book "Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota". Thanks to the University of Minnesota Press for their generous contributions.

How can you support Phenology in its 25th year? Call us at 218-326-1234 or email comments@kaxe.org. THANKS SO MUCH!!!