Season Watch

Looking on the warm side of a cold snap

By Heidi Holtan,

Published January 29, 2026 at 2:25 PM CST

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Frost coats a window at sunrise in Aitkin County on Dec. 19, 2025.

In this episode, co-hosts Charlie Mitchell and Heidi Holtan discuss finding solace in nature and the effects of deep cold on invasive species.

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If there's one thing deep cold is good for, it's slowing the spread of invasive critters not acclimated to our severe winters.

This week, co-hosts Heidi Holtan (director of public affairs, deeply empathetic human) and Charlie Mitchell (phenology coordinator, occasionally apathetic human) find solace in nature and warmth in the cold.

Attributions

Downy Woodpecker drumming recording by Peter Mundale, XC982935. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/982935.
John Latimer's phenology report, the reports from North Shore Community School, Long Lake Conservation Center and North Star Elementary School, and the recording from Ava all originally aired on KAXE.

Love the podcast? Have you lost a favorite tree, or found solace outdoors? Let us know! Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe, or email us at seasonwatch@kaxe.org.

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Heidi Holtan

For more than two decades, Heidi Holtan has helped shape the sound of KAXE. Since joining the station in 2002 as a volunteer music programmer, she has worn many hats including the weekly book program, Realgoodwords, hosting the Morning Show, creation and host of the weekly call-in program Between You and Me, serving as Outreach Producer. Program Director, News Director and currently Director of Content and Public Affairs.

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

Looking on the warm side of a cold snap

In this episode, co-hosts Charlie Mitchell and Heidi Holtan discuss finding solace in nature and the effects of deep cold on invasive species.Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe!

In this episode, co-hosts Charlie Mitchell and Heidi Holtan discuss finding solace in nature and the effects of deep cold on invasive species.

Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe!