tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48602438316174676452024-03-20T08:08:16.424-07:00The Ripple EffectRamsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.comBlogger312125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-47574452912887669282018-02-01T12:40:00.000-08:002018-02-02T09:02:29.358-08:00Our Master Water Stewards program is growing<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>by Sage Passi</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Many of the Master Water Stewards gathered in January at a potluck in Woodbury for a collaborative event with a new cohort of South Washington County Master Water Stewards. This is just one roomful of our volunteers!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We recently celebrated our new graduating class of community watershed volunteers who completed their training as <a href="https://masterwaterstewards.org/" target="_blank">Master Water Stewards</a>. The program is a partnership between the Freshwater Society and cities, watershed districts, watershed management organizations and non-profits. We now have 16 certified Master Water Stewards doing great work in our watershed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Joining the ranks</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each year, a new group of stewards are recruited in the fall to join the ranks of a growing cadre of volunteers who provide support for our education, natural resources and stewardship initiatives. They are truly a valuable set of eyes and ears on the ground who help us build relationships with their cities, communities and neighborhoods.<br /><br />Early on in their training, we organize a tour for new Master Water Stewards to see different examples of projects installed around the district. On one of their stops this fall they visited rain gardens at Prince of Peace Church, which are maintained by volunteers.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Ramsey County Master Gardener Roger Hintze and church member Anne Haugan (on the right) share tips and history about the installation and care of Prince of Peace’s rain gardens with Stewards.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Master Water Steward Linda Neilson, (second from left in the photo) who joined the program in 2016, met the tour at the church stop. She helped Anne and her husband, Gus, get a curb-cut rain garden installed in their Roseville lawn as her capstone project.<br /><br />At another stop the group visited Kristy Odland’s LEAP award-winning property in St. Paul with several lovely boulevard rain gardens, native habitat and pavers.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Chris Strong, a new Master Water Steward in training who is also participating in the Master Gardener course, checks out the plant diversity in Kristy Odland’s gardens. Kristy’s yard also features a sitting area for passerby to rest and admire the gardens. It’s also a great place to watch the eagles soaring above Beaver Lake across the street.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Training and graduation</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The training is intensive! In their first year, stewards get certified by participating in an online course and in person-classes over a six month period. Along the way, they meet regularly with a cohort of other Master-Water Stewards in-training from Capitol Region and Rice Creek watershed districts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After this initial training, they complete an “in-the-ground” capstone project and an outreach project. Next, they are required to put in 50 volunteer hours in the first year. In subsequent years, the hour requirement drops to 25 hours to keep their certification active. They are also required to complete 8 hours of continuing education annually.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Once their training is complete, a graduation ceremony and project showcase is held for Master Water Stewards across the east metro area. It’s a good opportunity for participants to connect with other stewards and learn about their capstone projects. At this year’s ceremony, Rebecca Flood, assistant commissioner for water policy at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, read a proclamation by Gov. Dayton declaring this graduation date the state’s official Master Water Stewards Day.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Our cohort of Master Water Stewards show off the Governor’s proclamation. Top (L-R): Phil Plumbo, Phyllis Webster, Paul Gardner, Bill Cranford. Middle (L-R): Linda Neilson and Rachel Hanks. Front (L-R): Anna Barker and Chris Strong.</span></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After becoming certified, Master Water Stewards work with us to initiate new projects that address watershed issues like stormwater pollution and habitat. They work on educational projects and demonstration sites, volunteer for District events, help us brainstorm new directions, and play the important role of being sounding boards. They can play a strong role precisely because they are based in their communities and have a unique vantage point to identify opportunities for local engagement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our new Master Water Stewards</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So who are these new Master Water Stewards? Why were they interested in joining the program, and what do they hope to gain from participating? Let’s take a look!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Phil Plumbo, Maplewood</b></span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VIbccUj1xDPuttwf3IJod97ywyEDgtHWqH0xW54bMBMPPowjRyZyPB-kEDyXjJZAhE87ahFTabypg_6vSvmgPLdlxWR1zScCzO9XwoEMrrQfTY6a_7aMzk0rUZRfauezOOX6vuhXRhQ/s1600/DSC_0730_Phil+Plumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1600" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VIbccUj1xDPuttwf3IJod97ywyEDgtHWqH0xW54bMBMPPowjRyZyPB-kEDyXjJZAhE87ahFTabypg_6vSvmgPLdlxWR1zScCzO9XwoEMrrQfTY6a_7aMzk0rUZRfauezOOX6vuhXRhQ/s640/DSC_0730_Phil+Plumbo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Phil Plumbo is one of the two head beekeeper volunteers at Ramsey County's Tamarack Nature Center. He has taught beekeeping seminars and trained many beekeeper volunteers.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shortly after he began the program, Phil helped out with a L’Etoile du Nord School field trip to Beaver Lake. He also assisted Stephanie Wang, a seasoned Master Water Steward, in improving a recently installed rain garden in that neighborhood. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Phil is planning to do a shoreline restoration on Beaver Lake for his capstone project.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Phil Plumbo and his wife, Ann, assist Stephanie Wang in replacing the mulch at a Beaver Lake neighborhood rain garden.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Why are you interested in being a Master Water Steward?</b><br />I took a limnology course while at college and it sparked my interest in lakes. I have lived on several lakes and have witnessed their declining water quality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What do you expect to gain from your participation in the program?</b><br />A better understanding of ways to improve the environmental health of our lakes, streams and rivers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What changes are you hoping to affect in your community?</b><br />I would like to see wider adoption of rain gardens, and improved water quality in our area lakes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Michelle Natarajan, St. Paul</span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43VRBjsuxM8cY3k4_kDKDsrEkmBErdkg0BBEm7DyI75IECor2qfnC7ubySKC2krAoG0GKVUA4WCH8xCcjTAKNcdJ4TlZOKhrpFpqlkTfytQLHlbRbRvtKqr1MjYX3FVajvAHHOKSNGX8/s1600/DSC_0325_Phil+Plumbo+outside+office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43VRBjsuxM8cY3k4_kDKDsrEkmBErdkg0BBEm7DyI75IECor2qfnC7ubySKC2krAoG0GKVUA4WCH8xCcjTAKNcdJ4TlZOKhrpFpqlkTfytQLHlbRbRvtKqr1MjYX3FVajvAHHOKSNGX8/s640/DSC_0325_Phil+Plumbo+outside+office.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Michelle Natarajan investigates our office site’s dry creek bed that directs roof-run off into a rain garden.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michelle was introduced to us by an organizer in the Como Lake neighborhood because of her interest in developing a similar adoption and cleanup program around Lake Phalen where she lives. Two of our Master Water Students and I met with her, and the next day she applied!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Why are you interested in being a Master Water Steward?</b>I would like to be more involved in protecting water quality in my community. I work in an environmental lab, testing water quality and lake sediment samples. But because my undergraduate work was in an unrelated field, I feel that I could still benefit greatly from the scope of topics covered in this program. I would like to add to what I've learned in graduate school and my professional life in order to be a more effective advocate and steward of urban lakes, streams and rivers. <br /><br /><b>What do you expect to gain from your participation in the program? </b>I hope to refresh and add to my knowledge of basic hydrology. I hope to better understand how storm drainage systems connect with surface water in my community. I hope to learn about local laws regarding water quality and ways that public policy and community engagement can be used to enhance and protect our natural resources. I hope to learn about strategies that can be implemented by individuals and businesses to keep local lakes clean and I hope to complete a Capstone project that makes a measurable difference in my neighborhood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What changes are you hoping to affect in your community?</b>I would like to encourage more community members to take ownership of and pride in our natural water resources so that we can work together for good policy, regular clean-ups, responsible landscaping choices, and regular water quality monitoring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chris Strong, St. Paul</span></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Chris Strong (right) surveys the beautiful natural habitats in Kristy Odland’s Leap award-winning yard.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris Strong worked many years for a neighborhood non-profit that provides community rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities. She spent the last nine years working as an human resources director. She has skills in writing, policy development and training. She also has a strong interest in gardening and just retired last year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Why are you interested in being a Master Water Steward?</b>I live just off East Shore Drive, and for the past 30 years have enjoyed being close to Lake Phalen. Living in a city, on a lake filled with wildlife, is a real privilege – and I would like to see this preserved for perpetuity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What do you expect to gain from your participation in the program?</b>Giving back to the community and using my skills in a meaningful manner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What changes are you hoping to affect in your community?</b>A public appreciation of the natural resources that we have and an understanding of how personal actions impact the community as a whole.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Melissa Peck, Maplewood</span></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Melissa Peck, Master Water Steward from Maplewood participates in the basic hyrdology class.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Melissa recently completed a Master’s Program in natural resources science and management at the University of Minnesota. She now works for the Environmental Quality Board at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as an environmental review planner. She is also a committee member of the community design review board for the City of Maplewood. She has training in civic engagement, public opinion and meeting facilitation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Why are you interested in being a Master Water Steward?</b>I’m interested in improving water quality in my community and networking with water management professionals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What do you expect to gain from your participation in the program?</b>Education, networking opportunities, skill building and a resume builder.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What changes are you hoping to affect in your community?</b>I hope to help increase awareness of impaired water and what causes it, as well as increase community involvement in improving water quality. I am also excited to participate in water improvement projects myself.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLzTR4lWKjKsEtWKZHNqcOLJcWC4j8U521wV-0Po8bMxaU4TqiU3YYqcXm0DOdPG4iv3W9lJpItUuVcSeNw7vTBREeVoL_915DF1lzUYCaAxGUSf286Bxe8gT7S2yut9_2cn8EklFdOE/s1600/DSC_0057_Master+Water+Stewards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLzTR4lWKjKsEtWKZHNqcOLJcWC4j8U521wV-0Po8bMxaU4TqiU3YYqcXm0DOdPG4iv3W9lJpItUuVcSeNw7vTBREeVoL_915DF1lzUYCaAxGUSf286Bxe8gT7S2yut9_2cn8EklFdOE/s400/DSC_0057_Master+Water+Stewards.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Melissa Peck (right), Phil Plumbo and Watershed Project Manager Paige Alhborg discuss priority areas for stewardship projects in the the district.</i></span></td></tr>
