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Season Watch Podcast sponsored by Sugar Lake Lodge
Season Watch

Introducing the little goblin moonwort

By Charlie Mitchell,
Heidi Holtan
Published August 7, 2026 at 12:00 PM CDT
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A miniscule, knobbly green plant grows from the leaf litter.
Contributed
/
iNaturalist user Mlgabrielson
A little goblin moonwort (yes, that's a species of plant) grows in Cass County in June, 2021.

Co-hosts Heidi Holtan and Charlie Mitchell discover goblin ferns (also known as goblin moonworts), gaze at snapping turtles, and discuss what it means to be a naturalist.

Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe!

Little goblin moonwort may sound like something from a fairytale, but it's a plant that grows right here in Minnesota. It's also known as the goblin fern!

This week, co-hosts Heidi Holtan and Charlie Mitchell discuss the pros and cons of summer, mourn the loss of Heidi's local duck family, and discuss the merits of being a nature enthusiast

In addition, we hear from Long Lake Conservation Center, John Latimer, and Minnesota Master Naturalists LeAnn and Ron Plinske.

Attributions

  1. Chimpunk call by iNaturalist user sara5295.
  2. The Long Lake Conservation Center talkback, John Latimer's phenology report, and LeAnn and Ron Plinske's interview originally aired on KAXE.
  3. This episode was produced by Charlie Mitchell and Heidi Holtan.

Love the podcast? Have a fun plant to tell us about? 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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