Ms. Comfort, as her students know her, is a STEM specialist at Wildwood Elementary in Mahtomedi who is always looking for unique ways to teach her kids to protect the environment.
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All articles filed in volunteering
Boy Scouts and Water Stewards help to create outdoor classrooms in Woodbury
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.
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Water stewards inspire neighbors to take action and adopt storm drains
To date, Twin Cities’ residents have adopted 13,747 storm drains. However, only 530 of those are in Washington County. This fall, the East Metro Water Resource Education Program is encouraging people to adopt a storm drain in their neighborhood and join the movement to promote clean lakes, rivers and streams. To sign up, go to http://www.Adopt-a-Drain.org.
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Adopt a storm drain in honor of Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary
On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — participated in teach-ins and rallies across the nation to advocate for an end to environmental destruction. The event was organized by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, and was inspired by a string of environmental disasters, including…
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Enjoying the St. Croix River and working to keep it clean
Picture, if you will, a woman serenely paddling down the St. Croix River on a standup paddleboard with a boy and a dog balanced on either end. The sun is warm, the water is calm, and all is right with the world. Level: Expert Total time to complete: 5 hours Instructions Step 1: Pack your car the night before. (No –…
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Many helping hands make a strong community
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Fred Rogers Cole Williams was stationed at the historic Grant Town Hall for their annual community clean-up on Saturday, May 4. As a…
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Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District recognizes local Watershed Champions
Jack MacKenzie is a former golf course superintendent with a passion for eco-friendly lawn care and community volunteerism. Craig Mattson operates a cattle farm in southern Chisago County, which employs managed rotational grazing and specially designed fencing to protect wetlands on his property. Though the two might not have much in common, they both care…
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Ready, set, GARDEN!
Do you ever wonder how plants can grow so quickly and yet without making a noise? Spring somehow always catches me by surprise even though I’ve spent months waiting and yearning for its arrival. Day after winter day, the world is bleak and gray, and then one morning I step outside and find tulips and…
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Master Water Stewards offers a unique “Mini-Training” opportunity in 2019
When Susan Goebel moved to Woodbury a few years ago, she began looking for opportunities to make friends and get involved in her new community. Back in West Bend, Wisconsin, where she had lived for years, she had been a Town Clerk and a Town Supervisor. She worked as a volunteer coordinator, taught classes at…
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Put time on the water to good use this summer: Get free training to become a volunteer AIS Detector
“So much of Minnesota’s culture and recreation is based around the water and enjoying our lakes and rivers,” says Dan Larkin, an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist with the University of Minnesota. “And so, aquatic invasive species and other threats to those habitats really affect people personally.” Over the past ten years, the number of…
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East Metro Water 