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Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-12849368815512763322018-02-01T06:18:00.001-08:002018-02-02T08:09:50.422-08:00District, Ramsey County receive grant to restore wetland and forest habitat near Snail Lake<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>by Bill Bartodziej, Natural Resources Specialist</i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhgAZNyj0_Myr8VwciQ-zCb73vGfvWimuyfGkghv_6jcgtyojVwbVmIF_LSJngETbjVgit4-1Qg5ksiNisYl4sgUJvUkCQUY8hNfqq6Bdh3znm5AR1L2QTJ7XG7IttouoRwRA7wOaDYI/s1600/Snail+Lake+Park_buckthorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhgAZNyj0_Myr8VwciQ-zCb73vGfvWimuyfGkghv_6jcgtyojVwbVmIF_LSJngETbjVgit4-1Qg5ksiNisYl4sgUJvUkCQUY8hNfqq6Bdh3znm5AR1L2QTJ7XG7IttouoRwRA7wOaDYI/s640/Snail+Lake+Park_buckthorn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Photo by Sage Passi.</i> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Natural habitat in need</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nestled between Snail and Grass Lakes lies a large parcel of Ramsey County parkland supporting wetlands and remnant oak forest that have been spared significant human disturbance. Additionally, it has unique topography with an impressive diversity of micro-habitats and plant species. Popular walking trails encourage residents to enjoy the area, and it is the largest undeveloped parcel in the northern part of our watershed.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, the area has become degraded by invasive plants over the last few decades, and in recent years has been threatened by flooding.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsz6uH6EOLdAMn8KpLCNn83P0DTHaR0M9K1mXFytM0xxYsHWfayFR93mkRvBak6LYM6CGpnAnHbBlrfnTgelH-yJ6ONG2X553_to-D0YoO73tcBh32VciHFn17W5_cU7USBOFh9L61VE/s1600/Snail+Lake+Park_upland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsz6uH6EOLdAMn8KpLCNn83P0DTHaR0M9K1mXFytM0xxYsHWfayFR93mkRvBak6LYM6CGpnAnHbBlrfnTgelH-yJ6ONG2X553_to-D0YoO73tcBh32VciHFn17W5_cU7USBOFh9L61VE/s320/Snail+Lake+Park_upland.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><i>Mature oak forest habitat has been degraded</i></span><br />
<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">by invasive buckthorn. </i><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Photo by Sage Passi.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In November, the District and Ramsey County were awarded a <a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/grants/habitat/cpl/index.html" target="_blank">DNR Conservation Partners Legacy Grant</a> of $252,000, to restore this land. It is an extremely competitive grant program, so we are quite fortunate that this project was selected. The ecological restoration will involve erosion control, invasive species removal, and the reintroduction of native plant species to improve the health, integrity and sustainability of the parkland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Project partnership</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site preparation work will begin this year, and revegetation efforts – seeding and planting – will begin in 2019 and conclude in 2021. The District and the county is committed to monitoring and maintenance over the long term. We will focus our efforts on 60 acres of degraded forest and 4,000 linear feet of wetland edge, totaling 4 acres of wetland buffer. District staff will lead the buffer restoration work, while county staff will head the upland forest restoration. This type of partnership with Ramsey County has worked well in the past, where we have maximized technical know-how and project funding. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The wetland buffer restoration will address areas that were inundated by the high water conditions and overrun with invasive plants like reed canary grass and buckthorn. Eliminating erosion and increasing native plant diversity will have substantial ecological benefits to the entire wetland complex.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-SUpjGFMFGDVKUnhTgGN72IW_nIYHPOnkJFTMmqj_DsNcxQ5c4IecGZ6WQ75Ark0wGxbOLtxGxH7063AIDr5B63GpfOdDXY1W34eLgxLw-MajqZp_yDPjxaQdyu02K9y_sRjq5VSQjc/s1600/Snail+Lake+Park+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="600" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-SUpjGFMFGDVKUnhTgGN72IW_nIYHPOnkJFTMmqj_DsNcxQ5c4IecGZ6WQ75Ark0wGxbOLtxGxH7063AIDr5B63GpfOdDXY1W34eLgxLw-MajqZp_yDPjxaQdyu02K9y_sRjq5VSQjc/s320/Snail+Lake+Park+tour.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Shoreview Public Works Director Mark Maloney </i></span></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and</i></div>
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<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">others toured the restoration site in September.</i><br />
<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo by Kathryn Keefer.</i></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before any revegetation takes place, findings from our ongoing hydrological study of the area will be used to develop a restoration plan for the wetland buffer. Being adjacent to a popular walking path, park users will be able to view the restoration as it matures over time. We hope this will demonstrate a viable land management option to residents who are contemplating their own wetland or lakeshore restoration projects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We look forward to bringing in additional community partners, including more than 300 students from five local schools. Master Gardeners and Master Water Stewards will assist the students with native planting. The Ramsey County Correctional Facility will grow the plants to be used in this restoration and also supply inmate work crews to conduct site preparation. We will also enlist local volunteer groups to collect native seed from nearby restoration sites to use on the project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We expect these partnerships to provide excellent educational opportunities, community ownership and substantial cost savings. Most importantly, the project will bring much needed stewardship to this important ecosystem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Restoration map</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLU9TFL-3kQxtmjQ5abOICVUgRE2nocYOTkY7S6UlBs9hqIKbMxzax-UUgLU5eva0xechekm1T-wKwrWifDfF-VzEQK1Na2-9Ft4of7qynZ4GkYqTPSB4b9jMSzr7R5jOHp6T1JKf5oVE/s1600/Snail+Lake+wetland+buffer+and+upland+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLU9TFL-3kQxtmjQ5abOICVUgRE2nocYOTkY7S6UlBs9hqIKbMxzax-UUgLU5eva0xechekm1T-wKwrWifDfF-VzEQK1Na2-9Ft4of7qynZ4GkYqTPSB4b9jMSzr7R5jOHp6T1JKf5oVE/s640/Snail+Lake+wetland+buffer+and+upland+map.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The project will restore 60 acres of woodland (shown in red) and 4 acres of wetland buffer (in yellow).</i></span></td></tr>
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Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-11987361079667824262018-01-16T14:00:00.000-08:002018-06-19T11:25:29.802-07:00District proceeds with plans to optimize drainage near Grass Lake and Snail Lake<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Winter weather means construction season in the watershed world, and we are moving forward with plans to optimize drainage and restore natural habitat in the Grass Lake and Snail Lake area. This work is part of an ongoing study commissioned by the District in response to persistent high water conditions and concerns among local residents.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWnAQQkN3FbrzQGSUlSlVU48pH2QiFW22eJempiZtGyKOvjlwo3iQlWC_BCy0-cniXag3_tInbPgZZ1Fqe_h6PfszSefMMxa794T1_G1My8GU7HQYQN3UL5mHKEEIw2WnS9PRcQamALo/s1600/Grass+Snail+Lake+area+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="1304" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWnAQQkN3FbrzQGSUlSlVU48pH2QiFW22eJempiZtGyKOvjlwo3iQlWC_BCy0-cniXag3_tInbPgZZ1Fqe_h6PfszSefMMxa794T1_G1My8GU7HQYQN3UL5mHKEEIw2WnS9PRcQamALo/s640/Grass+Snail+Lake+area+map.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>This map shows the location of projects underway to restore habitat and optimize drainage of the Grass Lake and Snail Lake system, along with surface water flow paths shown by the blue arrows. Numbered items are explained in the “Projects underway” section below.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Projects underway</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br />1) Restore natural habitat</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In partnership with Ramsey County, we were recently awarded a Conservation Partners Legacy Grant of $252,000 from the Minnesota DNR to restore 60 acres of degraded forest and about four acres of wetland habitat. This 4-year project will begin this year as we remove invasive vegetation like buckthorn and prepare the site for native planting.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) Grass Lake berm</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Plans are underway to construct a permanent berm along the north side of Grass Lake to replace two sections of temporary sandbags. The berm will help contain high waters on the lake’s northern shoreline.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3) Twin Culverts under Ramsey County trail</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">East of the berm, we plan to add two 44-inch by 26-inch culverts to carry water from Grass Lake underneath the Ramsey County walking trail to an adjacent marsh. This will improve drainage beyond the smaller 18-inch culvert currently running underneath the trail.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>4) Dredge Grass Lake east shoreline</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>We will remove about 775 cubic yards of sediment along east shoreline of Grass Lake and dig out a 360-foot-long channel 2 feet below the lake bottom to allow better drainage to the new culverts being installed.<br /><br /><br /><b>5) Improve channel between Grass Lake and Railroad Tracks</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>To improve flow between Grass Lake and a wetland area near the railroad tracks to the east, we will remove about 1,825 cubic yards of sediment and dig out a 560-foot-long channel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>6) Improve channel into West Vadnais Lake</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />To improve flow from Grass Lake into West Vadnais Lake, we will remove about 160 cubic yards of sediment from the downstream end of two Rice Street culverts. Riprap will be placed at the end of the culverts to keep sediment from building up in the future.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>7) Replace West Vadnais Blvd. culvert</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />To keep water flowing south under West Vadnais Boulevard, we will replace the current 12-inch culvert with a larger and slightly lower 44-inch by 26-inch culvert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>8) Improve West Vadnais Lake outlet</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />We are pursuing permits to improve the West Vadnais Lake outlet, which flows south under I-694, by replacing a section of the current 15-inch pipe with a larger 24-inch pipe. In addition, a new trash guard and riprap will help keep debris from blocking the outlet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Potential projects</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are studying the feasibility of several potential projects to create additional water storage within the Grass/Snail Lake system or move water out of the system. These options are outlined in a recent <a href="http://www.rwmwd.org/vertical/sites/%7BAB493DE7-F6CB-4A58-AFE0-56D80D38CD24%7D/uploads/Grass_Snail_Lake_Optimization_Study_Dec_15_2017.pdf" target="_blank">Barr Engineering study</a> and include:</span><br />
