Les Tours de Watershed

by Sage Passi

Jason Husveth leads a tour at Tamarack Preserve

As the summer season finally sneaks up on us, spend a beautiful summer night at one or more of these venues, touring some of the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed loveliest haunts. First on the itinerary is a jaunt through the crown jewel of the District’s wetlands – Tamarack Nature Preserve in Woodbury on Tuesday, July 16th from 6:30-8:30pm. Learn about the park’s history, geology, unique blend of ecosystems and biodiversity. Then take your pick from a guided walk along the boardwalk at a fairly quick pace, observing and learning about the lore of some of the most unique bog flowers or participate in a more detailed study and identification of the flora along the boardwalk with the expert guidance of Jason Husveth, plant ecologist. Meet at the Tamarack Nature Preserve parking lot, 1825 Tower Drive, at 6:30 p.m. This tour is co-sponsored by the City of Woodbury and the Watershed District. No preregistration needed. Just show up!

Next in the series is the annual Phalen Wildflower Walk on Wednesday, July 24 from 6:30-8:30. Learn about the history from the maestro of shoreline restoration himself, Bill Bartodziej, our Natural Resources Specialist who master minded this 7 year project. Then walk along the wet meadow, one of the loveliest stretches of the shoreline project, identifying the many summer flora that grace this edge of the lake. Meet at the beach house on Phalen Drive at the southwest end of the lake at 6:30. Please register by calling Shelly at the Watershed District at 651-792-7965.  More info and a printable flier here.

The third in the series of tours, The Exceptional LEAP Tour on Monday, July 29th from 5-9pm will spotlight several award winning projects in the district. Visit four exceptional landscapes designed to protect and improve water quality and natural resources including the District’s office demonstration gardens. Meet at the Watershed District office at 2665 Noel Drive in Little Canada to embark on the air-conditioned bus ride for this tour. Registration is limited to 55 people. Please call Shelly at 651-792-7965 to pre-register.
If you would like to nominate a yard (including your own) for a LEAP award, get more information and a downloadable form here.

New signage around Lake Phalen allows you to make your own tour!

Want a self-guided tour at your own leisure? Take a loop around Lake Phalen to visit our newly installed interpretive signs around the lake. They are located at the southeast and south west sides of the lake, on the hill in front of the Pavilion overlooking the lake and at the observation deck on the north side of the lake. They are colorful, snappy looking signs developed by Watershed District and St. Paul Parks and recreation staff and designed by Scales Advertising with information about the history of the lake, wildlife and flora, the shoreline restoration process, preservation of the shoreline and the “risky route” of water through the Phalen Chain of Lakes.