At KAXE, we like to say you don’t have to be an expert to enjoy nature — you just have to be curious. That’s the spirit behind the weekly Season Watch Newsletter, written and designed by KAXE’s Phenology Coordinator Charlie Mitchell.
If you're interested in Minnesota's beautiful ecosystems, the Season Watch Newsletter is a guide to the small, cyclical shifts that add up to a season — and invites you to slow down, enjoy and indulge your curiosity.
“You really don’t need to know much up front,” Charlie said on a recent episode of the KAXE Morning Show. “It just requires going outside, taking a look and enjoying yourself.”
Each week, the newsletter offers a curated “watch list” of things to look for, broken down by setting: your commute, the forest, water’s edge or just around town. As reader Michelle Martin said, "The mix of humor, solid information, and approachable science is perfect. It's like having a favorite neighbor who just happens to be a nature expert."
Subscribe and check out the Season Watch Newsletter archive.
May's marvels
In early May, nature kicks into high gear.
“It’s a bit of a seasonal sprint,” Charlie explained. “Things happen so fast.”
On a long drive, it's great to keep an eye on the treetops. Trees are dealing with an evolutionary dilemma; the first to leaf out get access to plenty of that sweet summer sunlight but run the risk of freezing in a late frost.
Minnesota's many tree species have found different solutions. Some, such as basswoods, spend May growing green leaves and flower in summer. Others, like the maples, put out red flowers in April and leaf out later. Even young leaves have different hues. Ashes, for instance, begin in shades of orange and red.
These differing tactics combine in forest canopies, causing a brief two-week period where the treetops seem airbrushed in delicate hues of yellow, red and green. By the end of May, the treetops will transition into the green wall of summer.
Lower to the ground, Charlie’s watching for Eastern leatherwood, a woody shrub with strong, flexible twigs (you can tie the twigs in a knot without breaking them). Their small yellow flowers emerge from fuzzy brown buds — an early treat for pollinators.
Near moving water, watch for marsh marigolds, blooming in vibrant blankets of yellow.
And in yards and gardens, daffodils are rising up, too — but Charlie gives this tip: Choose simple daffodils over the ruffled, flashy ones if you want to help pollinators.
KAXE's nature programming and phenology is more than just observation: It is about staying aware.
“You’re not going to see the first butterfly of spring if your mind is on your grocery list,” Charlie said. “It’s a mindfulness practice. It makes me feel calm and grounded — and part of the world I’m living in.”
Charlie credits KAXE's Staff Phenologist John Latimer for sparking that sense of connection and for emphasizing how simple phenology can be.
“He claimed, 'I'm just a guy who likes nature,'” Charlie recalled. “And that’s all it takes.”
You can listen to the full conversation about nature changes in May above.
Connect with us
What do you love to see in May? Let us know. Email us at comments@kaxe.org or text us at 218-326-1234.
For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