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<li>Installing an outlet pipe from Snail Lake, which is currently landlocked, to Grass Lake. The pipe would be equipped with a manual gate to prevent backflow into Snail Lake, and only opened when Grass Lake water levels are low enough to accept flows from Snail.</li>
<li>Pumping water from Snail Lake to Sucker Lake in order to lower water levels in Snail Lake. An augmentation pipe is currently in place to carry water from Sucker to Snail (when Snail Lake levels are low), but it was not designed to work in reverse.</li>
<li>Study the connection between Snail Lake and the marsh bordering it to the northwest to confirm its connection to Snail Lake and its availability to store Snail Lake flood waters.</li>
<li>Managing water levels in ponds around Gramsie Road.</li>
<li>Constructing an emergency overflow on Grass Lake that would carry water north in very large storm events, reducing the risk of Rice Street flooding.</li>
<li>Lowering the outlet for West Vadnais Lake to create additional water storage in both West Vadnais and Grass lakes.</li>
<li>Installing a system to pump and treat water from West Vadnais into East Vadnais Lake in order to promote drainage of the entire Grass/Snail lake system. Since St. Paul draws its drinking water from East Vadnais Lake, any water pumped there would need to meet strict quality standards according to St. Paul Regional Water Services and other regulators.</li>
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Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-538329476653193732017-11-29T15:07:00.002-08:002017-12-05T07:17:06.784-08:00Conservation heroes honored at annual recognition dinner<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho09gS5klaFlZvgX6mYMygRAVE3cAEN_mPwwdoGBmq9mwKfhShNAnyDxuJVX78gonjQmDudaLXmhwpkXTUN3EL1aFyvcG9wU-0sBdgV7lvBsBqDs9UZACM_bg7vMORpneVjhFIOR7hjtw/s1600/2017+Watershed+Excellence+Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1200" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho09gS5klaFlZvgX6mYMygRAVE3cAEN_mPwwdoGBmq9mwKfhShNAnyDxuJVX78gonjQmDudaLXmhwpkXTUN3EL1aFyvcG9wU-0sBdgV7lvBsBqDs9UZACM_bg7vMORpneVjhFIOR7hjtw/s640/2017+Watershed+Excellence+Awards.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Glass artist Eric Sommers designed this year's Watershed Excellence Awards based on the structure of a water molecule.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />During our annual recognition dinner held Nov. 8 at Keller Golf Course in Maplewood, we recognized several local citizens and conservation professionals for their outstanding efforts in the watershed. The evening was also a great chance to connect with dozens of friends and partners who continue to make positive contributions in our community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are this year’s Watershed Excellence Awards recipients, followed by photos of other attendees who helped make this a special night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watershed Excellence Awards</span></h3>
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Mark Gernes</b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Roger Lake Stewardship Excellence Award</i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.rwmwd.org/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0ywNEpQ3HYQ-ZXoEavtcvebF_puYOLSRdEr4WpXOBEUNZRjIKsAzukfpMVsRJOjncSljYTJiwITxK2tyfEN60wVYN7boP-ALYqJumW-I4alCkarhpAu0y4udeS7m1Zfr7PqB-JHr3v4/s320/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Mark+Gernes.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Award recipient Mark Gernes(left) with presenter<br />Dana Larsen-Ramsay. Photo by Anita Jader.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mark Gernes has been a RWMWD volunteer for 24 years, contributing scientific expertise and enthusiasm to countless watershed projects. As a research scientist for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, a former state park naturalist and Maplewood resident, he brings a wealth of plant and animal knowledge, monitoring expertise, and dedication to improving the natural environment. He is a current member of the District’s Citizen Advisory Commission and serves as co-chair of its LEAP and Environmental Forum teams.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>Virginia Gaynor<br /><i>Outstanding Partner Award</i></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrLdiUCn4JoG-hv-MIyoPlsuXGtB0UISRZWoIuGmh4j8e9JBlNVBYXIcpM5OCV1Pc1XC13TFKolWzYEgqxDrdPRwYKNyhFvOXqSSIqMQicBElSEQ45WbGjKN5xaMojP761PPXNvtZhyo/s1600/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Virginia+Gaynor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1600" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrLdiUCn4JoG-hv-MIyoPlsuXGtB0UISRZWoIuGmh4j8e9JBlNVBYXIcpM5OCV1Pc1XC13TFKolWzYEgqxDrdPRwYKNyhFvOXqSSIqMQicBElSEQ45WbGjKN5xaMojP761PPXNvtZhyo/s320/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Virginia+Gaynor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Award recipient Ginny Gaynor (left) with presenter</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Mark Gernes. </i></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo by Anita Jader.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Virginia (Ginny) Gaynor, natural resources coordinator for the City of Maplewood, has successfully merged city projects and District goals through her vision, support and open communication. She is instrumental in the preservation and restoration of open spaces including Fish Creek Natural Area and Gladstone Savanna. She has championed new conservation techniques such as using compost bags for shoreline stabilization at Kohlman Creek and a reinforced turf parking lot at Bruentrup Heritage Farm. A creative leader in rain garden design, Ginny has developed innovative prototypes and led many workshops.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6p2dOCnMrEQTK5aPHH9viDVM0A-7GzZXr19VA_QgrkD0MJ4lBiR-RJ4mDBYAA1V6WD2otk61oW9YcLwiT-nlJzvgixBvOvx97BkTX4EqxWblntYpQq2aXVREV3g0OHEEi9PdhoeyXbpI/s1600/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Ann+Hutchinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1467" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6p2dOCnMrEQTK5aPHH9viDVM0A-7GzZXr19VA_QgrkD0MJ4lBiR-RJ4mDBYAA1V6WD2otk61oW9YcLwiT-nlJzvgixBvOvx97BkTX4EqxWblntYpQq2aXVREV3g0OHEEi9PdhoeyXbpI/s320/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Ann+Hutchinson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Ann Hutchinson (left) accepted her award in </i></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">costume</i></span><br />
<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">with presenter Sage Passi. Photo by Anita Jader.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ann Hutchinson<br /><i>Youth Engagement Award</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ann Hutchinson, lead naturalist at Maplewood Nature Center, is a creative leader in engaging youth in watershed, habitat and outdoor learning projects. Since the early 2000's, she and her team of naturalists have engaged hundreds of local students in watershed topics by using theater, puppets and outdoor experiences like rain garden planting. Ann recently partnered with RWMWD to offer pollinator and watershed lessons for students in St. Paul, North St. Paul and Maplewood, along with service learning opportunities at Southwood Nature Preserve, Fish Creek and Beaver Lake.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anita Jader</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /><i>Conservation Champion Award</i></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN4u11MxKX4pUozEEB_AJkQ1OwfGUiucNsI6ncuko2kyZ6zeCtKBHaC33Y2SOwVoOJIejiJ2ouuOs67xbHv29FfbB6SlPxF3tOlEFuan2qSCffFD34KcuHtlVwi3okQXVGS1aSyERSyk/s1600/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Anita+Jader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN4u11MxKX4pUozEEB_AJkQ1OwfGUiucNsI6ncuko2kyZ6zeCtKBHaC33Y2SOwVoOJIejiJ2ouuOs67xbHv29FfbB6SlPxF3tOlEFuan2qSCffFD34KcuHtlVwi3okQXVGS1aSyERSyk/s320/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Anita+Jader.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Award recipient Anita Jader, District Administrator</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tina Cartsens and presenter Michele Hanson.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Photographer Anita Jader has helped to raise awareness of native landscaping in the watershed, and she has photographed dozens of RWMWD events including the annual awards dinner and WaterFest. Anita and her husband Scott were pioneers in restoring their shoreline on Kohlman Lake, using native plants to prevent erosion and provide pollinator habitat. She has generously shared private access to the lake for carp management and other District projects, and she actively supports invasive buckthorn and garlic mustard removal in the watershed.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cathy Troendle</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Community Catalyst Award</i></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3zxkoW5-FtZHy8jWA5qfRa9TuwlC0axloVtuvF5nuwfs6xbD7Nm6GOFGUmotXjbmVv97QZFQmeq9WRKoYilJl-0EXhLVtODLShMxRgBe-sXJfVT08sMNcJc9-q93rBL_eGqS2ril1xs/s1600/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Cathy+Troendle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1600" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3zxkoW5-FtZHy8jWA5qfRa9TuwlC0axloVtuvF5nuwfs6xbD7Nm6GOFGUmotXjbmVv97QZFQmeq9WRKoYilJl-0EXhLVtODLShMxRgBe-sXJfVT08sMNcJc9-q93rBL_eGqS2ril1xs/s320/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Cathy+Troendle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Award recipient Cathy Troendle (left) with presenter<br />Karen Wold. Photo by Anita Jader.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cathy Troendle is a strong leader in restoring Southwood Nature Preserve in North St. Paul as a valuable natural area and educational resource for the community. She has volunteered thousands of hours to remove invasive species, organize prescribed burns, grow plants, coordinate volunteers, raise funds and implement the preserves’ management plan. Cathy organizes an annual Prairie Days festival, leads classroom lessons and field days for local students, and has been active in the Master Naturalist program for the past 10 years.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Debbie Meister</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>WaterFest Champion Award</i></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQAhHI5PZNo02HxPr0hvaPO1IihcS64CKYVcjObscoozKD6tOuhNdRRGxVeWfBDj3fnYGRQuS_zJat6GCs9OaYqOKBdoOvwlZxdLWQnllOUPxdhhEE25VH5YpEulkSsQMeV2WsVpnx7k/s1600/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Debbie+Meister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1109" data-original-width="1600" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQAhHI5PZNo02HxPr0hvaPO1IihcS64CKYVcjObscoozKD6tOuhNdRRGxVeWfBDj3fnYGRQuS_zJat6GCs9OaYqOKBdoOvwlZxdLWQnllOUPxdhhEE25VH5YpEulkSsQMeV2WsVpnx7k/s320/Watershed+Excellence+Awards_Debbie+Meister.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Award recipient Debbie Meister (left) with </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">presenter</span></i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Linda Neilson. Photo by Anita Jader.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Debbie Meister has been the driving force and creative impetus behind the success of WaterFest, RWMWD’s annual community event, for many years. Thanks to her collaborative leadership, WaterFest has become a rich venue to learn about water, natural resources and taking action in the watershed. Beginning months in advance, Debbie engages cities and partner agencies, solicits sponsorships, coordinates exhibitors and volunteers, and promotes the festival to local media. WaterFest 2018 will be held June 2 at Phalen Regional Park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoy a few candid shots of this year's recognition dinner captured by Anita Jader, Conservation Champion and our go-to photographer for District events.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The watershed community celebrates at Keller Golf Course.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Board members Cliff Aichinger and Dianne Ward.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Master Water Steward Chris Strong and her husband Richard showed off their<br />door prizes: buckthorn walking sticks created by Carol Gernes and Debbie Barnes.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Youth Engagement Award recipient Ann Hutchinson fittingly donned a heron<br />costume she uses to teach young people about watershed conservation.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Jordan and Sarah Wein of Carp Solutions and Capitol Region Watershed District, respectively,<br />brought their son Cooper (the evening's youngest guest).</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>L-R: Sherry Brooks, retired Farnsworth Elementary science specialist, Henriette Bissoy,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>L'Etoile du Nord science specialist, and Ed Shinbach, Master Gardener school coordinator.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Board member Jen Oknich looked on as her daughter received a door prize from intern Matt Doneaux.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Artist Eric Sommers (left) displays Mark Gernes' Watershed Excellence Award. Eric crafted<br />this year's awards using glass, white marble and cedar at his studio in Minneapolis.</i></span> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Ramsey County Master Gardener Sally Prouty was the lucky winner<br />of this wooden birdhouse handmade and donated by Dave Nelson.</i></span></td></tr>
