Flip
@nwmnbiologist.bsky.social
Minnesota. Grassland Restoration Specialist. If you post about prairie, I will follow you. Occasionally witty.
With the first snowfall of the year happening today, I mowed a last-second fire break in my prairie last night in the dark. This will set me up for an April fire next spring on 1/2 the site. It will be the first fire for the restoration.
November 25, 2025 at 2:51 PM
With the first snowfall of the year happening today, I mowed a last-second fire break in my prairie last night in the dark. This will set me up for an April fire next spring on 1/2 the site. It will be the first fire for the restoration.
Kind of an interesting picture. This is the view out my bedroom window of the northern lights from last night.
November 12, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Kind of an interesting picture. This is the view out my bedroom window of the northern lights from last night.
Holy smokes, the #northernlights were dancing tonight.
November 6, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Holy smokes, the #northernlights were dancing tonight.
Good luck, and I’ll see ya in the spring!
I’ve been moving all the Pasque flowers that I grew in a raised bed on my patio and into my #prairie restoration. They did excellent this year - biggest ones I’ve grown yet. Some have a shot at flowering in year 2.
I’ve been moving all the Pasque flowers that I grew in a raised bed on my patio and into my #prairie restoration. They did excellent this year - biggest ones I’ve grown yet. Some have a shot at flowering in year 2.
October 21, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Good luck, and I’ll see ya in the spring!
I’ve been moving all the Pasque flowers that I grew in a raised bed on my patio and into my #prairie restoration. They did excellent this year - biggest ones I’ve grown yet. Some have a shot at flowering in year 2.
I’ve been moving all the Pasque flowers that I grew in a raised bed on my patio and into my #prairie restoration. They did excellent this year - biggest ones I’ve grown yet. Some have a shot at flowering in year 2.
And here’s one in landscape.
October 5, 2025 at 7:34 PM
And here’s one in landscape.
Hill’s thistle (Cirsium pumilum var. hillii), one of our native thistles, found blooming on a native prairie hillside today. Spectacular plant.
October 2, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Hill’s thistle (Cirsium pumilum var. hillii), one of our native thistles, found blooming on a native prairie hillside today. Spectacular plant.
Tonight’s #prairie restoration view is a bit different. This is a baby snapping turtle that I found crawling away from the prairie and towards the river. Since my dog was very interested in it, I decided to bring it down to the river myself and let it go.
September 22, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Tonight’s #prairie restoration view is a bit different. This is a baby snapping turtle that I found crawling away from the prairie and towards the river. Since my dog was very interested in it, I decided to bring it down to the river myself and let it go.
It’s always a treat to see blooming Pasque flowers. And extra fun when you find one in the fall - seen this little guy today. #prairie #nativeplants
September 17, 2025 at 10:52 PM
It’s always a treat to see blooming Pasque flowers. And extra fun when you find one in the fall - seen this little guy today. #prairie #nativeplants
This is a hell of a sign. Just look at that patina.
September 17, 2025 at 2:40 AM
This is a hell of a sign. Just look at that patina.
I seen this today. Would love to hear this story.
September 17, 2025 at 2:39 AM
I seen this today. Would love to hear this story.
I’ve seen fringed gentian plenty of times, but I have never picked it for seed… until now. This seed will find a new home on a #prairie restoration a few miles away. #moreprairieplease
September 12, 2025 at 10:40 PM
I’ve seen fringed gentian plenty of times, but I have never picked it for seed… until now. This seed will find a new home on a #prairie restoration a few miles away. #moreprairieplease
You see a lot of bottle gentian with 1 ring of flowers, sometimes 2 rings, occasionally 3 rings, but 4 rings is worthy of a picture. #prairie
September 12, 2025 at 1:41 AM
You see a lot of bottle gentian with 1 ring of flowers, sometimes 2 rings, occasionally 3 rings, but 4 rings is worthy of a picture. #prairie
What else did I mow around this year? This is a Lindley’s aster (Symphyotrichum ciliolatum) that I spotted this spring when it was just a couple inches tall. Kept mowing around it and here it is at peak bloom. Just a spectacular splash of color.
September 9, 2025 at 11:56 PM
What else did I mow around this year? This is a Lindley’s aster (Symphyotrichum ciliolatum) that I spotted this spring when it was just a couple inches tall. Kept mowing around it and here it is at peak bloom. Just a spectacular splash of color.
When it’s in bloom, it’s super easy to find! But when it’s time to find that seed pod, incredibly difficult. Why? It gets eaten! Deer get most of the blame, but I suspect ground squirrels too. Wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum).
September 9, 2025 at 11:48 PM
When it’s in bloom, it’s super easy to find! But when it’s time to find that seed pod, incredibly difficult. Why? It gets eaten! Deer get most of the blame, but I suspect ground squirrels too. Wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum).
My big beautiful showy goldenrod growing in my yard. I don’t know how old it is. I first noticed it two summers ago and decided to mow around it to see what it was. It bloomed last year and this year it’s even bigger.
September 6, 2025 at 5:09 PM
My big beautiful showy goldenrod growing in my yard. I don’t know how old it is. I first noticed it two summers ago and decided to mow around it to see what it was. It bloomed last year and this year it’s even bigger.
Never. Never will I find a better shade of blue. This flower stops me in my tracks every single time.
Downy gentian (Gentiana puberulenta). #prairie #nativeplants
Downy gentian (Gentiana puberulenta). #prairie #nativeplants
September 6, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Never. Never will I find a better shade of blue. This flower stops me in my tracks every single time.
Downy gentian (Gentiana puberulenta). #prairie #nativeplants
Downy gentian (Gentiana puberulenta). #prairie #nativeplants
