environmental education – East Metro Water

The Changing Landscape of Nature-Based Education in Minnesota

By: angiehongmn October 5, 2022October 4, 2022

Uncategorizedcampus greening, environmental education, featured, nature centers, nature education, schools1 Comment

Spending time outdoors promotes creativity and problem solving, improves academic performance, reduces attention deficit disorder (ADD) symptoms, encourages physical activity, reduces stress, and improves social relations and self-discipline.

Students help to seed an outdoor laboratory at Crestview Elementary

By: angiehongmn April 1, 2021March 25, 2021

Partners and Updatesbuckthorn, Cottage Grove, environmental education, featured, habitat restoration, prairie restoration, south washington watershed district, woodlandsLeave a Comment

The school is converting 2.5 acres of turf to prairie and rehabbing 7.5 acres of low-quality woodlands.

Boy Scouts and Water Stewards help to create outdoor classrooms in Woodbury

By: angiehongmn November 6, 2020

Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, Water Conservation, Yards and LandscapingBoy Scouts, environmental education, featured, Master Water Stewards, prairie, south washington watershed district, stormwater, volunteering, water conservation, WoodburyLeave a Comment

South Washington Watershed District created its Campus Greening program two years ago to encourage schools and other large campuses to think holistically about how they can meet stormwater management requirements when expanding buildings and parking areas. At the Lake and Middleton campus, South Washington County Schools (District 844) worked with SWWD to convert 15 acres of turf to prairie, plant 200 trees, and create the two new outdoor classrooms.

Explore the Brown’s Creek Watershed with a virtual tour and scavenger hunt

By: angiehongmn September 24, 2020

Outdoor Adventures, Partners and Updatesbiking, Brown's Creek State Trail, Brown's Creek, Brown's Creek Watershed District, environmental education, family fun, featured, kids activities, scavenger hunt1 Comment

This fall, Brown’s Creek Watershed District is offering a virtual tour and scavenger hunt to highlight some of the historical features, natural wonders, and stream-improvement projects along the route.

Campus greening projects planned for Valley Crossing and Crestview Elementary Schools

By: angiehongmn September 11, 2020September 11, 2020

Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, Water Conservationcampus greening, Cottage Grove, environmental education, featured, habitat restoration, south washington watershed district, WoodburyLeave a Comment

At Valley Crossing in Woodbury, the school will convert 3.7 acres of turf to oak savanna and revitalize 7.15 acres of existing prairie on site. Crestview Elementary in Cottage Grove will restore 10 acres of degraded woodlands on campus and convert several areas of unused turf to prairie as well. The project is a partnership between South Washington Watershed District and South Washington County School District 833.

A drop in the bucket

By: angiehongmn September 30, 2019

Groundwater, Keeping water cleanenvironmental education, featured, groundwater, Tamarack Nature Preserve, WoodburyLeave a Comment

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…

Within Warner Nature Center, pristine lakes and wildlife corridors

By: angiehongmn September 20, 2019September 20, 2019

Outdoor Adventures, Partners and Updates, Wildlifeenvironmental education, featured, Habitat, land protection, Warner Nature Center, WildlifeLeave a Comment

“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…

Forest Lake Schools chart path to a greener future

By: angiehongmn June 13, 2019June 4, 2019

Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, Water Conservationcomfort lake - forest lake watershed district, environmental education, featured, Forest Lake, rice creek watershed districtLeave a Comment

Lakes International Language Academy & Forest Lake Area High School both gain recognition for environmental initiatives The fourth grade students at Lakes International Language Academy (LILA) have been learning a lot about water this year. “We have a science unit about matter and have focused on water throughout the year,” explains teacher Roberto Izquierdo. “It…

Local school groups release baby trout into Brown’s Creek

By: angiehongmn May 17, 2019May 22, 2019

Aquatic Biology, Outdoor Adventures, WildlifeBrown's Creek, Brown's Creek Watershed District, environmental education, featured, Stillwater, trout, Trout in the Classroom, Trout UnlimitedLeave a Comment

“Put your hand over the cup so no one falls out!” Evan Griggs calls out as he leads a dozen 4th and 5th grade students through a tangle of trees to the edge of Brown’s Creek. The students, who hail from St. Jude’s of the Lake in Mahtomedi, have been raising rainbow trout in their…

Teachers set sail with free workshops on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers

By: angiehongmn February 26, 2019February 26, 2019

Partners and Updatesenvironmental education, featured, Hamline University, Mississippi River, St. Croix River, St. Croix River Association, teacher workshopsLeave a Comment

“Backswimmer, scud, dragonfly nymph, water boatman, another water boatman…” My son had just woken up from a nap and stumbled bleary-eyed to a clearing near the Mississippi River where our group was peering intently at a bucket-full of river water. Within seconds, he was rattling off the names of aquatic invertebrates we’d found, proud to…