Oak trees are a powerful keystone species that can live for centuries, produce millions of acorns, and support more wildlife than any other tree genus in North America.
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All articles filed in trees
It takes a village – planting and tending to raingardens in Washington County
Since 2006, community residents and local government partners have completed nearly 6000 conservation planting projects in Washington County to protect our lakes, rivers, and streams. More than 1600 of these are raingardens, designed to catch nutrient-rich runoff from rooftops, driveways, and streets and soak the water into the ground before it reaches a storm sewer or nearby waterway. Raingardens beautify our local communities and provide habitat for pollinators, but do require specialized knowledge to design, construct, and maintain them for long-term success.
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These are a few of my favorite things
If spring naturally has you dreaming of flowers and gardens, I’d like to encourage you to enhance your vision a bit this year to include native flowers, shrubs, and trees that can help to provide habitat for birds and wildlife and protect our water resources. March is the perfect time to begin planning, and there are numerous resources available to help you get started.
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A call for Tree Steward volunteers
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.
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Always the right time to plant a garden
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.
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Tending trees and lake on the edge of the Northwoods
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.
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A killer in the forest
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.
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Tending to the grove
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.
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A modern day Lorax or two
Volunteer Water Stewards John Goodfellow, Tom Furey, and Anna Barker helped to build gravel bed nurseries in their communities to support reforestation efforts.
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Walking in the woods – new initiatives to grow and tend the forests in Washington County
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.
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East Metro Water 