By: angiehongmn
Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, , , , , , , ,

Water Steward volunteers put passion and caring into action

It’s Earth Week in April, and a crowd of people are gathered at 3rd Act Brewing in Woodbury, testing their knowledge about local lakes, the city’s municipal water system, and even the names of aquifers deep beneath our feet. Volunteers Stephanie Wang, David Nuccio, and Wally Wadd, all graduates of Minnesota’s Water Stewards program, work the room, greeting participants, calling out questions, and handing out water-themed prizes.

Above: Water Stewards Stephanie Wang (left) and David Nuccio (right) helped to organize a Water Trivia event in Woodbury during Earth Week. After becoming Water Stewards, Stephanie was appointed to the board of directors at Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District and David was elected to the board of Washington Conservation District.

Four days later, the weekend brings a barrage of Earth Day events in Oakdale, Mahtomedi, Lake Elmo, Marine, and Stillwater. Another group of Water Stewards deploys, helping to hand out trees for planting projects, answering questions about native gardens, and sharing information about Minnesota’s lakes and wildlife.

Above: Water Steward Jeff Young (right) talks to kids at Mahtomedi’s Rite of Spring while other volunteers answer questions about climate at an Earth Day event in Stillwater.

Created by nonprofit Freshwater, Minnesota’s Water Steward program trains “super volunteers” in water science, policy, and community engagement strategies. Once certified, these Water Stewards help to support environmental work in their communities and often move into leadership roles on citizen advisory committees and local government boards. More than 500 Water Stewards have been certified in Minnesota since the program began in 2013.

Water Stewards in the east metro have helped with numerous watershed projects, including building gravel bed tree nurseries, removing invasive species, and attending community events to share watershed education.

Locally, in the east metro and St. Croix Valley, Water Stewards help to support a wide range of watershed work – everything from building gravel bed tree nurseries, to helping run private well screening clinics. In 2026, the East Metro Water Education Program (EMWREP) trained-in 15 new Water Stewards and collaborated with the St. Croix Valley Foundation and North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix Heritage Area to support numerous steward-led projects.

Above: Water Steward Jeanne Caturia of St. Paul Park has helped to pick up litter along the Mississippi River at Lions Levee Park and plant native species at Riverside Park.

Many Water Stewards gravitate toward hands-on projects that allow them to spend time outside in nature. Jeanne Caturia of St. Paul Park has a passion for native plants and frequently volunteers to share information and resources at community events such as Night to Unite. This summer, Jeanne spent many hours removing invasive species and planting native plants at Riverside Park, which is located along the Mississippi River. Gladi Sippel, a Water Steward with North Woods and Waters, does similar volunteer work at Carpenter Nature Center’s Wisconsin campus, where she’s helped to remove buckthorn and plant native trees.

Above: Rick Jansen, a Water Steward in Mahtomedi, has planted native species like butterfly weed and violets in his yard and reports seeing turtles and other wildlife come as a result.

It’s also common for Water Stewards to transform their own yards and neighborhoods into clean water demonstration projects. In Mahtomedi, Rick Jansen began working on a multi-phased project this summer after completing his Water Steward training. Rick installed a rain barrel at his home and is also establishing a buffer of native plants around a nearby stormwater pond. Anna Barker, a Water Steward in Woodbury, has done similar work at Lakeridge Townhomes, where she’s planted native trees, gardens, and a pollinator waystation alongside a parking lot and trail.

Above: Water Steward Lynn Nuccio created a stormwater activity book for kids. The cover image is a cartoon version of Lynn and her husband David, who is also a Water Steward.

Other times, Water Stewards come up with creative ways to share water education with the wider community. Lynn Nuccio spent the summer marking storm drains in her Woodbury neighborhood and created an activity booklet with word puzzles, coloring sheets, and other fun activities designed to teach kids about stormwater pollution. Julie Kilpatrick and Margaret Smith, both Water Stewards with North Woods and Waters, utilized funding support from EMWREP to develop new materials and displays for community events, including a map to showcase special places in the St. Croix Watershed, and “Homegrown National Park promise cards” that people use to pledge actions they’ll take to protect clean water and wildlife.

More Water Stewards in action (clockwise from top): Kim Ury plants native species in an Oakdale wetland near her home; Jerry Webb helps to run water samples at a well testing clinic in North Branch; John Goodfellow plants trees in Marine; and Stephanie Wang leads a raingarden weeding event in Woodbury. At top in the cover photo, Anna Barker searches for aquatic critters with kids at Carver Lake in Woodbury.

Currently, Freshwater is recruiting new volunteers to begin Water Stewards training in January of 2027. Classes are held online from January through May, with occasional in-person events led by EMWREP staff for volunteers here in the East Metro.

To learn more, sign up for an upcoming info session on Thursday, Nov. 19 (12 or 5 PM) or Thu., Dec. 10 (12 or 5 PM) at https://minnesotawaterstewards.org/info-sessions.