Grounded: Mining the Facts

How do you know where to mine? How does anyone even figure out where to start looking for a mineral deposit? And what steps do you take to make sure there actually is a deposit before mining begins? These are the kinds of questions people in mineral exploration ask themselves every single day. Mineral Exploration helps us to understand the ground beneath our feet and responsibly utilize our resources.

Health and safety are some of the most important topics when discussing mining. Though they may not seem like much, they are crucial components to every companies culture. Join Ella and Amelia as they interview Collin Rogers, Knife River's Corporate Director of Health and Safety, discussing the history of mining safety, current practices, and how this affects the industry.

Education touches almost every part of our daily lives. But when we shift that lens to mining, the questions get a lot more interesting. What does education mean in the context of minerals? How can the industry partner with local teachers to help communities understand what mining actually is — and why it matters? Across the country, educators and industry professionals are digging into these questions, working to bridge the gap between classrooms, communities, and the mineral resources that ...

Kick off the very first episode of Grounded: Mining the Facts with hosts Ella Bordewyk and Amelia Schaefbauer as they dig into the fundamentals — what counts as a mineral, why minerals matter, and how they shape nearly every part of our daily lives. This episode’s challenge: Name a physical item that hasn’t been touched by mining or minerals in any way. It must be something humans can physically touch — no abstract concepts allowed. Think you’ve found one? Send your submission to info@sdminer...