Nature and the Environment

MNGOP Rep. Gruenhagen on climate change: "It's just a complete United Nations fraud" [VIDEO]

Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe, is anti-gay and gets his "facts" from materials distributed at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Other than that, we're sure he's exactly the sort of elected leader Minnesota needs.SEE ALSO: MNGOP Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen: Gov't is paying minority men to im ... More >>

Julie Rosen trolls activists during frac sand hearing, says "they have to expect" misery [VIDEO]

Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, believes life is hard -- especially if you're unlucky enough to live near a frac sand deposit.SEE ALSO: Red Wing Mayor Dennis Egan resigns amid frac sand lobbying controversy During a hearing earlier this week about a proposed one-year moratorium on new frac sand mines ... More >>

Promised Land fights fracking

Matt Damon and John Krasinski pit big business against small-town environmentalists in this hard-sell film

Minnesota's wolf hunting season claims 50 on opening weekend

Minnesota's controversial wolf hunting season is officially underway, and after the opening weekend, the DNR has tallied 50 kills. That amounts to one-quarter of the quota for the early 16-day wolf hunting season. Another quota of 200 will be set for a later season, running from November 24 to Janu ... More >>

Last of the Minnesota Zoo dolphins moved to new homes

The Minnesota Zoo's two bottlenose dolphins, Semo and Allie, have been moved to new homes to allow for major repairs to the zoo's saltwater-damaged Discovery Bay building. Semo, who at 48 is the oldest male bottlenose dolphin in human care, now resides at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in California. A ... More >>

The Fracking Fiasco

America's latest gold rush portends the greatest environmental disaster of a generation

Gray wolf advocates to protest DNR over hunting season

See Also:Howling for Wolves putting up anti-wolf hunt billboards Wolf hunting season opposed by 80 percent of DNR survey respondents Minnesota's wolf hunting season begins November Opponents of the Legislature-mandated hunting season for Minnesota's formerly endangered gray wolf plan to protest o ... More >>

Howling for Wolves putting up anti-wolf hunt billboards

SEE ALSO:-- Wolf hunting season opposed by 80 percent of DNR survey respondents-- Minnesota's wolf hunting season begins November 3A nonprofit called Howling for Wolves is putting up billboards around the Twin Cities in a last-ditch effort to persuade state officials to reconsider this fall's first- ... More >>

Wolf hunting season opposed by 80 percent of DNR survey respondents

Minnesota's first-ever regulated wolf hunting season is already unpopular with the vast majority of respondents to a Department of Natural Resources survey. Of the 7,351 who participated in the survey, only 1,542 -- about 20 percent -- supported the hunting season mandated by the Legislature this y ... More >>

Tim Pawlenty named to board of sand mining company

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty wasn't meant to lead a nation. But, since his August announcement to drop his 2012 presidential bid, he's made sure he's still governing something, somewhere. Pawlenty was named to Smart Sand Inc.'s Board of Directors on Wednesday, which marks his eighth appointmen ... More >>

Minnesota's wolf hunting season begins November 3

Minnesota's first-ever regulated wolf hunting season is officially starting this November. Our state is home to about 3,000 gray wolves, according to the Department of Natural Resources, up from 750 in the 1950s. In January, the wolf was removed from the federal protective species list, and retur ... More >>

GOP Rep. Torrey Westrom wants to legalize coyote hunting from planes and snowmobiles

​Coyotes pose a serious problem for Minnesota farmers -- the animals, which are Minnesota's most abundant large predator, prey on livestock. Rep. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake, wants to do something about the coyote problem. That goal, combined with a love of hunting, led him to the following propo ... More >>

Controversial wolf hunting season may debut this year

In a move that some suggest is undemocratic and hasty, the legislature may legalize wolf hunting.​Yesterday, gray wolves were removed from the federal protection list, putting the animals under the control of the Minnesota DNR. And before the day was through, legislators were already developing pl ... More >>

Craig Staloch killed thousands of pelican chicks

​Craig Staloch killed thousands of pelican chicks this May, in violation of federal law, his lawyer admitted in court Thursday. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials arrived at his Minnesota Lake farm to check on a pelican colony May 17. He called back to ask what his "options" wer ... More >>

Hope is dead, hunter confirms

Hope was killed by a hunter who didn't recognize her.​Hope, the black bear whose live birth online captured animal lovers' hearts, has died by the hands of a Minnesota hunter. Hope, daughter of internet celebrity bear Lily, had been missing for some time, and researcher Lynn Rogers feared she migh ... More >>

Craig Staloch, Minnesota farmer, charged in pelican massacre

WikipediaThe American White Pelican is not endangered -- unless it's on Craig Staloch's land.​Craig Staloch had a bird problem. Now he has a legal problem.Staloch's facing a single misdemeanor charge of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for his bird massacre, which left a flock-full of Ame ... More >>

Will Steger baffled by Tim Pawlenty's global warming flip flop

Steger sees the politics behind Pawlenty's about face.​Arctic explorer Will Steger, who's seen more evidence of global warming up close and personal than most of us ever will outside the pages of National Geographic, was once really proud of the way Tim Pawlenty listened to science and evidenc ... More >>

Alpaca: It's what's for dinner!?

