Minnesota Seasons

These are locations in Minnesota where native plants, birds, and other wildlife can be viewed. With very few exceptions, these destinations are open to the public.

Visitors can share their own photos, videos, plant and wildlife sightings, and other observations.

Native, naturalized, invasive, or simply planted—any plant growing outside of cultivation in Minnesota.

More than 800 plant pages include photos, a description, a multi-sourced distribution map, and a list of sites where the plant has been found.

Insects and arachnids found in Minnesota.

Species pages include photos, a description, a list of sightings by MinnesotaSeasons.com, visitor sightings, and distribution maps.

Birds and bears, snakes and squirrels, toads and turtles—wildlife found in Minnesota.

Wildlife pages include photos, a description, and a list of sightings, as well as distribution maps for amphibians, mammals, and reptiles.

Mushrooms, lichens, and other fungi found in Minnesota.

Fungi and lichen pages include photos, a description, a list of sightings by MinnesotaSeasons.com, visitor sightings, and distribution maps.

Download free high resolution wallpapers (screen backgrounds). These are photos of destinations featured on MinnesotaSeasons.com. The wallpapers are grouped by ecological season. Each wallpaper is optimized for the screen resolutions used most often on desktops, laptops, and tablets.

The estival ecological season corresponds roughly to the the first half of the summer calendar season. In Minnesota, it usually begins about June 15 and ends about August 15. Trees are in full leaf. Birds hatch and raise their offspring.

giant mayfly (Hexagenia limbata)

common roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)

Scott Leddy

common map turtle (Graptemys geographica)

golden-backed snipe fly (Chrysopilus thoracicus)

hooked buttercup (Ranunculus recurvatus var. recurvatus)

John Valo

plume moth (Hellinsia glenni)

Stephanie Selb

minute seed weevil (Homorosoma sulcipenne)

Alfredo Colon

Say’s sunflower burrowing-resin bee (Paranthidium jugatorium jugatorium)

Scott Leddy

agreeable tiger moth (Spilosoma congrua)

plains wild indigo (Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea)

John Valo

longhorned beetle (Neoclytus mucronatus)

Alfredo Colon

gorgone checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)

Scott Leddy

silver flower longhorn beetle (Grammoptera subargentata)

Alfredo Colon

American green crab spider (Misumessus oblongus)

Alfredo Colon

hammock spider (Pityohyphantes costatus)

Alfredo Colon

boreal combfoot (Steatoda borealis)

Alfredo Colon

crabonid wasp (Astata unicolor)

Alfredo Colon