wildlife habitat – Page 2 – East Metro Water

Ode to a an old dead log

By: angiehongmn January 18, 2020January 17, 2020

Wildlifefeatured, trees, wildlife habitat1 Comment

Driving down a country road last week, I turned to gaze at a lone tree in the west that always stands so firmly, silhouetted against the evening sky. On this night, however, one half of the tree lay sprawled across a nearby farm field, toppled over by wind or age. “How sad,” I thought to…

Orangutans, sun bears, and elephants – oh my!

By: angiehongmn June 17, 2019June 17, 2019

Outdoor Adventures, WildlifeBorneo, endangered species, Malaysia, orangutans, pygmy elephants, rainforests, Sabah, Sukau Rainforest Lodge, travel, wildlife habitat2 Comments

Three days in Malaysian Borneo “I think that we are the luckiest people in the world,” my son announced as he tossed me an impish smile from the front of our boat. Yesterday, we’d been thrilled to find a pygmy elephant down by the river’s edge – our guide said it was the first he’d…

Restoring habitat successfully also means learning to live with wildlife again

By: angiehongmn June 6, 2019June 4, 2019

Wildlifebears, endangered species, featured, monarchs, wildlife habitat1 Comment

Two years ago, before my family embarked on a trip-of-a-lifetime to Australia, we sat down for a frank discussion around the dinner table. “Here’s the deal,” I announced, as I looked at my mother, my husband, and especially my then 4-year old son. “There are saltwater crocodiles in tropical northern Queensland, and we need to…

Let your hair down and leave the garden beds unmade

By: angiehongmn April 10, 2019April 13, 2019

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, frogs, oak wilt, pollinators, spring gardening, wildlife habitatLeave a Comment

You know that voice in your head that’s always nagging and never satisfied? It’s the one reminding you to make your bed because, God forbid, the burglars find a mess of blankets and sheets when they break into your house in the middle of the day. The voice reminds you to put on a jacket…

Living the buckthorn and bittersweet life

By: angiehongmn September 17, 2018

Buckthorn, Yards and Landscapingbuckthorn, featured, invasive species, oriental bittersweet, wildlife habitatLeave a Comment

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I have a faint (ever-so-faint) recollection of the carefree joy I used to feel while hiking in the woods. “Aren’t these woods pretty?” I would think. “Look at all those pretty wildflowers along the roadside. Isn’t life grand?” My bliss was permanently disrupted, though, when I took my first ecology class…

Stepping off the beaten path and into Mooer’s Park charm

By: angiehongmn August 15, 2018

Outdoor Adventures, WildlifeCottage Grove, featured, Grey Cloud, Mississippi River, Mooers Park, river restoration, wildlife habitatLeave a Comment

For a big river, the Mississippi can be awfully hard to find. Though it traverses 21 miles of Washington County, from the City of Newport to the St. Croix River confluence in Hastings-Prescott, there are precious few places to access the water as it flows. To find the river here requires a road map and…

Creating a Legacy of Landscape Restoration in Washington County – Guided Prairie Tour Near Withrow, Aug. 16

By: angiehongmn August 9, 2017

Yards and Landscapinghabitat restoration, prairie, Washington Conservation District, wildlife habitatLeave a Comment

When Jyneen Thatcher decided to make a mid-life career change, she wasn’t quite sure where her new path would lead her. She enrolled in the landscape architecture program at the University of Minnesota, with an interest in natural resources restoration. “Most of the other students in the program were designing artistic features for urban landscapes,”…

What’s hopping in your yard?

By: angiehongmn June 1, 2016

Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingbuffers, frogs, gardening, Wetlands, wildlife habitatLeave a Comment

In your yard, you can create a healthy home for frogs and toads by leaving some of the grass unmowed near wetlands, lakes and woods; planting gardens with native plants; and using little or no chemicals on your lawn and gardens.