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Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-71598359415171274762017-11-29T08:41:00.001-08:002017-12-07T06:25:18.991-08:00Announcing the arrival of twins – Woodbury rain gardens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>by Sage Passi</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKqnN8lK3zNarGnFTiPrjjAECJDJomnaVeNGSh3zJAmlU2hhqh-8PTbB5MIzfyFs2mos8-i2AhKnoAnJ8Cf023yUW5Sdc9dnEKvM57eFVZt6QCATwa8TFX67THPOccDWbvFbOjZcFOT8/s1600/Rain+garden_panoramic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1200" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKqnN8lK3zNarGnFTiPrjjAECJDJomnaVeNGSh3zJAmlU2hhqh-8PTbB5MIzfyFs2mos8-i2AhKnoAnJ8Cf023yUW5Sdc9dnEKvM57eFVZt6QCATwa8TFX67THPOccDWbvFbOjZcFOT8/s640/Rain+garden_panoramic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Rain Gardens, like births, are harbors for crests and hurdles, heroines and heroes. This birth analogy surfaced in an <a href="http://therippleeffectmn.blogspot.com/2016/04/a-ten-year-journey-gives-birth-to.html" target="_blank">article</a> I wrote to describe Woodbury’s first school rain garden created at Crosswinds Arts and Sciences ten years ago. Woodbury Elementary School’s latest project is the “sixth child” in our most recent series of school rain gardens.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVi0Cvh-uryYJqsY4zPxpZl-tkpPcnMOeaQM4dZRDFo05F18KwAvoVv2lKopkU0AlfzmdeWH7OdLqNVl9T2jDIteA8fno-jnK6OxHmDxRLBRkX13S-0I-W7LfmwqClhvKo_IUiQE6B-gs/s1600/legacy_logo_social.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="751" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVi0Cvh-uryYJqsY4zPxpZl-tkpPcnMOeaQM4dZRDFo05F18KwAvoVv2lKopkU0AlfzmdeWH7OdLqNVl9T2jDIteA8fno-jnK6OxHmDxRLBRkX13S-0I-W7LfmwqClhvKo_IUiQE6B-gs/s200/legacy_logo_social.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These two rain gardens emerged last month as the final demonstration sites in Clean Water Legacy and District cost share funded school projects, which were initiated in 2014 to treat runoff from large impervious expanses of parking lots, driveways and roads adjacent to schools in our district.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Fourth graders “rock it” by planting prairie dropseed on the rain garden<br />berm on School Drive. Across the street is the second rain garden.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Preceding Woodbury Elementary in this installation process were Maplewood Middle School, Weaver Elementary and Harmony Learning Center rain gardens planted in the fall of 2016. The next projects at Roseville Area Middle School and Central Park Elementary were completed only a week or two before Woodbury in early October 2017.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rain gardens in Woodbury are HUGE. They needed to be built to a scale that would allow them to capture runoff from such a large drainage area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The Woodbury Elementary and Middle School campus areas that produce runoff to Battle Creek Lake</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>include the blue areas (2.5 acres of impervious surfaces) and the green areas (5.5 acres) that</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>are considered semi-impervious since much of the turf is compacted and contributes runoff.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Strong school advocates</span></h3>
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Woodbury Elementary was granted a letter grade of “A” in a watershed district-wide public school assessment process and ranked as a top priority because it had high ratings for potential stormwater benefits, constructability and educational value.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The people involved in this project are equally deserving of high marks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first hero to emerge was Mike Vogel. For the first two years after our assessment, this potential project seemed to be stalled, despite our initial efforts to pitch the idea to the school district. We just didn’t seem to be getting a green light until Mike was hired as director of facilities and construction management in School District 837. Then everything changed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we met at the school in mid-November of 2016 with Mike and Connha Classon, the school’s principal, they were both receptive to the idea of a project on their site. Unlike our other five school projects, this one required presentations at several school board meetings. But with Mike at the helm, it went like clockwork, even when we had to go through two votes to get approval.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Connha became a strong advocate for the rain gardens. She believed in the viability of this project, helped us coordinate our efforts with the teachers, gave a positive pitch at the school board meeting and arranged for press coverage during the planting. Her affirmation made a big difference!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Fourth graders contemplate the amount of impervious parking lot<br />and roadway surfaces that will drain to their new rain gardens.</i></span> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All hands on deck</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With Woodbury we started by engaging fourth grade classes in the fall of 2016 to the spring 2017 with a variety of educational activities with help from Master Water Stewards, Master Gardeners and Washington Conservation District staff. Fourth graders from this school had been attending the Metro Children’s Water Festival for the past three or more years, so we knew there was some interest in water issues. But this event had been our only previous contact with students from this school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The fourth grade teachers rose to the occasion and jumped into the lessons and activities we had in store for them! See the <a href="http://therippleeffectmn.blogspot.com/2017/03/beneath-surface-many-hands-clean-water.html" target="_blank">March issue</a> of the <i>Ripple Effect</i> for a description of the previous school year’s lessons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the spring and fall of 2017, we added lessons for the Woodbury Middle School sixth and seventh graders since this school is located next to the elementary school, and we needed all hands on deck for planting. They expressed a strong desire to help with the project, too. Kudos to their science team for stepping up to the plate and getting their students involved in the project!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Melissa Habeck’s seventh grade science students kick off the planting marathon by planting native shrubs on the hillside.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Months of preparation came together when we teamed up those 17 classrooms (564 students) and their 10 teachers, teaching assistants and parents with Washington Conservation District staff, Washington and Ramsey County Master Gardeners, Master Water Stewards, Maplewood Nature Center naturalists, Watershed District staff and interns. The true community value of projects like these culminates in that realm of team-building, relationship bonding and joint experiential learning.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Wrestling with a rootbound pot is sometimes the only way to free a plant.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviuxUyhupu82yWoVnw4PtB030ZSnfxlTaV2bAPSYSCMVVfajLWRVU56yL3rgSgNAhjbyJl7cLaYTLqN-RDHYmnDqVIL_U-1hjBsxNM870sUlaHwGJOoEsn0W6l2JCFYmMVLRCQ6LOW9w/s1600/DSC_0188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviuxUyhupu82yWoVnw4PtB030ZSnfxlTaV2bAPSYSCMVVfajLWRVU56yL3rgSgNAhjbyJl7cLaYTLqN-RDHYmnDqVIL_U-1hjBsxNM870sUlaHwGJOoEsn0W6l2JCFYmMVLRCQ6LOW9w/s400/DSC_0188.jpg" width="265" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>This student knew exactly how to loosen this plant from its pot.<br />He admitted he had a lot of experience planting prior to the project.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I believe it was well worth the long wait to position this Woodbury project at the end of the series. As a watershed district, we needed to be ready to take on a project of this magnitude, and we had certainly learned a lot during previous projects that we could apply here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As someone who started out designing and building “baby size” home rain gardens alongside Ramsey County and Washington County Master Gardeners, I have come to the conclusion that no matter what the size and the complexity of a project, there are always surprises, challenges and amazing high points. Of course, it’s all good and part of the birthing process!</span></div>
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Meet our team!</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The people are what make these projects come alive. Engaging students and partners in the planting, for me, is always the frosting on the cake. But the planting process is also the measure of our true grit! Here are some of the people who helped by hauling equipment, working with students and performing countless other tasks needed to get 1,433 native plants in the ground.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Back (L-R): Sage Passi, Scott Hanson, Stephanie Wang, Carmen Johnson, </i><i>Anna Barker,</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Angie Hong and Judy Koster. Front (L-R): Konnie Her and Lauren Haydon.</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL5d_l0-ABtr-wf1Z2qu8rq8LfUUE_79oiC-B74UnjzBHxNU6gH1K-md7Oh1OIKy1ZGI599F4QQToqs1r-9fViO6yHt5kk5si4JU3blFf-Mug91d-aXGGueFnDnGnoWKmLIcnKtaCCXE/s1600/DSC_0147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1200" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL5d_l0-ABtr-wf1Z2qu8rq8LfUUE_79oiC-B74UnjzBHxNU6gH1K-md7Oh1OIKy1ZGI599F4QQToqs1r-9fViO6yHt5kk5si4JU3blFf-Mug91d-aXGGueFnDnGnoWKmLIcnKtaCCXE/s400/DSC_0147.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Angie Hong, Washington Conservation District, takes a moment to pause for the camera. </i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMrc-r1Jxh_Y9OdYItMOmxdXZgDqzynKWc1ijZSisA5VcJGvm2TDqqhRZpmeeu3JQtd5gzp6eqz7mZb8pKTFeqrdzPPhzbdCm77bZ2ZZ7DS1smN8vHQntcGJehPP3TvTSgsKXx-3T3KE/s1600/Students+digging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMrc-r1Jxh_Y9OdYItMOmxdXZgDqzynKWc1ijZSisA5VcJGvm2TDqqhRZpmeeu3JQtd5gzp6eqz7mZb8pKTFeqrdzPPhzbdCm77bZ2ZZ7DS1smN8vHQntcGJehPP3TvTSgsKXx-3T3KE/s640/Students+digging.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Lauren Haydon (center), Washington Conservation District, helps break through</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>the </i></span><i>compacted berm so that students can plant their gallon pots of prairie dropseed.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4fA0OT2zQdglbD361lOI9dhgeUronpael7CKARPZY6In8LlfpyxCuBmyahBmn9a0wQBq86VGnYHDQcnXIf1g_tqRl5arfya1GL8ITwyksFddBtdJLVZuvX-tJMEN0hGJHcR4A8JdzDI/s1600/DSC_0253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1200" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4fA0OT2zQdglbD361lOI9dhgeUronpael7CKARPZY6In8LlfpyxCuBmyahBmn9a0wQBq86VGnYHDQcnXIf1g_tqRl5arfya1GL8ITwyksFddBtdJLVZuvX-tJMEN0hGJHcR4A8JdzDI/s400/DSC_0253.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Judy Koster, Washington County Master Gardener, helped with the planting all three days.<br />When I thanked her afterwards by email she responded by saying, “It was fun working with you<br />and your team. You can call on me as a volunteer for other local projects.”</i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil55fIakwVJMHp6WyPfGeJB50VAlKU8YLIvQSes1Fkz9iCkahfBzkSS0-8fb_ggczNhXML2d_6nBGGigReIyBCdebbmdQpm4bmiopcV7kjxnKsQj9kBNK0XC2oWH7-f30zh2qz-RuHLrM/s1600/DSC_0221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1200" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil55fIakwVJMHp6WyPfGeJB50VAlKU8YLIvQSes1Fkz9iCkahfBzkSS0-8fb_ggczNhXML2d_6nBGGigReIyBCdebbmdQpm4bmiopcV7kjxnKsQj9kBNK0XC2oWH7-f30zh2qz-RuHLrM/s400/DSC_0221.