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“Rock Climbers and Trumpeters” coming up on Prairie Sportsman

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by
Amanda Anderson
• Published on
Blue Mounds State Park cliffs
Prairie Sportsman's Max Grabow on Blue Mounds State Park cliffs
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Download a photo of Max Grabow on the Blue Mounds State Park cliffs.

GRANITE FALLS, Minn. —Prairie Sportsman is out with rock climbers at Blue Mounds State Park and at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge where trumpeter swans are flourishing, coming up on Pioneer Public Television Sunday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m.; on Lakeland Public TV Saturday, May 11 at 2:30 p.m.; on KSMQ Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 pm; and on TPT Life Saturday, June 15 at 12:30 p.m.

Blue Mounds State Park is famous for a cliff line left behind by an ancient glacial river. The scenic southwest Minnesota destination draws rock climbers from throughout the region, including Sioux Falls, the Twin Cities and Nebraska. The segment features veteran climbers Craig Lais of Worthington and Jeff Johnson and first-time climber Rachael Addis of Minneapolis.

In the early 1900s, the country’s only breeding populations of trumpeter swans existed in southwest Montana and Alaska. In the mid 1980s, the DNR embarked on reintroducing trumpeters to Minnesota at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Minnesota. DNR biologists, led by Carrol Henderson, gathered swan eggs in Alaska, raised them in incubators and pens until they were 2 years old, then released them at Tamarac — an event covered by ABC News. Today there are more than 500 trumpeter swans and about 50 breeding pairs in the refuge.

The episode also draws attention to the most recent aquatic invasive species to arrive in Minnesota, starry stonewort, which has infested at least 14 lakes. Starry Trek, a one-day event in August, engages volunteer groups from around the state in checking lakes for starry stonewort, including the Big Stone County 4-H Club. Starry Trek is organized by the University of Minnesota and DNR.

About Prairie Sportsman

Prairie Sportsman celebrates our love of the outdoors — to hunt, fish and enjoy recreation provided by our vast resources of lakes, rivers, trails and grasslands — while promoting environmental stewardship.

Prairie Sportsman’s team includes Cindy Dorn, producer/writer; Bret Amundson, host/assistant producer; Dylan Curfman, editor/videographer and Max Grabow, assistant videographer/editor. The 2019 season is made possible by funding from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, SafeBasements of Minnesota, Diamond Willow, Live Wide Open and Western Minnesota Prairie Waters.

About Pioneer Public Television

Established in 1966, Pioneer Public TV is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. For more information visit www.pioneer.org.