Chuck Lura has a broad knowledge of "Natural North Dakota"and loves sharing that knowledge with others. Since 2005, Chuck has written a weekly column, “Naturalist at Large,” for the Lake Metigoshe Mirror, and his “The Naturalist” columns appear in several other weekly North Dakota newspapers.
Lura was a long-time biology professor at Dakota College at Bottineau, publishing research on ecological aspects of grasslands in the northern Great Plains. In retirement, he continues to share his Natural North Dakota essays for the Prairie Public audience.
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Natural North Dakota is supported by NDSU Central Grasslands Research Extension Center and Dakota College at Bottineau, and by the members of Prairie Public. Thanks to Sunny 101.9 in Bottineau for their recording services.
Hear Natural North Dakota on Prairie Public on Saturdays and Sundays at 8:35am CT.
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Have you noticed a few falling stars lately? It might surprise you, but there are two meteor showers going on now: the Delta Aquarids and the Perseids. -
Looking out over the grasslands there are several species of sunflowers, goldenrods, and asters putting on their annual flower show. They are announcing that school is about to start, the harvest has begun, and fall will soon take center stage. There is more going on during August than we may realize. -
Many North Dakotans make a point to visit Medora each summer. The town, the Medora musical, and of course Theodore Roosevelt National Park attract lots of visitors. But if you go, make a point to get off the beaten path a bit. The area has lots to offer, including the petrified forest, burning coal vein, ponderosa pines, and the Maah Daah Hey Trail. -
I suspect that most people have seen a small hawk-like bird perched on a utility pole or line that is a little larger than a mourning dove but smaller than a pigeon. If so, that is likely a sparrow hawk, also known as a kestrel. -
There are a dozen species of sage that may be found in North Dakota. Among the more common are a couple species that most people would just call sagebrush, wormwood (an introduced noxious weed), and fringed sage or prairie sagewort (Artemisia frigida). -
We may occasionally hear disparaging comments about the management of native prairie (e.g., overgrazing), but leaving it completely idle or rested for many years is not a good option. Active management is needed to keep the prairie in good condition. -
What is it about kids and caterpillars? It seems like kids of my generation at some point found a caterpillar and promptly put it (along with some plant material) in a jar with some holes punched in the lid, and watched it so see what would happen. -
It is not too early to start looking for some Juneberry patches to harvest this summer. -
The orchid family is one of the largest and most diverse family of flowering plants and widely recognized for their attractive and fragrant flowers. Even though we can now find orchids for sale in several big box stores, the mention of orchids often brings out thoughts of exotic tropical locations. -
It might surprise you, but the fox squirrel is not native to North Dakota.
