Land & Water​

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is restoring floodplain forest habitat on Mississippi River islands throughout the Reno Bottoms area, east of Houston County, with trees such as river birch, hackberry, cottonwood, silver maple and swamp white oak. Above, Corps forester Sara Rother drives a boat full of trees to be planted on an island south of La Crosse. (Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The Mississippi River’s Floodplain Forests are Dying | The Race is on to Bring Them Back

Madeline Heim reports on efforts at restoring forests along the Mississippi at Reno Bottoms, south of LaCrosse, Wisconsin

From Mound Prairie, you can see a landscape of fields and bluffs many miles away. (Photos by John Weiss)

Mound Prairie is a Refuge for Rare Native Plants

John Weiss visits a Scientific and Natural Area “goat prairie” in Houston County.

Recent improvements to the Lanesboro Dam on the South Branch of the Root River will give better access to canoes, kayaks, drift boats and other small craft. (Photo by Luke Pfeffer)

Fishing Access Upgraded at Lanesboro’s Historic Dam

Dave Shaffer reports on improvements at the Lanesboro Dam

Smoke haze drifts over a valley in Fillmore County in late June. (Photo by John Torgrimson)

Wildfire Smoke is New Hazard in Upper Midwest

Chloe Johnson reports on wildfire smoke hazards in the Midwest.

The Driftless Region is chock full of cold, clear streams, offering anglers ample opportunities to catch trout. (Photo courtesy of Bob White, Marine on St. Croix, MN; learn more at BobWhiteStudio.com)

You’ve Entered the Driftless Zone

Steve Harris and John Gaddo explore the Driftless Region and its geological wonders

Contempo Physical Dance, directed by Marciano Silva dos Santos, performs in the barn at DreamAcres. (Photo by Jeff Brechlin)

DreamAcres, Where Performing Art Meets Agriculture

John Torgrimson visits DreamAcres near Wykoff where art meets agriculture.

The Heins' grazing operation, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Hoosier-Ridge-Ranch/100077387513820/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hoosier Ridge Ranch</a>, is grounded in economics. The family’s strategy involves building their own herd, custom grazing, and evolving cropland with cover crops and seasonal grazing. (Photo by Eric Heins)

Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk, Too

Jim Ruen reports on efforts by one family to build a forage based farm enterprise near Altura. They host pasture walks with their children, building a legacy for the future.

Alex Romano signs in for the May 22 meeting on Winona County contaminated water, with her daughter Ruth, 7 months. (Photo by John Weiss)

Water — A Resource in Crisis

John Weiss reports on a water quality meeting in Winona County sponsored by the Winona County Clean Water Coalition and the League of Women Voters.

Some of the trout and other fish electroshocked this spring as part of the DNR’s annual trout stream analysis (Photo by John Weiss)

DNR Shocks Trout to Check Health of Area Streams

Nature writer John Weiss observes annual health check of area trout streams

Three 120-foot-wide contour strips planted with cover crops follow the contours of hills and ridges, reducing runoff, nutrient loss, and erosion on the Phil Schwantz farm near Altura. (Photo submitted by Phil Schwantz)

Finding a Better Way, One Generation to the Next

Jim Ruen reports on an area farmer who continues a decades-long search for new ways to improve soil health and, through that, soil, water and farm profits.

This image is an artist rendering of what a manure digester plant planned for Benson, Minnesota may look like. (Graphic: Nature Energy)

Manure Digester Proposed in Lewiston

Julie Little and Loni Kemp explore the impact manure digesters may have on local communities.

Walker’s route through Fillmore County took him from Pleasant Grove in Olmsted County to Jordan, Fillmore Village, Carimona, Waukokee, Big Springs, Greenfield, and Eliotta, before crossing into Iowa at Burr Oak. Waukokee was a swing station and post office south of Preston and Eliotta was located on the Minnesota – Iowa border in present-day Canton Township. (Map courtesy of Fillmore County Historical Society)

Dubuque-St. Paul Territorial Road Opened Up Area to White Settlement

The Dubuque – St. Paul trail opened up the Minnesota Territory to white settlement. John Torgrimson writes about the role the stagecoach played in that development.

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