native plants – East Metro Water

How a billboard helped to transform weeds into prairie

By: angiehongmn November 21, 2025November 20, 2025

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, habitat restoration, Indigenous people, invasive species, native plants, prairie, round leaf bittersweetLeave a Comment

Round leaf bittersweet is an invasive woody vine, native to China, Korea, and Japan, that was introduced to North America in the mid-1860s as an ornamental shrub. The vines girdle and smother trees and out-compete our indigenous American bittersweet, making it a formidable foe in our Minnesota woodlands. In an attempt to eradicate bittersweet from their soon-to-be prairie, Wendy and Mark tried killing it off with a low-heat fire, digging up the roots, and smothering it with a large blue tarp. All efforts proved unsuccessful until now.

Fall yard & garden – no it’s not too late to plant!

By: angiehongmn October 3, 2025

Yards and Landscapingfall, featured, gardening, leaves, native plantsLeave a Comment

In the coming weeks, there are several steps you can take to prep your yard and gardens for winter and continue to support pollinators, birds and other wildlife. But, you might be surprised to learn that fall is also a really great time to plant a native garden!

Meet our 2025 Natural Shoreline Award winners!

We are excited to announce the winners of our inaugural Natural Shoreline Awards, sponsored by the East Metro Water Resource Education Program and Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership. These awards recognize Minnesotans who are protecting lake, stream, and wetland habitat in Chisago, Isanti, Ramsey and Washington Counties.

Score your shore: A tool to measure the health of your lakeshore property

By: angiehongmn June 13, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingfeatured, lakes, lakeshore, Minnesota, Minnesota lakes, native plants, shoreline, up northLeave a Comment

Maintaining and restoring lakeshore habitat isn’t just good for wildlife, it also helps to protect valuable real estate from literally washing away.

Do turf lawns protect us from ticks or make the problem worse?

By: angiehongmn May 16, 2025June 5, 2025

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, habitat fragmentation, landscaping, lawns, Lyme disease, native plants, ticks1 Comment

Many homeowners assume that a tidy lawn with short grass is the best defense again ticks. On a large scale, however, suburban lawns may actually be making our tick problem worse.

Froggy Figaro

By: angiehongmn April 25, 2025April 24, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Wildlifefeatured, frogs, native plants, nature, spring, WetlandsLeave a Comment

Minnesota is home to 14 species of frogs and toads. During the spring, their chorus rings out as the males search for females and compete to present themselves as the most attractive option with whom to settle down and make a few thousand babies. Because each species has a distinctly different call, you can determine which types of frogs live in your area simply by listening to their symphony.

Always the right time to plant a garden

By: angiehongmn March 7, 2025March 5, 2025

Yards and Landscapingbirds, Chisago County, featured, gardening, native plants, pollinators, trees, Washington County, workshopsLeave a Comment

To plant a tree or a garden is an act of hope. We hope that the snow will melt and the sun will return. We hope that that neighborhood deer and rabbits will find enough food to eat, though not so much that our garden fails to grow. We hope that the earth will keep spinning, and the rain will fall, that there will be a warm home to live in, and hands to do the work. It’s a small act of courage in an uncertain world, though really, when you think about it, not so small at all.

Lazy gardening tips for chubby bird enthusiasts

By: angiehongmn November 1, 2024November 1, 2024

Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingbirds, featured, flowers, garden, gardening, native plantsLeave a Comment

Learn how to create a bird-friendly landscape at your home.

New grant funds will help to improve habitat connectivity in Washington County

By: angiehongmn September 27, 2024

Partners and Updates, Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingfeatured, Habitat, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, native plants, pollinators, WildlifeLeave a Comment

In the coming year, Washington Conservation District (WCD) will receive $185,000 in funding through the Pollinator Pathways program and $246,000 through the Habitat Enhancement Landscape Program (HELP) to restore and improve wildlife and pollinator habitat in more than a dozen priority locations.

Lake Living 101

By: angiehongmn August 13, 2024August 8, 2024

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, lakes, lakeshore rules, native plants, shoreline, Washington County1 Comment

Owning a lake home is the quintessential Minnesota dream, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. Two of the most common “problem scenarios” for lakeshore owners include creating beaches and installing rock riprap. Learn more about the rules.