Walk through the Minnehaha Park and discover the hardwood forest and how all living things within it are preparing for the Minnesota cold. Discover how all the living things in the park live together to form a community.
Come out and Play Family Nature Club
Date: Saturday, December 19, 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Location: Lynnhurst Park/Minnehaha Creek, 1245 W. Minnehaha Parkway, meet at Lynnhurst Rec Center
No registration required, just show up!
We'll walk south and west and explore the tree-lined banks of Minnehaha Creek. It has a good mix of natural area and open space. The rec center has free parking and bathrooms.
Snowshoeing
Date: Saturday, December 26, 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Location: Wirth Park, meet at Wirth Beach parking lot on Glenwood Ave east of Theodore Wirth Parkway
Registration: $10 fee, register online at minneapolisparks.org or call 313-7725
Contact: Jamie McBride, Naturalist Programs Administrator
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
612-313-7725
Here's a recap of John's demonstration on the care and pruning of apple trees:
1. Cut off long (sucker) shoots and branches that rub together.
2. Cut 1/4 to 1/3 of the branches off each year.
3. Cut the top off the tree crown and thin the center of the tree each year to let in more light and air. The crown should be open and there should be lots of horizontal branches so the tree looks like a ladder.
4. Prune every year in the early spring when the tree is still dormant.
5. Mulch around the tree base - don't run lawn under the tree.
6. To keep deer away, buy Bitter Bite (available at Dan's Feed Bin in Superior) and apply it to the trees in the fall.
ECOLOGICAL THREAT
Exotic buckthorns tend to form dense, even-aged thickets, crowding and shading out native shrubs and herbs, often completely obliterating them. Dense buckthorn seedlings prevent native tree and shrub regeneration.
HABITAT IN THE UNITED STATES
...An invader mainly of open oak woods, deadfall openings in woodlands, and woods edges, it may also be found in prairies and open fields. It is tolerant of many soil types, well drained sand, clay, poorly drained calcareous, neutral or alkaline, wet or dry.
BACKGROUND
Common buckthorn was introduced to North America as an ornamental shrub, for fence rows, and wildlife habitat. Introduction of buckthorn was based on its hardiness and ability to thrive in a variety of soil and light conditions.
And THAT is part of the problem - it grows just about anywhere, easily out-competing other plants.
Remember: Friends don't let friends grow buckthorn. Help your friends and neighbors stamp out buckthorn too!
Carol Andrews, President
Arrowhead Chapter/National Board
Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes
Clean water and a healthy St. Louis River are essential components for our region's quality of life and economic vitality. Many citizens of the region make contributions towards achieving for this quality of life for everyone through their work, business decisions, community involvement, and personal lifestyles.
Stewardship efforts can be nominated that have occurred over the past few years within the watershed of the lower St. Louis, Nemadji, or western end of Lake Superior. Categories include individuals, organizations, schools, local, state, tribal, and federal agencies, businesses, and industry, and the media. Self-nominations are accepted.
]]>The Olympic's are coming soon, and Duluth is getting into the spirit! The ARRA Americorps volunteers, parents from the Chester Bowl Improvement Club and others are planning a full slate of activities for the two weeks of the Olympics. Beginning with Opening Ceremonies at Bayfront Park, in conjunction with the annual "Warmer by the Lake" celebration to activities all around the city. From broomball to mono-skiing at Spirit Mountain to speed skating demonstrations, ski jumping and more.
More help is needed in the organizational aspect of the activities and you can get involved.
]]>The second GreenCorps person is me (Judy Gibbs), and much of my job description is to utilize volunteers to complete her commitment through the program. Also, all Americorps members need to donate 100 service hours during their time period, and the section 3, below, outlines one way I am donating my service hours. In fact, there are also 11 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) who are stationed in the parks and various community centers (Grant, Woodland, Norton Park, and Chester Park) to assist the Parks and Recreation staff with programming. Part of THEIR required service hours will be in putting on item #3 below as well.
I am also am also very involved with Friends of the Parks (FOTP), and we are assisting the City of Duluth to enhance its Adopt-a-Park program. Through this adopt a park program, I am hoping to implement the programs below, throughout the park system. For example, we hosted an information-gathering meeting in Chester Park, and learned a lot about the stakeholders in the parks (ski club, Chester bowl improvement club and so forth) and about what issues that are in that park. There were 52 people representing MANY organizations, along with neighbors and interested citizens. Several people stepped up from that meeting to offer to get involved. There will be several more of these meetings soon, and the City hopes to have the meetings and then to utilize the information with a volunteer plan to be ready for work in April, when the City kicks off its spring/summer/fall season. Stay tuned! But, in the meantime, here are some ways you can get involved:
Boulevard Tree Inventory
The City last did a boulevard tree inventory in 1994. All of it was done on paper, and was very cumbersome. The current plan is to use GPS equipment to collect the information. We are hoping that volunteers will want to join in by mapping trees in their neighborhoods, to begin with, and to branch out from there. Pun intended. We'll teach you the nearly two dozen standard boulevard tree species. You won't be asked to go out alone (unless you want to) and we'll teach you what you need to know.