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Anna Barker, Washington County Master Gardener and Master Water Steward, recruited her<br />fellow Master Gardeners for the project and was a great support person who worked with the classes. </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Five Washington County Master Gardeners (Anna Barker, Jody Koster, Carmen Johnson, Lisa Moran and Laura Opsahl) stepped up to the plate to help on the project. I was thrilled to have their involvement on multiple days because there had been a long hiatus in their involvement with the District over the past ten years (except for Anna B) as their organization experienced a lot of transitions.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>L-R: Lisa Moran and Carmen Johnson, Washington County Master Gardeners, and Angie Hong.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Many years ago teams of Washington Master Gardeners worked with us on several demonstration home rain gardens as we were learning the process of design and installation. They also helped us at Crosswinds School. So getting them involved again was a giant leap forward. We also had the great assistance of a Ramsey County Master Gardener, Don Vegoe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />One of our Master Water Stewards, Stephanie Wang, provided a high level of support in both the set-up and the installation. She transported equipment, assisted volunteers with planting, providing three days of labor and lots of morale building! Another great duo of support were Maplewood seasonal staff Konnie Her and Kayla Wolfe. Thank you to Dana Boyle for meeting me out at the site the night before (in the dark) to install the signs for our planting areas.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaffHxFCgX1rFPL4zQPKvcdxNILscxKB-ZvCUOOS-rlkXc0DKKmsUvQ8kyWHeFJQPxcmWQclBl4Qp00qtp2KEhrgHaTXKluf0dWOGxPmMyXKewoOgjoSaKdjhSAkdEctH6q8Xqe9lbctg/s1600/DSC_0235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1200" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaffHxFCgX1rFPL4zQPKvcdxNILscxKB-ZvCUOOS-rlkXc0DKKmsUvQ8kyWHeFJQPxcmWQclBl4Qp00qtp2KEhrgHaTXKluf0dWOGxPmMyXKewoOgjoSaKdjhSAkdEctH6q8Xqe9lbctg/s640/DSC_0235.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Stephanie Wang, Woodbury Master Water Steward, teases the roots of a plant the students will put in the ground.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scott Hanson, a parent volunteer, would prove to be a champion during the three-day planting. We couldn’t have done the project without his dedication. He showed up early each day for set-up, hauled the shovels home every night so we didn’t have to leave them onsite, helped students with planting, assisted with clean-up and watering of the trees each day, hauled water buckets so the kids could water their plants and recruited his wife for the project. His fourth-grade daughter was one of the students who helped in the garden.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7s23ErDWeE94NgO_g30EKyHSAwFLwDKA8Dvd-Js15YLIU-cxXsmwtdHtX7SXaTpCS2y2u5WUFhyeMFkHQXgyqscVMclh8XQ0wtVAG5izDa4gLjEGC281LWQGUTU8PGznWqWveA4y2U8/s1600/DSC_0173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1200" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7s23ErDWeE94NgO_g30EKyHSAwFLwDKA8Dvd-Js15YLIU-cxXsmwtdHtX7SXaTpCS2y2u5WUFhyeMFkHQXgyqscVMclh8XQ0wtVAG5izDa4gLjEGC281LWQGUTU8PGznWqWveA4y2U8/s400/DSC_0173.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Scott Hanson, Woodbury parent and volunteer extraordinaire,<br />protects newly planted Joe Pye weed with several stakes.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tracy Leavenworth kept up the pace of providing orientation demonstrations for each of the 17 classes and assisted us with layout and coordination each day.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Tracy Leavenworth demonstrates how to plant.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris O’Brien, our communications coordinator, assisted with the planting and used our Go-Pro Camera to capture the time-lapse video below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We appreciated Chad Snuggerud, school district grounds foreman, who appeared each morning with a 250-gallon container of water we used for watering the plants and trees and picked it up at night. He even showed up for our Smart Salting workshop in late November. Chad rocks!</span></div>
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Thanks also to Barr Engineering staff, especially Matt Kumka, for design and project management, Watershed Project Manager Paige Alhborg for her oversight, the contractor SunRam and the behind-the-scenes planting and maintenance contractors, Wetland Habitats and Minnesota Natives.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-3j5PsNP1ofslrK6LA5U88oBgZBd84bvMS0icTKp8m2OExkoaDMhpZ3qNsYUmiwvNvR5tOywQZGmSTd3UQuC0ghgNrIuFPGGq2aGXXH1a2CbkAq7RBXxUFbgImhRWKRhIq3V89E9kVI/s1600/DSC_0105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1200" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-3j5PsNP1ofslrK6LA5U88oBgZBd84bvMS0icTKp8m2OExkoaDMhpZ3qNsYUmiwvNvR5tOywQZGmSTd3UQuC0ghgNrIuFPGGq2aGXXH1a2CbkAq7RBXxUFbgImhRWKRhIq3V89E9kVI/s400/DSC_0105.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Paige Ahlborg, watershed project manager, assists students with planting.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Working with the students and their teachers is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, and the purpose of this project rings loud and strong. The true affirmation of our work comes when you open up the possibilities for students to become empowered and they get to express the joy of digging in the dirt, handling the plants and working together to solve community issues.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Thanks to Wetland Habitats for installing interpretive signs at each of our six rain garden projects.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our many thanks to the teachers and their students who participated in these projects. Fourth grade: Nicky Thompson, Melissa Craig, Alana Hansen and Zach Hendrickson. Fifth grade teachers: Ali Flaata, Burt Roberts and Patti Diamond. At the Middle School level, science teachers: Ashley Schultz, David Rafferty and Melissa Habeck. We couldn’t have done it without you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We'd like to acknowledge and thank the schools we have worked with on these projects for being models to the community and providing us with places to foster unique educational and watershed stewardship opportunities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although these first large-scale projects are now complete, we will continue to identify locations to install best management practices on school grounds in the coming years. Stay tuned!</span></div>
Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-51367352939324709632017-11-28T11:16:00.000-08:002017-11-30T07:18:18.693-08:00Heard the buzz about landscaping for clean water?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EBox59ospvYHSYcaCCRD9BytTbSs4ppKaH0M_lMduvHYAV5lOXVguVymdbkioX4AGVFR5dJBjInIH4375T8yGQptU3RVme8ntldDpk5031dTJesI_-PELYiDnLsvcCIztl8VxOI44q0/s1600/Bee_header+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="1200" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EBox59ospvYHSYcaCCRD9BytTbSs4ppKaH0M_lMduvHYAV5lOXVguVymdbkioX4AGVFR5dJBjInIH4375T8yGQptU3RVme8ntldDpk5031dTJesI_-PELYiDnLsvcCIztl8VxOI44q0/s640/Bee_header+photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Landscape Ecology Awards Program (LEAP) winners recognized</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The clubhouse at Keller Golf Course was a hive of activity the evening of November 8 as Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District board members, staff, partners and volunteers gathered for our annual recognition dinner. Included in this celebration were people who have made landscaping decisions that directly benefit wildlife and water resources – winners of the Landscape Ecology Awards Program (LEAP).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">LEAP celebrates owners of private residences as well as public and commercial properties who use good management practices to benefit water quality and natural resources. The District's citizen-volunteer LEAP Team manages this program and conducts all judging. We awarded our first group of stewards in 2002. Since then, 98 sites have been celebrated by the program including 70 private residences, five schools, seven businesses, five churches and 11 public properties.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the LEAP team visited this year’s award-winning sites in August, they all had one thing in common – an abundance of pollinators. There has been a good deal of discussion about the challenges faced by like birds, bees, butterflies, moths and other pollinators that help keep our landscapes lush and blooming. Among these problems is a lack of plants providing nectar and pollen. It turns out that many of the land care choices that protect clean water also provide habitat for hungry pollinators – a double win!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Five outstanding properties received the LEAP accolade this year. Our congratulations and thanks go out to the winners. Here’s a peek at what we found in these lovely landscapes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Karen Eckman – Shoreview</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Karen’s project was inspired by the need to address water problems at her home. After one storm, her son’s bedroom flooded with 6 inches of water on the floor. Karen began by installing her first rain garden about 10 years ago. Now most of the runoff from her yard (plus part of the neighbor’s) stays on her property and out of Lake Judy.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">L-R: LEAP co-chair Dana Larsen-Ramsay, award recipient </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Karen</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />With the success of the original project, Karen has expanded to include other native plantings. Her yard has an impressive diversity of over 90 species of wildflowers. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She appreciates that they attract bees, butterflies and birds for lots of photo opportunities. We do, too!</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rob and Elizabeth Reinhart – Roseville</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: 400;">Rob and Elizabeth’s long shoreline on Lake Owasso was eroding and as Rob reports, “not super pretty.” He and Elizabeth wanted something nicer. Although Rob was a bit of a skeptic about native shoreland restoration, the Reinharts decided to try this technique to improve their shore. Working with a contractor, they placed blue flag iris, cardinal flower, joe pyeweed, blazing star and other wildflowers in masses, to incorporate a bit of traditional garden structure into the planting.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>LEAP winners Elizabeth and Rob Reinhart. Photo by Anita Jader.</i></span></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today, their 110-foot shoreline is stable and attractive, providing color and habitat throughout the season. Rob has been converted and is now an advocate for the multiple benefits shoreline restoration provides. And if you are ever in search of monarch butterflies in Roseville, look no further than the Reinhart’s shoreline.</span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Janet and Harvey Bartz – White Bear Lake</b><br />
