Science and Nature

Relationships in Nature at Long Lake: A Conversation with Dave McMillan

KAXE | By John Latimer,

Published November 4, 2022 at 1:27 PM CDT

A doe and her fawn visiting a fallen family member

This week, Morning Show hosts Heidi and John chatted with Dave McMillan, manager of the Long Lake Conservation Center in Palisade. Dave tells the touching story of a doe and her two fawns. One fawn was struck and killed on a road, and Dave dragged it into the woods and set up a trail camera by the body. He expected to see a variety of predators, which he did: an unexpected discovery, however, was that the fawn's mother and sibling came back to visit the body every day. It's a touching story, and well worth a listen: they also discuss Long Lake's mission, the value of sitting quietly in the woods, and how time in nature can be a life-changing experience! Please enjoy, and you can visit Long Lake's website here.

Tags

John Latimer

As a mail carrier in rural Grand Rapids, Minn., for 35 years, John Latimer put his own stamp on a career that delivered more than letters. Indeed, while driving the hundred-mile round-trip daily route, he passed the time by observing and recording seasonal changes in nature, learning everything he could about the area’s weather, plants and animals, and becoming the go-to guy who could answer customers’ questions about what they were seeing in the environment.

See stories by John Latimer

Heidi Holtan

Heidi Holtan is Director of Content and Public Affairs. She manages producers/hosts and is the host of the KAXE Morning Show, including a variety of local content like Phenology, What's for Breakfast, Area Voices, The Sports Page and much more, alongside Morning Edition from NPR.

See stories by Heidi Holtan

Charlie Mitchell

Charlie Mitchell (she/they) joined KAXE in February of 2022. Charlie creates the Season Watch Newsletter, produces the Phenology Talkbacks show, coordinates the Phenology in the Classroom program, and writes nature-related stories for KAXE's website. Essentailly, Charlie is John Latimer's faithful sidekick and makes sure all of KAXE's nature/phenology programs find a second life online and in podcast form.

With a background in ecology and evolutionary biology, Charlie enjoys learning a little bit about everything, whether it's plants, mushrooms, or the star-nosed mole. (Fun fact: Moles store fat in their tails, so they don't outgrow their tunnels every time conditions are good.)

See stories by Charlie Mitchell