Ash Tree inventory
You are probably aware of a pest from Asia called the Emerald Ash Borer, which, as its name implies, only attacks ash trees. Minnesota has a lot of ash trees. Unfortunately, this is always fatal, and as a city, and region, we need to make a preparedness plan. Part of that is to understand where all the ash trees are. We know there are 5000+ ash trees on our boulevards, but where else are they? We can use your help in that project. We're joining forces with the cities of Hermantown and Proctor and with the South St Louis Soil and Water Conservation District. We are going to work in watersheds, as black ash, in particular, is a wetland species. We'll work on streams that run through Proctor, Hermantown and Duluth to begin, and more if we have time.
Arbor Day Activities
Next spring's arbor day activities will focus on ash trees and EAB. Of course, part of the educational activities will be about planting diverse species of trees. We could use folks to help plan and put on those activities. Again, we are partnering with neighbor cities and agencies.
Boulevard Tree Pruning
Here's your chance! Many of you have said you would like to be trained to prune your own yard's trees and shrubs. This is your opportunity to learn how! We're hoping, that in exchange for us training you, you will also come out for additional, hands-on training on the city boulevard trees. We're not talking the giant silver maples, but rather the younger, shorter trees that have been planted in the past say, 15 years. Classes will be held through Community Education and with the City of Duluth. More information to come.
If any of these sound interesting, contact me at: gibbsjudy@aol.com or 218-391-0886.
Volunteer in Chester Bowl:
The Chester Bowl Improvement Club is an active Board in support of all seasons of programming in Chester Park - visit: www.chesterbowl.org or contact Mark Berns at markberns@msn.com or Mike Nordin at msnordin@charter.net.
This vital Master Plan process will analyze our Parks and Recreation Division, inclusive of Parks Maintenance; forecast our current, short-term and long-term facility needs and conditions; and recommend improvements with estimated costs associated with assembled results.
Surveys will be mailed to random community members to determine park use, satisfaction, needs, and preferences regarding park financing, park bonded referendums, consolidation/improvements, communications, etc. In addition, an on-line questionnaire will be posted on teh City website to obtain additional feedback.
Four community open house sessions will be held in Duluth to obtain input and ideas on park and recreation needs, issues, opportunities, and actions:
By the Light of the Owl Moon
Wednesday, December 2, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Winter Botany
Saturday, December 5, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
New Year's Eve Party at the Nature Center
Thursday, Dec 31, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Explore Nature and Take Care of the Earth
October 2009 - May 2010
Saturdays, 10-11:30 am, 8 classes total
call 651-748-7280 or online at www.isd622.org
Drop in and Experience Nature
Tuesdays, 12:15-1:30 pm, November 2009 - March 2010)
Snowshoe Open House (snowshow rental available)
Saturday, January 2, 2010, 10:00 am to 3:30 pm
Build a Birdfeeder
Saturday, January 9, 2010, 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Snowshoe Hike
January 23, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Beginning Bird Identification Classes for Adults
February 16 - April 27, 2010
Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Saturday field trips 8:00 am to 10:00 am
Live Animal Show
Saturday, February 20, 1010, 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Snowshoe Hike
Saturday, February 27, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
The University of Minnesota's Raptor Center's Discovery Trunks include real feet, feathers, wings, skulls, and bones! Our trunks were designed by University of Minnesota teachers with subject-oriented learning materials and educational tools to be used by groups of any age. The trunks will provide everything you need to help your group learn about raptors and the environment we share.
Each trunk has its own activity guide with exciting activities concentrating on specific aspects of different raptors and their home ecosystems. A variety of videotapes, audiotapes, posters, books, coloring books, and games are included in the trunk.
Trunk themes:
All About Owls, Grades K-4
Raptor ER: The Clinic, Grades 1-8
Eagle Endeavors, Grades 4-8
Enraptured with Raptors, Grades 4-8
Falcons and Falconry, Grades 4-8
Fees:
$50 per week rental when you book an education program
$70 per week rental without a booked program
Reserve your Discovery Trunk:
call 612-624-2756 or email raptored@umn.edu
Read more about it at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteering/index.html.
]]>This event is sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Study and is a panel discussion examining the only stretch of the Mississippi River that forms a gorge - right through the University's campus - from the perspective of history, geology, policy, and art. Speakers will be Christine Baeumler, Dept of Art; Chris Lenhart, Dept of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering; Mona Smith, Media Artist; and Scott Vreeland, Mpls Park Board; moderated by Pat Nunnally, River Life program.
Organized by Telling River Stories, a multidisciplinary project created by the University of Minnesota's River Life Program that researches and disseminates the stories of how communities and individuals live with the Mississippi River.
]]>Registration is now open for the Minnesota Environmental Initiative's upcoming policy forum on the state's 1.5% energy savings goal included in the 2007 Next Generation Energy Act. Presenters will describe past and current energy conservation efforts in Minnesota, provide an overview of the 1.5% savings goal, and discuss the challenges of meeting the goal.
An optional tour of Macalester's new LEED Platinum-Certified building, Markim Hall, will follow the forum at 4:30 pm. Please indicate your interest in attending the tour with your forum registration. Space is limited.
Join botanist Scott Milburn for some in-depth identification and study of our winter hardy native plants. We'll be studying a wide assortment of woody and herbaceous species likely to find at the nature center. Dress for the outdoors!
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