Minnesota Master Naturalist

10/10/2026

If you're going to be soaking up the sun during this warm October weekend, you might as well look for jumping worms while you're at it!

Extension's terrestrial invasive species team needs your help mapping jumping worms across Minnesota. These invasive earthworms can dramatically change soil conditions and disrupt forest ecosystems.

Even though parts of northern Minnesota have already seen frost, adult jumping worms can remain active until a hard freeze. That means there’s still time in much of Minnesota to find and report active jumping worms before the season winds down.

Found a jumping worm? Report it at EDDMapS.org or email [email protected] with clear photos of the clitellum.

10/09/2026

Become a Pollinator Ambassador
Virtual trainings held on October 13 and 20 from 5:30 to 7 pm

Interested in volunteering to help pollinators? Become a Pollinator Ambassador with the University of Minnesota Bee Lab! Join program leaders for a two-part virtual training series on October 13 and 20 from 5:30 to 7 pm. You will learn about volunteer requirements and how to participate in the program; you will also dive into pollinator biology and actions to help, and wrap up with volunteering 101. Registration is available online. Trainings will be recorded and made available afterwards so you can complete the sessions on your own schedule. This is the last time this training will be offered for free. Starting in January 2027, a $150 course fee will be charged.

What is a Pollinator Ambassador? A Pollinator Ambassador is someone who... Actively learns about pollinators and shares what they know with others. Shares their passion for pollinators through presentations, writing, art, or other creative ways. Advocates for diverse pollinators through

10/09/2026

Peak leaf peeping is here!

Sneak peak—no, really, peak colors really sneak up on ya!

All of a sudden, almost half the state is at peak, with the other half well on its way. Where will you go this weekend to see the autumn glory?

🍂 mndnr.gov/fallcolors

10/08/2026

check out this cool map of the currents in Lake Superior.

10/08/2026

Wow! Eel found in Minnesota River.

We have EEL-y good news! Members of the MPCA's biological monitoring team found an American eel on the Minnesota River near Judson last month. The agency has spotted only four American eels in the state since the early 1990s. MPCA biomonitoring teams collect data at hundreds of sites every year, which can often detect water quality problems that chemistry analysis misses. Learn more about this important work here: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/river-and-stream-biological-monitoring

10/07/2026

Minnesota Master Naturalists, Dennis and Diane were out exploring the prairie in the fall on a quest to find a smooth green snake. We found garter snakes and red bellies. But no green in the LqP area. They headed to Minnewaska area and were successful. Take time to EXPLORE our great Minnesota.

10/06/2026

Get beyond the tamarack basics with MNat Mira for .

10/01/2026

Our terrestrial invasive species team needs your help mapping jumping worms across Minnesota! We have until the frost hits to identify and report them, so we’re nearing our last chance for the year. Jumping worms are invasive earthworms that disturb entire ecosystems, starting in the soil.

Take a closer look at the clitellum to identify them. Jumping worms have a flat clitellum that spans all the way around their bodies, 14-15 segments away from the mouth. A nightcrawler (European earthworm) has a swollen, saddle-shaped clitellum that is 23-32 segments away from the mouth.

Report jumping worms to EDDMapS.org, or email [email protected], with clear photos of the clitellum to help professionals and researchers better understand them. We’re particularly interested in observations in northern Minnesota, and forests and natural areas anywhere in the state. For more information, visit https://z.umn.edu/TIPS-JumpingWorms

09/30/2026

A Day of Remembrance, September, 30.

Communities across Minnesota are gathering to honor those impacted by Native American boarding schools.

09/30/2026

Spring Lawns to legumes grants are taking applications! This is how many people are planting small pollinator plots in their yards! Apply today. Even if you have not been accepted before, apply again! I applied and got one a few years ago and it is a buzzin' with prairie pollinators!

The Spring 2027 Lawns to Legumes grant application is open! 🐝🎉

🌼 Lawns to Legumes is a Minnesota-wide program that awards reimbursement-based funding of up to $400 for creating pollinator habitat in your outdoor space with native plants.

🦋 Why plant for pollinators? Minnesota is home to over 500 native bee species, along with many butterflies, moths, and other pollinators. These creatures are essential to ecosystem health — but many have faced population declines. Lawns to Legumes helps reverse this trend by creating pollinator-friendly plantings across the state.

⏰ Apply by November 30 for a chance to receive a Spring 2027 grant. Learn more and apply at https://bluethumb.org/lawns-to-legumes/apply/

Lawns to Legumes is coordinated by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and Blue Thumb, the education program of Metro Blooms.