East Metro Water

‘Tis the Season to Turn out the Lights

By: angiehongmn March 21, 2024

WildlifeBird City USA, birds, featured, Minnesota, Mississippi River, St. Croix River, Stillwater1 Comment

Allison Mcginnis might not be a twitcher, but she does love birds! In this week’s East Metro water blog, Mcginnis talks about leading Sustainable Stillwater’s Bird City Stillwater initiative and shares advice for area bird-lovers.

A few tips for the coming spring:
– Turn out exterior lights to protect migrating birds
– Protect against bird strikes with window applications
– Plant a native tree, shrub, and garden
– Join a birding hike near you or enjoy one of the brand new self-guided tours!

Burn Baby, Burn

By: angiehongmn March 14, 2024March 12, 2024

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, habitat restoration, prairie, prescribed fire, wet meadow, Wetlands3 Comments

Prairie, oak savanna, pine barrens, and wet meadows all have something in common – they like to burn, baby burn.
This week’s East Metro Water blog explores the unique habitat found in wet meadows. If you’re interested in learning more about prescribed fire, visit the open house at Lake Elmo Park Reserve on Tuesday, April 2, 4-7pm. Yes! There will be fire!

Shorelines and Fish Tales

By: angiehongmn March 8, 2024March 8, 2024

Aquatic Biology, Yards and Landscapingfeatured, lakes, Minnesota, shorelineLeave a Comment

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing more and more people removing the vegetation along their shorelines and it’s causing a chain reaction in the aquatic food web that’s affecting fish, as well as insects and other wildlife.”

Leave some for the birds and bees please

By: angiehongmn February 29, 2024February 27, 2024

Uncategorized, Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingfeatured, gardening, native plants, pollinators, spring gardeningLeave a Comment

I pretended to eat a maggot in the name of science. Once you learn why, you’ll you’ll want to do it too.

With spring in sight, local communities prepare for an early boating season

By: angiehongmn February 26, 2024

Aquatic Biology, Partners and UpdatesAIS, curlyleaf pondweed, featured, Minnesota lakes, watercraft inspections, zebra musselsLeave a Comment

From 2016 to 2023, the number of inspected watercraft In Washington County with drain plug violations dropped from 7% to 1%. This is an indication that watercraft inspections and AIS education programs are working.

Resource Highlight: Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water

By: angiehongmn February 15, 2024February 14, 2024

Yards and LandscapingBlue Thumb, featured, gardening, native plants, raingardens, shorelinesLeave a Comment

There is a growing (pun intended?) movement across Minnesota as more and more people begin to think of their yards, not just as a place to relax and recreate, but also as a living landscape that can help to support wildlife and keep water clean. One group of people helping to fuel this movement is the Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water partnership, which was formed in 2007.

Learn about upcoming workshop, native plant retailers, garden templates, and other resources to help you go blue & green!

Minnesota gains wetlands but not all are created equally

By: angiehongmn February 8, 2024February 7, 2024

Aquatic Biologyconservation, featured, Minnesota, WetlandsLeave a Comment

Minnesota gained roughly 43,000 acres of wetlands statewide between 2006 and 2020. Wetland health varies greatly across the state, however, and some types of wetlands are more at risk.

Sowing Native Seeds in Winter

By: angiehongmn January 25, 2024January 23, 2024

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, gardening, native plants, winter seed sowingLeave a Comment

Though it may not seem intuitive, winter is actually a great time to begin sowing seeds for native perennial grasses and flowers. Learn how and get inspired to incorporate a new native plant into your gardens this spring!

When Development Comes to Town

By: angiehongmn January 18, 2024January 16, 2024

Keeping water cleanconservation development, development, featured, stormwater1 Comment

Washington and Anoka Counties are two of the top ten fastest growing counties in Minnesota, and Isanti is close behind at number eleven. There was a 28% increase in property values in northern Washington County in 2022, and, according to the Star Tribune, the cities of Lake Elmo (1), Lindstrom (2), Cambridge (5), and Stillwater (9) are among the hottest housing markets in the state. What tools exist to help small towns grow in a way that protects natural resources and maintains a sense of community?

Do you caribou?

By: angiehongmn January 11, 2024January 9, 2024

Wildlifecaribou, climate change, featured, forests, Minnesota, wildlife habitatLeave a Comment

In the early 1800s, caribou were the most widespread species of the deer family in the northern forests of what is now Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Canada. Since then, wildlife species in Minnesota have changes dramatically as a result of logging, loss of prairie and wetlands, invasive species, and climate changes.