Photo by Kelly DwyerOne Minnesota farm is touting alpaca burgers and steaks​Over the last decade, small herds of alpaca have sprung up across the country as the price of choice breeding stock skyrocketed. An award-winning animal would routinely fetch five- or even six-figure amounts on the mar ... More >>

Allie the Minnesota Zoo dolphin has a baby

Courtesy Minnesota ZooAllie and baby are reported to be doing just fine​Last time we checked in with the ongoing soap opera among the dolphins at the Minnesota Zoo, Spree, the socially awkward one, was being shipped off to Chicago. Better news today. Allie, 23, just had a baby. She gave birth ... More >>

Gaea the vaginal beaver returned to Bemidji Sculpture Walk

Deborah DavisDoes this beaver look like a vagina to you?​Bemidji City Council just voted unanimously to return a controversial beaver to its rightful place on the Bemidji Sculpture Walk.Painted by artist Deborah Davis, "Gaea" is a celebration of womanhood and one of nine four-foot-tall ceramic bea ... More >>

Vagina on beaver sculpture causes controversy [PHOTO]

Deborah DavisIs that a vagina on that beaver's stomach?​Is that a vagina on that beaver's belly?At least 20 passersby on the Bemidji Sculpture Walk certainly thought so, and they called City Hall to complain.That led to City Manager John Chattin removing the offending beaver.Now some are crying ce ... More >>

Klobuchar, Oberstar, want Gray Wolf off endangered list, back in hunters' sights

The politicians from MN say the gray wolf should be removed from the federal Endangered Species List. Those pesky wolves keep attacking pets and livestock, and farmers aren't allowed to shoot them now.

Spree the socially awkward dolphin ships out

Photo courtesy of the Minnesota ZooSpree's off to Chicago​No mom around for guidance. Tough guys leading her astray. Not playing nice with the other girls. Yes, it was time for Spree, the Minnesota Zoo's socially awkward bottlenose dolphin, to get a change of scene. She's off to the Brookfie ... More >>

Minn. Zoo dolphin clued in on social skills

Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Zoo​Poor Spree the dolphin. Born at the Minnesota Zoo in Aug. 2002, she lost her mother in 2006. Without a mom to teach her how to interact with other dolphins, she became the zoo outcast, lonely and clueless. Her only role models were two male dolphins. They faile ... More >>

Video of the day: Cutest baby gibbon ever born on the tundra

White cheeked gibbons are an endangered species in Laos and Vietnam. This one looks pretty safe, though.

Chicago dolphins crash at Minn. Zoo during aquarium renovation

The Minnesota Zoo's dolphin exhibit just got a little more snug now that they have three of Chicago's bottlenose dolphins crashing there until their new aquarium is completed.

Who freed Wis. zoo's buffalo, monkey, porcupines?

Irvine Park Zoo officials in Wisconsin are still on the lookout for three animals still missing after more than a dozen of the zoo's creatures were freed from their pens late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

When otters attack: Austrian tourist in Wis. gets rabies shots after bites

An Austrian woman visiting a Wisconsin lake got quite a surprise when she saw several otters swimming near her. Before she knew it, the cute and seemingly innocent animals were attacking her.

Monkeys are ticklish, too!

What could be cuter than a ticklish baby? A ticklish baby ape!

Café Scientifique: Honeybees & Human Health

Minn. Zoo's highly anticipated dolphin calf born dead

Allie, a 21-year-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, went into labor early this morning but her calf was born dead.

How to cook squirrel

Reporter's Notebook: Sharks in Lake Superior?

It's Come to This: Eating Jellyfish at the Mall of America

The Hidden World of Bears: Photography by Lynn Rogers

MN Zoo's Bottlenose Dolphin Has Bottlenose Bun In Oven

The Zoo has guns.

Bears and otters would like you to drink

Greg Marshall: 20 Years of Putting Cameras on Animals

National Geographic Live Speakers Series: Greg Marshall

Lynn Cox

Shark Attack!

Breakfast of Champions: 12/27

Viewmaster

Democracy now! Not now? OK, how about later?

Waiting to Exhale

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sees blue skies ahead. Or is that hot air?

Aqualung

A Wing and a Scare

After Katrina, a rough winter lies in store for Minnesota's migratory birds

Jobs Scam: A Q&A With Greg LeRoy