Ramsey County Historical Society Presents

Adam Regn Arvidson, Wild & Rare: Tracking Endangered Species in the Upper Midwest

History Revealed Series
June 11, 2019
6:00 pm: Prairie Tour
7:00 pm: Presentation & Book Signing

Gibbs Farm

Free and open to all. No reservations needed.

Join us prior to the presentation to tour our restored native prairie!

Join RCHS for History Revealed, our program series featuring presentations and tours from the best of local historians, authors and archaeologists, with a wide range of topics drawn from the heritage and traditions of Ramsey County.

Compelling stories of Minnesota’s endangered species, the landscapes that nurture them, and the people who are discovering their secrets.What can endangered species tell us about our part of the world? What can they tell us about us? The elusive Canada lynx bears kittens in Minnesota’s northeastern woods. In the far southeastern part of the state, the succulent Leedy’s roseroot clings to cold cliffs. On the northwestern grasslands, the western prairie fringed orchid grows only on ancient glacial beach ridges. In the rivers of the Twin Cities metro area, the snuffbox mussel snaps on a fish’s nose to give its larvae a temporary home. These species and fifteen others living in Minnesota are on the federal Endangered Species List. This book is an entertaining and educational journey through Minnesota’s diverse landscapes, one wild and rare inhabitant at a time. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Arvidson, a talented science reporter and genial guide, uncovers the stories of these plants and animals, providing compelling views of the state’s northern pine forest, deciduous forest, and prairie landscapes. Readers learn how beach driving in Texas affects Minnesota’s northernmost bird; how ranchers feel about prairie minnows; how urban runoff affects rivers and therefore mussels; how the wolf ended up in court. Scientists, orchid-hounds, lawyers, and nature lovers weigh in on the value and benefit of rare species—and their right to exist.

Adam Regn Arvidson is a nonfiction writer and landscape architect living in Minneapolis. His work has appeared in publications ranging from Landscape Architecture Magazine to the Utne Reader to flyway: journal of writing and the environment. In 2009 he was awarded the Bradford Williams Medal for excellence in writing about landscape architecture. He has served as an editor for several publications and is the author of Greening the Landscape: Strategies for Environmentally Sound Practice. 

2019 History Revealed Programs

See the History Revealed 2019 information page for updates and a list of programs.
Or check our Calendar for these and other programs at the Gibbs Farm, and more!