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Season Watch

Cryptic and captivating: The secret lives of MN salamanders

By Charlie Mitchell,
Heidi Holtan
Published June 4, 2026 at 9:06 AM CDT
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A blue-spotted salamander poses on a mossy log near Minnetonka in June 2024.
Contributed
/
Max Roberts via iNaturalist
A blue-spotted salamander poses on a mossy log near Minnetonka in June 2024.

Charlie Mitchell nerds out about salamanders while Heidi Holtan exults over spotting oak apple galls.

Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe!

They're slimy, they're sneaky, they're wonderful and freaky!

All rise for the salamanders of Minnesota!

Co-hosts Charlie Mitchell (phenology coordinator, fun fact enthusiast) and Heidi Holtan (director of content and public affairs, gall aficionado) geek out about the fascinating, too-often overlooked world of salamanders.

A large burl grows on a maple tree at Long Lake Conservation Center on Oct. 12, 2024.
Science and Nature
Stuff on stuff: Exploring the odd world of galls, burls, and brooms
Heidi Holtan, Charlie Mitchell
In this episode, co-hosts Heidi Holtan and Charlie Mitchell are delighted by Sam Guida, an expert in mysterious plant-insect interactions and former student phenologist.

In addition, we hear from Josh Leonard from Belwin Outdoor Science, Prairie Creek Community School, and (as always!) our humble leader, John Latimer.

Attributions

  1. Josh Leonard sent in a voice memo from Belwin Outdoor Science.
  2. Deer alarm call by iNaturalist user minnekota.
  3. Fawn alarm call by Paul Driver, XC961772. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/961772.
  4. The Prairie Creek Community School report and John Latimer's phenology report originally aired on KAXE.
  5. This episode was produced by Heidi Holtan and Charlie Mitchell.

Love the podcast? Want to share your sightings? Let us know! Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe!

Email us at seasonwatch@kaxe.org.

Tags
Season Watch Season Watch PodcastKAXENorthern MinnesotaPhenologySummer phenology
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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.<br/><br/><br/>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
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
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