Outside in MN

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Hoping your butterfly release will boost monarch population? Not quite, study says
Despite an increase in the population this year, the number of North American monarchs making their seasonal migration has been falling dramatically over the past 20 years. And if monarchs don't migrate, they die.
See a turtle on the road? Help it live another day
June is nesting season for turtles, and females are looking for a place to lay their eggs. But roads can be a deadly hazard.
Audio postcard: The flowers of Minnesota's old-growth northern forest
The latest dispatch from wildflower experts Phyllis Root and Kelly Povo comes from the Lost 40, a plot of old-growth red and white pines in the Chippewa National Forest.
Gnats are awful this spring, but it might get better soon
This is a bad spring for humans and buffalo gnats. However, one expert sees relief from the pests in our near future.
No such thing as the Poop Fairy: Duluth tries whimsy offensive on scofflaw dog owners
Every spring, the piles of dog waste that were frozen all winter start to melt. It's a messy, potentially hazardous problem. So the parks department is reminding residents to pick up after their pets.
A big, hairy solution to restoring Minnesota's prairies
Bison will again roam a 170-acre swath of land at Belwin Conservancy near the Twin Cities this summer, where their presence benefits the restored tallgrass prairie.
A primer on life jackets: Especially in cold water, they can save your life
Just a few weeks ago, many of Minnesota's lakes and rivers were covered with ice. And wearing a life jacket can make a critical difference in the chances of survival for boaters and anglers who fall overboard into cold water, officials say.