The annual Biodiversity Highlights is hosted by the Minnesota Biological Survey (MBS), Nongame Wildlife Program (NW), Scientific and Natural Areas Program (SNA), Conservation Management and Rare Resources Unit (CMRR), and Invasive Species Program (IS) at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The purpose of these presentations is for these programs to highlight new biodiversity information from the past year or so that is relevant to natural resource professionals working to conserve, manage and better understand biodiversity in Minnesota. Speakers will present on new plant and animal discoveries, monitoring and research outcomes, management and protection accomplishments, community science initiatives, policy updates and emerging threats facing biodiversity. This year there are 2 online events, each about 3 hours in length with about 10 speakers for each session.
See links below for each day’s agenda (agendas are subject to change, check back the day-of for the final agenda)
Agenda 1 of 4: Feb. 11th, 1-4pm CST. See agenda below
Agenda 2 of 4: Feb. 23rd, 1-4pm CST. Agenda.
Schedule
| Start Time (~) | Length (minutes) | Speaker | Program | Title of Talk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM | 10 | - | - | Meeting Opens, Program Intro |
| 1:10 PM | 10 | Michael Worland, Nongame Wildlife Biologist | Nongame Wildlife Program | Should we monitor urban pollinators? |
| 1:20 PM | 15 | Gaea Crozier, Nongame Wildlife Specialist | Nongame Wildlife Program | Wood Turtle Project in Northeastern Minnesota |
| 1:35 PM | 10 | Adam Maleski, Regional Nongame Specialist | Nongame Wildlife Program | Response of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) to a string-grid installation on Lake of the Woods |
| 1:45 PM | 10 | - | - | Break |
| 1:55 PM | 20 | Tim Mitchell, Loon Program Coordinator | Nongame Wildlife Program | Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota |
| 2:15 PM | 20 | Megan Benage & Genevieve Brand, Regional Ecologist | Conservation Management & Rare Resources | Prairie Reconstruction Initiative: Understanding the prairie and how the choices we make improve our chances of success |
| 2:35 PM | 15 | Nicholas Jensen, Regional ecologist | Conservation Management & Rare Resources | Burning Badoura's budworm business |
| 2:50 PM | 10 | - | - | Break |
| 3:00 PM | 10 | Christina Locke, Pollinator Conservation Coordinator | Conservation Management & Rare Resources | Creating a seed harvesting guidebook for early season prairie forbs. |
| 3:10 PM | 10 | Kelly Randall, Statewide Outreach Consultant, Stephanie Hummel, State Program Administrator Intermediate, and Evan Montpellier, SNA Management Specialist | Scientific & Natural Areas Program | Art into Action: A Collaboration with the Walker Art Center |
| 3:20 PM | 10 | Bill Bleckwenn, SNA Acquisition Coordinator/Planner | Scientific & Natural Areas Program | SNA Acquisition Updates |
| 3:30 PM | 15 | Carli Wagner, Invasive Carp Lock and Dam 5 Deterrent Project Coordinator | Invasive Species Program | Lock & Dam 5 Invasive Carp Deterrent Project. |
| 3:55 | - | - | - | ADJOURN |