Category: Arb Talk

We finally got enough snow for most of the grass to be covered and the skiers have been out and about. Most skiers are using the waxless skis from the…

Ahhh, scavenging from garbage dumps, sunbathing in trees, no opposable thumbs, and partially hibernating in the winter. If this were a human I was describing, you might be concerned. But…

Those who were on campus last year might remember beavers swimming in the Lyman Lakes and building dams on Spring Creek – but where have they been this year? Last…

The Arboretum is a lovely place to enjoy a vast array of trees and greenery, though one particular species towers above the rest: the eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides). This prominent…

Although a brisk wintry stroll through the Arb might convince you that the Arb is devoid of wildlife, a whole ecosystem is just below your feet! In fact, many THREE POUND critters are dwelling below the soil, namely the plains pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius). If you’ve seen one, consider yourself lucky.

Within the last few decades, Minnesota has become home to a new visitor, the Virginia Opossum, more commonly known as the Opossum. Opossums are unique in that they are the…

As winter approaches and deciduous trees lose their leaves, the Arboretum clearly sports a new look. In mid-November, browns are the dominant color and pointed skeletal structures are revealed. Some…

Minnesota is divided into many ecological subsections, all within its three primary biomes of prairie, broadleaf forest, and coniferous forest. Honing in on the broadleaf forest region in Southeast Minnesota,…

They’re everywhere. They slap unassuming cyclists in the face as they race to get to class. They crawl on the computers of students sitting at picnic tables on the bald…

The leaves are changing and the wind is taking them off the trees. Some of the beautiful colors that frame walks in the arb these days are coming from Sugar…