Climate, biodiversity, clean water, and even public land rights all come down to being better connected with the natural world. Meterologist, Eric Manges believes that diverse native ecosystems are our best hope for addressing our greatest challenges. Eric's career reflects how, in his view, all the earth sciences come together through our relationships with plants, insects, and the way we value them.

Growing up in southeast Minnesota Eric has always had a deep passion for trees and the outdoors. He saw firsthand how vital rainfall was to the trees he planted—and the rest is history. After studying meteorology in school, Eric worked as a TV meteorologist for seven years, and now works in the green industry, returning to the passions he had as a kid.

Eric will show you how he converted his yard to native species and how through using similar practices we can see much life return when we give it a chance. There’s still so much to learn, and the future is exciting—especially if we start to truly value our native plants, insects, and water. Hopefully, Eric will help lead you down the path he stumbled into when he started asking the right questions.

If you are interested, please register for the program. 

Cost of the event is $10 per person. Advanced registration is required. Our Where Ecology and Meterology Meet program will only run with a minimum of 15 tickets sold. Be sure to grab your spot and invite a friend! If we don't reach the minimum all guests will be notified and receive a full refund. If the minimum is not met, the program will be cancelled on or before April 20, 2026.