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Janet is a former employee at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency with longstanding interest in environmental issues. She and Harvey knew they wanted to do a shoreline project from the time they first purchased their home on Heiner Pond in White Bear Lake.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>L-R: LEAP co-chair Mark Gernes, award recipients Janet and Harvey Bartz,<br />and LEAP co-chair Dana Larsen-Ramsay. Photo by Anita Jader.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With help from a contractor, they began restoration work in 2014. The original plan called for planting part of the shore into native buffer and leaving part as turf grass. After a season of what Janet characterized as “excessive goose visits” to their lawn, they decided to expand the buffer in 2015. Today they appreciate the geese at a comfortable distance, while welcoming visits from songbirds and swallowtail butterflies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teresa and Mike Radcliffe – North St. Paul</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mike and Teresa’s North St. Paul home has a yard with a significant slope. When they decided to take on the challenge of infiltrating rainwater on their property, a two-tiered rain garden design was suggested to work with this topography. The final design also included piping the downspouts underground directly to the upper basin.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>L-R: LEAP co-chair Dana Larsen-Ramsay, award recipients Teresa and<br />Mike Radcliffe, and LEAP co-chair Mark Gernes. Photo by Anita Jader.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The project is a great success; their lush rain garden now handles all stormwater from half of the roof and yard. In additional to helping to prevent water pollution, the rain garden provides wonderful opportunities for their five children (ages 9 months to 10 years) to learn about nature. This summer the family was able to observe the metamorphosis of monarch caterpillars into butterflies, hosted by the plants they provided! They are now interested in expanding the garden into the other side of the property, and pursuing a joint rain garden project with the next-door neighbors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the LEAP team pulled up to the Majeski’s Maplewood home, we let out a collective gasp of admiration. The dramatic slope covered with an abundance of native prairie plants is truly eye-catching. Upon closer inspection, the wooded backyard is equally impressive; a rolling expanse of native trees, shrubs and understory plants like sarsaparilla with an amazing absence of the usual invasive buckthorn and garlic mustard.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>L-R: LEAP co-chair Mark Gernes, award recipients Michele and Mike Majeski,<br />and LEAP co-chair Dana Larsen-Ramsay. Photo by Anita Jader.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl6vgml4K6dcHwGDYG9ekCzzMYV2izJkmvgLqtdoD6dTuqeJxnlaq0qx2E6xsnb8yvlmsOyUxdTTluchxqnsg5WGdjiYzNlIHn5hnkq1HsjHMGo9f2jAjRkiw-po60rbs8gnvKJTN33Q/s1600/Majeski1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl6vgml4K6dcHwGDYG9ekCzzMYV2izJkmvgLqtdoD6dTuqeJxnlaq0qx2E6xsnb8yvlmsOyUxdTTluchxqnsg5WGdjiYzNlIHn5hnkq1HsjHMGo9f2jAjRkiw-po60rbs8gnvKJTN33Q/s320/Majeski1.jpg" width="211" /></a>Mike and Michele began their landscaping project by removing buckthorn from that backyard woodland – two truckloads! They then went to work on the front yard. Step one was removing and replacing the existing ornamental plants and shrubs with native varieties. They continued by removing sections of lawn in subsequent seasons and replacing it with prairie. The latest expansion of the prairie, this spring, was inspired when the family learned that their area is a hot-spot for the endangered rusty patched bumble bee. Although they did not spot any endangered bees in their yard this year, they did collect a whopping 67 Monarch eggs and raise them into butterflies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition to their wonderful color and clean-water friendly nature, another thing these landscapes had in common was the presence of pollinators. Every site boasted an abundance of birds, bees and butterflies during our brief visit. If you are interested in providing a home for these vital wildlife, we can help! Check out our cost-share grant program at <a href="http://www.rwmwd.org/costshare">www.rwmwd.org/costshare</a>.</span></div>
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Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-54455097496110387462017-11-20T07:37:00.000-08:002017-12-08T07:05:17.760-08:00100 rain barrels in 48 hours<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>by Sage Passi</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>100 rain barrels waiting for distribution in Shoreview</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i> for Paul Gardner's Master Water Steward capstone project in July.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paul Gardner, a Master Water Steward from Shoreview, developed his 2017 Master Water Stewards capstone project to test drive an efficient means of equipping residents in his city with rain barrels while providing education about their value, installation and maintenance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paul implemented his project in July, but I wasn’t able to get out and actually see him in action until much later. In the meantime, he developed a report on the project and has been sharing his analysis in a number of different venues including a recent Master Water Stewards graduation and our annual recognition dinner.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo8exdXMkhwh7ReNgd9JKQ6zgkXrg1NWHyFlsNDJKPTP1io7-qCeITL4bkKVrl-nLMFc7RanETSOdJutNF4AXAJB4fWawgF2k4-p6O4MQq5R-9Xl_4bUG-if1yj15q8cacluhW11IMZw/s1600/DSC_0756_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo8exdXMkhwh7ReNgd9JKQ6zgkXrg1NWHyFlsNDJKPTP1io7-qCeITL4bkKVrl-nLMFc7RanETSOdJutNF4AXAJB4fWawgF2k4-p6O4MQq5R-9Xl_4bUG-if1yj15q8cacluhW11IMZw/s400/DSC_0756_s.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Paul with two of his rain barrels he </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In late fall, I followed up with Paul to learn more about his project and to meet a Shoreview resident who purchased a rain barrel through this special program. But before we drove over to Jenny Wood’s house together to see what she was doing to weatherize her rain barrel for the winter, I stopped off at Paul’s house to see what he has already done in his own yard to prevent runoff and conserve water.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paul and his wife are recent Landscape Ecology Awards Program (LEAP) winners. They received a LEAP award in 2016 for their landscaping, rain garden and rain barrels. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representative in District 53A from 2007-2010, a current Ramsey Conservation District supervisor and was the executive director of the Recycling Association of Minnesota until 2006. He was also a member and chair of Shoreview's Environmental Quality Committee for five years. He is passionate about recycling, energy conservation, reducing runoff and conserving water. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Gardner's rain garden.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paul took the time to show me around his yard and pointed out six rain barrels he has on his property. He showed off one of the diverters he installed that allows him to choose where the water is directed in his yard. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Paul's diversion system to direct water in his yard where it is needed.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We waited until Jenny was due to be home from work and then drove over to get some perspective from her about her involvement in the program. Meanwhile, darkness was falling all around us and so was drizzle mixed with snow!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Paul and Jenny Woods, a Shoreview rain barrel recipient.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paul and Jenny got down to business right away turning her rain barrel upside down since Jenny had already drained it for the winter. I asked her how she felt about purchasing and installing a rain barrel in her yard. She was very enthusiastic and said she had interested her neighbors in the possibility of installing a rain barrel as well. She also expressed interest in creating a rain garden in her yard to address runoff issues.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Paul and Jenny prepare to winterize her rain barrel.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Jenny getting ready to turn the </i></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">rain barrel upside down</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Later I caught up with Paul at the graduation ceremony for this year’s Master Water Stewards. He had printed out the slides from his PowerPoint and gathered people around him to explain what he had learned from his project. Below is Paul's summary of the concepts behind his project, his findings and conclusions.</span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRigonhL4AoXYlrI88CV_pIgXlvZ6SYYeM3b5dafbPaviOMKzqAhibc4TmIcphjxQnJmzX6rGL35T4_Io8akpG95sTMKLgklX4lecznEkj5rWZlkIbEZUeHmNiES11gBk_kZDhbHQ2mU/s1600/DSC_0428_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRigonhL4AoXYlrI88CV_pIgXlvZ6SYYeM3b5dafbPaviOMKzqAhibc4TmIcphjxQnJmzX6rGL35T4_Io8akpG95sTMKLgklX4lecznEkj5rWZlkIbEZUeHmNiES11gBk_kZDhbHQ2mU/s400/DSC_0428_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Paul at the Master Water Steward graduation.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The basic concepts Paul used to develop his project:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rain barrels are among the simplest and cheapest best management practices for stormwater volume reduction, but they have less impact.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A typical rain barrel can manage up to 1,400 gallons per year. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Homes using groundwater for water supply can reduce their use for outdoor purposes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<ul><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></ul>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Within his project, Paul posed two questions:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we distribute rain barrels to 100 households, could we get five of those households to consider a rain garden in future years for bigger impact?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is the collective impact of 100 barrels — is it equal to a few rain gardens?</span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Paul's targeted rain barrel distribution area in southern Shoreview.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because there is limited District staff time to organize and manage sales of rain barrels, train residents on their use, monitor and evaluate their installation, or efficiently handle small money transactions through the cost-share program, Paul proposed this:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Target several neighborhoods in a subwatershed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Use existing Recycling Association of Minnesota “truckload” sales and distribution program for transactions and delivery.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Use cost share dollars to subsidize distribution to targeted watershed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Master Water Stewards provide outreach, education, training and evaluation.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paul arranged with the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) to take rain barrels orders online, coordinated a distribution event at Shoreview Public Works in July, and arranged for the sales and event to be promoted through the city’s WaterSmart participant list-serve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are the details of his process and his outcomes.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The City of Shoreview emailed 1,600 residents with a link to the RAM ordering page.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">98 rain barrels sold out in 48 hours online to 72 customers (some bought multiples).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Almost all barrels were picked up at Shoreview Public Works on July 15 in three hours. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He followed up with a few no-shows at the sale and delivered those barrels.</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Six people asked about cost share opportunities for rain gardens and other best management practices.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using Survey Monkey, Paul learned that three-quarters of the people who purchased barrels through this special promotion were unaware that RWMWD offers cost-share funds for storm water best management practices. Paul is following up with providing cost-share information for them. He also offered installation support for those who requested it and will be tracking participants over the next year to ensure that the barrels get installed and are being used properly. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>A proud rain barrel owner in Shoreview.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: "arial";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of the lessons Paul said he learned:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having a targeted email list from the city is a big time saver. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twin Cities area Master Water Stewards can partner with Recycling Association of Minnesota in the future anywhere in the greater metro area. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">$20-30 is the right price in order to get highest level of participation; expect $50-65 subsidy per barrel. