Tips for enjoying the outdoors with kids

By: angiehongmn
Outdoor Adventures, , Leave a Comment on Tips for enjoying the outdoors with kids

The first thing you need to know is that at least one child will become ravenously hungry the instant you’re out of sight of the parking lot. Be prepared to fuel a four hour adventure in the wilderness, even if you are only taking a 30 minute walk in the park. Also, don’t imagine that…

Read More

Underground and out of mind?

By: angiehongmn
Groundwater, Keeping water clean, , , , Leave a Comment on Underground and out of mind?

November 13 workshop will address septic systems, private wells, and other groundwater topics Nearly 140 years ago, Minneapolis first began pumping from the Mississippi River to provide drinking water for the city’s growing population. At the time, the river was a dumping ground for human sewage, garbage, and carcasses from the local slaughterhouses. Thousands of…

Read More

What will your land look like 20 years from now?

By: angiehongmn
Partners and Updates, Uncategorized, , , , , , Leave a Comment on What will your land look like 20 years from now?

Nov. 13 workshop will offer advice for estate planning In 1972, Bob and Marilyn Rosenquist bought themselves a piece of the American dream – 40 acres of farmland in eastern Hugo with rolling hills and plenty of woods. Marilyn came from a big farming family in South Dakota and soon the couple was raising 16-17…

Read More

Explore new options for local farms at Oct. 22 workshop

By: angiehongmn
Partners and Updates, , , , , Leave a Comment on Explore new options for local farms at Oct. 22 workshop

Perennial crops, conservation grazing, and whole-farm plans Dani Dircks is a licensed general contractor, mother of four, and healthy-living advocate with an entrepreneurial spirit. “Two years ago when my oldest child was in kindergarten, he missed three days of school because he was sick,” Dircks explains. “I had three younger children at home already and…

Read More

Lending a helping hand to Afton’s Trout Brook

By: angiehongmn
Aquatic Biology, Keeping water clean, Local Achievements, Partners and Updates, Wildlife, , , , , Leave a Comment on Lending a helping hand to Afton’s Trout Brook

South Washington Watershed District partners with Great River Greening and Vail Resorts A coldwater stream flows through the hills of Afton Alps and Afton State Park, bringing life to a valley in the woods. Over the past 150 years, Trout Brook has weathered the rise and fall of logging in region, decades of farming, and…

Read More

Big change for a little lake

By: angiehongmn
Aquatic Biology, Keeping water clean, Local Achievements, Partners and Updates, , , , , Leave a Comment on Big change for a little lake

Watershed tour highlights projects on Shields Lake Once upon a time, a handsome prince ruled over the Kingdom of Bohemia. Within his family’s estates, Prince Schwarzenberg had elegant palaces, imposing castles, and 20,000 acres of carp ponds. The hardy fish were a symbol of opulent wealth and provided a steady source of delicious, nourishing food…

Read More

A drop in the bucket

By: angiehongmn
Groundwater, Keeping water clean, , , , Leave a Comment on A drop in the bucket

The children gathered round, watching in anticipation as Lauren Haydon, an educator with the Washington Conservation District, slowly poured water from a graduated cylinder into smaller and smaller vessels. “Only 3% of all of the water on earth is freshwater,” she explained as she poured. “And of that amount, two-thirds is trapped in glaciers.” She…

Read More

Within Warner Nature Center, pristine lakes and wildlife corridors

By: angiehongmn
Outdoor Adventures, Partners and Updates, Wildlife, , , , , Leave a Comment on Within Warner Nature Center, pristine lakes and wildlife corridors

“Dear Loyal Supporters, I’m writing to inform you that the Warner Nature Center will be closing and winding down operations by the end of the year.” With those words, Alison Rempel Brown, President and CEO of the Science Museum of Minnesota, broke the news to staff and volunteers that a 52-year tradition will be coming…

Read More

Brown’s Creek Watershed District sets it sights on 2020

By: angiehongmn
Keeping water clean, Local Achievements, Partners and Updates, , , Leave a Comment on Brown’s Creek Watershed District sets it sights on 2020

Community festival on Saturday, Sept. 14, 10am-1pm at Brown’s Creek Park in Stillwater On Wednesday, Sept. 11, Brown’s Creek Watershed District (BCWD) held a public meeting to review the district’s proposed 2020 budget and levy. The watershed district manages water resources within 30 square miles of Stillwater and surrounding communities, including Brown’s Creek, Long Lake,…

Read More

Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District celebrates 20 years of water protection

By: angiehongmn
Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, , , Leave a Comment on Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District celebrates 20 years of water protection

Early conflict led to collaborative, science-based watershed management today It all began with a big box store. The year was 1994, and business in Forest Lake was booming. When construction began on a Walmart store near I35 and Broadway Ave., however, residents six miles north on Comfort Lake noticed a dramatic change.  At the time,…

Read More