Wander & Wonder

Wildflower Chasers: Ditching the highway for off-road gems
Setting out on a mission to find a flower, means looking for them anywhere. Including walking through the dewy tall grass of a highway ditch early in the morning. “There’s nothing like a good, rich ditch,” said Wildflower Chaser Kelly Povo.
Split Rock Lighthouse shines with new tours, Indigenous history exhibit
Minnesota’s iconic North Shore lighthouse has transformed itself over the last few years since the pandemic. A recent trip found a new walking tour and new detail on the history of the Native American people who were there long before the 114-year-old tower. 
Northern lights and meteor showers danced across Minnesota over the weekend
Many Minnesotans and neighboring states witnessed a jaw-dropping show of northern lights and meteor showers Sunday night and Monday morning. We received dozens of photos from readers and listeners. Here are some of our favorites.
Wildflower Chasers: A brush with bristle on the North Shore
Keeping your nose to the ground can be a great way to find blooming wildflowers. But as Morning Edition’s Wildflower Chasers found out, it’s a good idea to look up once in a while.
Quality coffee, Ojibwe language and a little magic are brewing on Fond du Lac Band’s reservation
On the Fond du Lac Band’s reservation, one family is energizing the community through quality coffee. MiigWitches Brew is the only coffee shop on the reservation and one of a few Native-owned shops in the state.
Going old school on travels across Minnesota
In communities across Minnesota, old schools may be boarded up or falling apart. They may be completely renovated into apartments or a home or some other use. But no matter their present state, they have stories to tell.
In gardens across Minnesota, the beetle battle begins
Sporting metallic green and copper colors, Japanese beetles are starting their annual feast of roses, grapevines, fruit trees and any number of other plants — much to the chagrin of gardeners and farmers across a wide swath of Minnesota.
Wildflower Chasers: Strolling through a bog for lady's slipper orchids
Rain and terrain have never stopped wildflower chasers Kelly Povo and Phyllis Root, who set out earlier this month to find all six variations of Minnesota’s lady’s slipper orchid.