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The subsidy for 100 barrels gets you about as much water treatment and reuse as a few rain gardens. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An estimated 10 percent of the purchasers will need some help with setup. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RAM partnership requires no storage, no cash transactions and no transportation. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When he asked the residents why they wanted a rain barrel he received the following answers:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">41 percent wanted to conserve tap water. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">18 percent wanted to decrease runoff.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8 percent wanted to get chemical-free water.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">9 percent gave various other reasons.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’d like to thank Paul for investing his time and energy to analyze and develop a potential game plan for the efficient and productive use of rain barrels.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<br />Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-26194492695662885602017-10-30T10:23:00.001-07:002017-10-31T09:38:37.457-07:00Connecting the dots: Insights from the Minnesota Water Resources Conference<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Chris O'Brien</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a headwaters state with 11,842 lakes, it should come as no surprise that Minnesota is a leader in water research, policy and planning. These disciplines were on display Oct. 17-18 at the <a href="https://ccaps.umn.edu/minnesota-water-resources-conference" target="_blank">Minnesota Water Resources Conference</a>, an annual event organized by the University of Minnesota that drew about 780 water professionals, students and educators to the Saint Paul RiverCentre.<br /><br />Attendees immersed themselves in water issues and academia throughout the course of four keynote presentations and 88 smaller breakout sessions. Researchers brought forth a dizzying array of <a href="https://ccaps.umn.edu/documents/CPE-Conferences/Water/Water_Conference_Program_Abstract.pdf" target="_blank">topics</a> ranging from citizen engagement to wetland hydrology, the latter presented by Jennifer Gruetzman, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hydrologist who sits on our Citizen Advisory Commission. With so much information to take in, it’s helpful to look for common themes and connections. Here are three insights gleaned from this year’s conference.<br /></span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Water is personal</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While solutions to complex water issues may require a healthy dose of engineering and scientific study, it’s important to remember that people view and experience water in highly personal ways. Some think of it primarily as a resource to be allocated; others view it as something to be protected and even cared for. According to Ethan Neerdaels, executive director of the Dakota Language Society, “Water is a relative.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Neerdaels shared a message of tradition and responsibility at the conference while serving three varieties of locally sourced Mni (Dakota for water) at the </span><a href="https://www.water-bar.org/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Water Bar</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, a Minneapolis-based arts and ecology organization. This sentiment was echoed by keynote speaker Nancy Schuldt, water projects coordinator for the Fon du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She discussed the intersection of science and traditional values in navigating politically charged water issues like mining and sulfate standards for wild rice.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Water Bar and Public Studio collaborated with the Dakota Language Society and Healing Place Collaborative to serve conference attendees locally sourced water, along with an indigenous perspective.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Personal connections to water need not divide us; they can also be harnessed to empower communities through conservation projects. Mae Davenport, director of the U of M’s Center for Changing Landscapes, talked about the shift from an enticement model (offering monetary rewards for conservation) to an empowerment model, which assumes people value clean water and are willing to help voluntarily. “We cannot buy our way out of water quality problems in Minnesota,” said Davenport. She noted that when citizens are motivated by a conservation ethic, they are more likely to put in a sustained effort over time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Communication matters</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Are most Minnesotans aware of water issues in our state? Not yet, according to Amy Skoczlas Cole, managing director of <a href="https://www.americanpublicmedia.org/water/" target="_blank">The Water Main</a> at American Public Media. During her presentation, “Communicating Science for Action,” Skoczlas Cole cited poll results that found only 15 percent of Minnesotans believe we have water problems here in Minnesota. She suggested the key to increasing public awareness and understanding is through narrative storytelling that emphasizes potential solutions – not just a steady stream of bad news. <br /><br />The impact of communication on water outcomes is particularly great when it comes to the topic of agricultural runoff. Nearly half the research topics presented at the conference had an agricultural component, including a special session on the potential benefits and challenges of getting more perennial crops on the Minnesota landscape. Still, <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/05/17/water-buffalo-red-river-agriculture-erosion" target="_blank">conservation practices on agricultural lands</a> remain largely voluntary, which is why open communication that builds trust is so important in farm country. <br /><br />Here in the Twin Cities metro, communication between residents and conservation professionals can pave the way for successful water-enhancing projects. Metro Blooms gave a conference presentation on their <a href="https://metroblooms.org/projects/neighborhood-projects/blooming-alleys-for-clean-water/" target="_blank">Blooming Alleys for Clean Water</a> program, which has installed rain gardens, permeable pavement systems and native plantings in 22 alleys, capturing an estimated 4 million gallons of runoff and 4,000 pounds of sediment annually. In order to get neighborhood buy-in for the projects, Metro Blooms designated “alley captains” who helped spread the word through block parties and social gatherings.<br /><br /></span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Adaptation is essential</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> To a large extent, the Water Resources Conference is about what’s next. And with a changing climate and advances in technology, the field of water resource management could well be heading into uncharted territory. In terms of climate, we’re already seeing the effects of heavier rains, warmer winters and longer growing seasons in Minnesota. In order to adapt, communities and watershed districts will need to build resilient infrastructure and plan for environmental hazards like flooding and invasive species spread. Conference presenter Leslie Yetka from the <a href="https://freshwater.org/" target="_blank">Freshwater Society</a> recently organized a series of multi-agency resiliency workshops in the Twin Cities area to help cities incorporate good science into their comprehensive plans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, what constitutes good science is a moving target. For example, traditional strategies to limit runoff can only take us so far in protecting water quality, and multiple conference presenters delved into the challenges of internal nutrient loading. To further complicate matters, some ponds and wetlands designed to capture excess phosphorous may actually be concentrating it and then feeding connected waterbodies an unhealthy diet of nutrient-rich water that causes algal blooms. Findings such as these emphasize the need for consistent water quality monitoring over time and a willingness to fine-tune best management practices along the way.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />New research to identify the sources of pollutants and pathogens like E. coli is also causing us to re-examine the cumulative impacts of nearly everything that happens within a watershed– from excessive lawn watering to routine road construction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And when it comes time to undertake major projects, we may no longer have months of frozen ground to run construction equipment through low-lying terrain. </span><a href="http://www.ricecreek.org/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Rice Creek Watershed District</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> recounted a challenging wetland restoration at Hanson Park in New Brighton last winter, which saw 75 days with temperatures above freezing. Contractors dumped truckloads of wood chips to keep the ground from thawing so they could access the site without getting stuck in the mud. Eventually, they had to drive over composite matting placed on top of the exposed soil, an expensive and tedious process. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Their conclusion? “Mother Nature always wins.”</span></div>
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Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-2797039570095362782017-09-28T05:00:00.000-07:002017-09-29T10:01:44.877-07:00Carp management expands to Lake Owasso Chain<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Chris O'Brien</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK0Ki7v1WIdhX-pZA2vUDinDpYbmmCKcl8wifLJIJFWkNdidoU9mxS9__3Mjnbvo6wgi5Ag3Eyxq-wA14XMPG4x0whAHI0M3wrfR5elq52YMOZ05fQ71u26yfV9LAs4iVKGX8wia-bUk/s1600/Owasso+carp+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1500" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK0Ki7v1WIdhX-pZA2vUDinDpYbmmCKcl8wifLJIJFWkNdidoU9mxS9__3Mjnbvo6wgi5Ag3Eyxq-wA14XMPG4x0whAHI0M3wrfR5elq52YMOZ05fQ71u26yfV9LAs4iVKGX8wia-bUk/s640/Owasso+carp+header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Following recent success managing common carp in the Phalen Chain of Lakes, the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District is now setting its sights on the Lake Owasso system. With four interconnected lakes (Owasso, Wabasso, Bennett and Grass) and twelve shallow ponds, the system offers prime habitat for carp to potentially out-compete native gamefish, uproot aquatic vegetation and harm water quality.<br /> <br /> Carp management in Lake Owasso and connected lakes is part of the District’s goal to control phosphorous-loading in these waters. As carp root for food along the lake bottom, they stir up phosphorous-laden sediment, which in turn contributes to turbid water and algal blooms.<br /><br />The key to keeping carp in check is figuring out how many there are, where they go, and how they spawn and recruit (survive to adulthood). Using this information, the District hopes to efficiently remove large numbers of adult carp while also limiting their ability to repopulate the system.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The District enlisted Jordan Wein of </span><a href="http://www.carpsolutionsmn.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Carp Solutions</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> to conduct a general population assessment through electrofishing this summer. After calculating a biomass estimate, they found that each lake in the chain contained more than 100 pounds of carp per acre, the threshold generally considered to inhibit water quality. Most concerning were Lake Owasso and Lake Wabasso, which each turned up more than 400 pounds of carp per acre.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The team also marked over 200 carp with a fin clip as part of a mark-and-recapture study to verify these estimated population numbers. “We’re being strategic by marking the carp now so that when we eventually harvest them, we’ll be able to get a good estimate of how many were in the lake,” explained Bill Bartodziej, RWMWD Natural Resources Specialist.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The video below shows the Carp Solutions team using box nets baited with corn to capture large numbers of carp on Lake Owasso.