trees – East Metro Water

Three people stand with their arms around a very large tree

A call for Tree Steward volunteers

By: angiehongmn March 25, 2025March 19, 2025

Buckthorneab, featured, planting, trees, volunteeringLeave a Comment

Minnesota’s Tree Steward program is designed for people who love trees, enjoy being outdoors, and want to volunteer in their community. In addition to caring for community trees, volunteers also help to lead reforestation efforts.

This spring, Washington Conservation District hopes to recruit and train 30-40 Tree Steward volunteers to work in communities across Washington County. There will be volunteer trainings on Saturday, April 5, 9am-2pm at Scandia Community Center and Saturday, April 12, 9am-2pm at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. The events are free and include lunch.

To learn more and sign-up, visit http://www.mnwcd.org/events.

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.

Tending trees and lake on the edge of the Northwoods

By: angiehongmn November 9, 2024November 1, 2024

Local Achievements, Partners and UpdatesBone Lake, comfort lake - forest lake watershed district, featured, lakeshore, minnesota water steward, trees, volunteers, Washington Conservation DistrictLeave a Comment

In recognition of his many years of volunteer efforts tending trees and water on the edge of the Northwoods, Tom Furey was selected as the Washington County Conservation Cooperator of the year for 2024. He also received a Watershed Champion award from the CLFLWD at their 25th Anniversary celebration in September.

A killer in the forest

By: angiehongmn May 24, 2024

Yards and Landscapingeab, emerald ash borer, featured, forests, invasive species, trees, woodlandsLeave a Comment

Want to learn about caring for your trees and woodlands? Join us for a walk in the woods next Tuesday, May 28, 5:30-8:30pm at Belwin Conservancy. Register at tinyurl.com/2024woodlands.

Tending to the grove

By: angiehongmn July 21, 2023July 18, 2023

Uncategorizedfeatured, oak savanna, prairie, trees, volunteersLeave a Comment

At a church in Woodbury, two bur oak trees have stood tall for more than 250 years. They’ve watched the land transition from prairie to farmland to busy suburbia and play so central a role in the story of the congregation that the people decided to call this place The Grove.

A modern day Lorax or two

By: angiehongmn May 5, 2023May 4, 2023

Local Achievementscommunity forestry, featured, gravel bed tree nursery, trees, volunteeringLeave a Comment

Volunteer Water Stewards John Goodfellow, Tom Furey, and Anna Barker helped to build gravel bed nurseries in their communities to support reforestation efforts.

Walking in the woods – new initiatives to grow and tend the forests in Washington County

By: angiehongmn October 13, 2022October 10, 2022

Partners and Updatescommunity forestry, featured, forests, trees, Washington Conservation District, Washington CountyLeave a Comment

This fall, the WCD is launching a new initiative to develop a countywide community forestry program, in partnership with cities, volunteers, and the AmeriCorps Climate Impact Program.

Creating Water and Wildlife-Friendly Gardens with Native Plants

By: angiehongmn July 7, 2022August 19, 2022

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, gardening, native plants, treesLeave a Comment

In our developed areas, however, yards and gardens can help to form critical habitat connections for birds, bees, fox, and even mustachioed rabbits.

Community Forestry initiative will help Minnesota cities adapt to changing climate conditions

By: angiehongmn May 27, 2022

Partners and UpdatesAmeriCorps, climate change, emerald ash borer, featured, forests, treesLeave a Comment

AmeriCorps members will help help communities around the state increase their urban tree canopies and build resiliency within existing forests for changing climate conditions.

Tree care and woodland management

By: angiehongmn August 16, 2021

Buckthorn, Yards and Landscapingbuckthorn, drought, featured, forests, trees, woodlandsLeave a Comment

If you are working to remove large areas of buckthorn, MyMinnesotaWoods staff advise that late summer and fall are the best times to cut and treat buckthorn stumps with herbicide in order to prevent regrowth.