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition to the population assessment, Carp Solutions surgically implanted radio transmitters in 20 adult carp to figure out where they congregate in the winter and where they spawn in the spring. Since carp tend to travel in dense schools, the radio-tagged fish will likely betray their rubber-lipped brethren and help the research team track seasonal movements of the larger population. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHgCTSMYsQ5JZtmLZ-9kfQiq1emkmK-wCzdsDGgz_UgOhATqH58NbwgTQzXbWs_O4GJSm-OVB3mkFSUd6QnMHOc7xmHYwRGH_n_jAQR08Axq3UbfkuYzYTIf0ArflAeZkVNaMlUmcKbM/s1600/Radio+tagged+carp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHgCTSMYsQ5JZtmLZ-9kfQiq1emkmK-wCzdsDGgz_UgOhATqH58NbwgTQzXbWs_O4GJSm-OVB3mkFSUd6QnMHOc7xmHYwRGH_n_jAQR08Axq3UbfkuYzYTIf0ArflAeZkVNaMlUmcKbM/s400/Radio+tagged+carp.jpg" width="337" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>One of 20 adult carp implanted with radio tags, which will<br /> help the District track seasonal movements and develop a<br />comprehensive carp control strategy for the Owasso system.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At 37 feet deep, Lake Wabasso is likely an overwintering hotspot for carp. Using radio telemetry to pinpoint locations where thousands of carp school up under the ice, the District plans to enlist a commercial fishing operation to harvest these fish with large sein nets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While netting adult fish should put a dent in the carp population, confirming spring spawning locations could be key to a long-term management strategy. “It’s very unikely that carp are successfully reproducing and recruiting in Wabasso, so they are probably spawning elsewhere in the system,” said Wein.<br /><br />Bluegills are voracious predators of carp eggs and tend to control numbers of young carp in large lakes. However, shallow ponds and wetlands often serve as carp nurseries where they can hatch by the millions and grow in relative safety from predators. Future management strategies may include setting up barriers to keep carp out of these nursery areas, netting them there and/or stocking bluegills to eat the carp eggs.<br /><br />Over the last five years, District </span><a href="http://www.rwmwd.org/index.asp?SEC=6167B18D-3959-498A-9605-7108BA3E6AF3&Type=B_BASIC"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">carp management</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> in the Phalen Chain has reduced carp density by over 60 percent. Among those efforts was eliminating carp in </span><a href="http://www.lillienews.com/articles/2013/12/09/carp-free-casey-lake-north-st-paul-benefits-east-metro-watershed"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lake Casey</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (a former carp nursery in North St. Paul) by drawing down the water level, allowing carp to winterkill, and then stocking bluegills and largemouth bass. Tracking the movements of Owasso carp could help identify similar carp nursery locations and allow the District to rein in these prolific fish.</span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-74659864839384972292017-09-28T04:20:00.000-07:002017-09-28T13:05:26.457-07:00Flood study underway for Grass Lake and Snail Lake area<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> In response to high-water conditions around Grass Lake, Snail Lake and nearby wetlands, the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District is coordinating a large-scale flood study, currently underway. The goal is to identify strategies that will stabilize the system to withstand increasingly heavy precipitation and rebounding groundwater levels, ultimately protecting homes and property.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The District contracted with Barr Engineering this summer to begin evaluating various flood control options. Meanwhile, District staff continues to closely monitor surface water and groundwater levels to gather additional data. Below is a summary of the work completed to date.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mnDLY1-PK35qi8x8ss_und_Z81ZAfxC9uokPhSnhxIBPjKQt_4dM7GOwntXkvyLUJ5_IZOvas5sjAquEb3QwZUIHGxknFazPhJnsTgmr89_OqIeKQjCBu6vKiHePSm9DF1wPpvVjvhU/s1600/Snail+Lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mnDLY1-PK35qi8x8ss_und_Z81ZAfxC9uokPhSnhxIBPjKQt_4dM7GOwntXkvyLUJ5_IZOvas5sjAquEb3QwZUIHGxknFazPhJnsTgmr89_OqIeKQjCBu6vKiHePSm9DF1wPpvVjvhU/s640/Snail+Lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <strong>Challenge:</strong> Snail Lake is currently landlocked without a managed outlet. High water has forced closure of the swimming beach, and while homes on the lake have not been impacted to date, an extreme rain event could potentially put low-lying properties at risk for flooding.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Engineers surveyed the six lowest homes on Snail Lake to help determine a feasible 100-year flood level elevation for the lake.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The team is now evaluating options for constructing a managed outlet system that could allow water out of Snail Lake if it were to reach this maximum level.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtMPykH0u9K4OLpIpqhOAnXWdyN3C8SkaLL0UsK596GWi-PmC3JJbRX3R4z1DTUG4u8CYRe0yhnvIkEZTIysgAOFugpAGvGekwaU4-pLLUwI1oDNBcm-rJ41EUgM0gaZgg1wlFBMiObQ/s1600/Regional+Park_monitoring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorrKD2hcWveaQefMlca4S0IMPadHMRXt32eKNpF0wvCUYwlEYofpYtOGugWQnvLDXFURezFJ9YlJYfyPMBPwwBpf-x48I70dCAX1Sppn6uNrJjZDk9J-gr4JKs9bBuN56N5zxdzNH9fA/s1600/Grass+Lake+berm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorrKD2hcWveaQefMlca4S0IMPadHMRXt32eKNpF0wvCUYwlEYofpYtOGugWQnvLDXFURezFJ9YlJYfyPMBPwwBpf-x48I70dCAX1Sppn6uNrJjZDk9J-gr4JKs9bBuN56N5zxdzNH9fA/s640/Grass+Lake+berm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Challenge:</strong> While Grass Lake’s water level fluctuates seasonally, its annual low point has been steadily rising since 2009. During periods of heavy rain in 2016 and 2017, the lake topped its banks on the north end, flooding trails and raising the water levels of nearby ponds and wetlands.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two temporary sandbag berms have been installed along the north and northeast sides of Grass Lake.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The engineering team took soil core samples at both sites and is now working to determine the proper design and elevation for permanent earthen berms, which could be completed by March 2018.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In late March of 2017, the outlet channel from West Vadnais Lake (downstream of Grass Lake) was cleaned to promote drainage of the system. A similar project is planned for the Grass Lake outlet channel this winter.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Vadnais-Snail Lakes Regional Park</b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kJFwkuxFy0yXgC7k03USd45BxRGMx6YfxSSzDIYROozI4JFv8s9xEetH-ssERXmUldAu-IVC67Kme0UXRUIzkPVJaVZHwcesDv_0-4GSXgVyKz_JsfT2lSwn_z_PO7oCIAcDEUiu_jM/s1600/Wetland+A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kJFwkuxFy0yXgC7k03USd45BxRGMx6YfxSSzDIYROozI4JFv8s9xEetH-ssERXmUldAu-IVC67Kme0UXRUIzkPVJaVZHwcesDv_0-4GSXgVyKz_JsfT2lSwn_z_PO7oCIAcDEUiu_jM/s640/Wetland+A.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Challenge:</b> Flooding from Grass Lake into adjacent ponds and wetlands, accompanied by seepage from high groundwater levels, has forced closure of several county park trail sections. Wetland A (pictured above), bordering the nearby Crestview Addition neighborhood, has been especially impacted as it is the lowest elevation point of the area and has no natural outlet.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNe8KUoAoAT9DHSYRORPY5ajHl_fMNbTF6oOSVa5SKx751pcXY07SPUJRBErLJXa9gF8CODQzdejOVd466gRcVD-QKgyurg_C7xezPa5m4hV39RlrkVKvMWXybaIU25YJ7M0wpdQf-gKU/s1600/Regional+Park_outlet+monitoring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="780" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNe8KUoAoAT9DHSYRORPY5ajHl_fMNbTF6oOSVa5SKx751pcXY07SPUJRBErLJXa9gF8CODQzdejOVd466gRcVD-QKgyurg_C7xezPa5m4hV39RlrkVKvMWXybaIU25YJ7M0wpdQf-gKU/s200/Regional+Park_outlet+monitoring.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The District installed two new groundwater monitoring wells, which record automatic readings every 15 minutes, along with seven surface water level gauges at key points around Grass, Snail and West Vadnais lakes. Staff has taken manual on-site readings up to 3 times per week while also checking inlet/outlet pipes to ensure they are functioning as designed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In April, water was pumped out of Wetland A back into Grass Lake to see if this would alleviate high groundwater levels in the Crestview Addition neighborhood. Lowering the surface level of Wetland A had little effect on neighborhood groundwater. However, pumping other smaller ponds near Gramsie Road did have the desired effect of lowering groundwater and will be an important maintenance strategy in the future.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once a peak flood level is established for Grass Lake and Wetland A, the District will advise Ramsey County on options for restoring trail access in low-lying areas of the regional park.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The District is committed to finding long-term solutions to the flood risk in this area, including replacing/adding outlet pipes to increase drainage. However, this is a complex system with flood considerations downstream through the Phalen Chain of Lakes, so any projects designed to move water from one area to another will require further thoughtful consideration.</span><br />
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Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-8907515309385092122017-09-28T04:15:00.000-07:002017-10-02T05:58:46.999-07:00Teamwork and "autumn joy" - A winning combination<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Sage Passi</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Lesley Perg, a new Ramsey County Master Gardener, assisted students<br />at Roseville Area Middle School (RAMS) rain garden this fall.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are in the final phase of completing our Clean Water Legacy-funded school rain garden projects. Jumping into the thick of things on a blistery hot fall day might not be everybody’s cup-of-tea in the world of school gardening, but Lesley Perg, a Master Gardener who transferred to the Ramsey County program from California this summer, was “cool as a cucumber” as she supported her team of seventh graders as they planted gallons of ‘Hot Lips’ Pink Turtlehead in the middle of one of these large-scale rain garden plantings in late September. I marveled at her calmness and comfort level as she stepped down into the crowded center of the garden in this complex matrix of planting areas. This was her first experience volunteering with our watershed district.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Merlin Schlicting, Ramsey County Master Gardener, contemplated the arrangement<br />of feather reed grass in another tight planting area at Roseville Area Middle School.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Room to move was at a premium in many areas of the garden and the number of students wielding long-handled tools could have been a bit daunting. But neither issue seemed to rattle Lesley and when the day was done, I didn’t hear any real complaints. Well, maybe, only about the heat. The same was true for the other Master Gardeners who stepped up to the plate over the past two weeks during our fall projects at Roseville Area Middle School (RAMS) and Central Park Elementary. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Teamwork makes anything possible.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think everyone involved felt like through our teamwork we truly accomplished something HUGE! And we did! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Fifth graders plant at Central Park Elementary rain garden.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where was this satisfaction coming from that was shared by this team of Master Gardeners, a Master Water Steward, and District staff who helped out students and the teachers? It can be truly rewarding to assist kids who have never held a shovel before and witness their comfort and confidence grow as they try it out. Assisting these young gardeners in transforming the mulched spaces into vivid landscapes to help their downstream lakes was truly inspirational. Our excitement continued to linger in the air as we all dispersed, tired but fulfilled at the end of each of our days of planting. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Dominique Guzman, Central Park 6th grade teacher, gave a <br />high five to one of his students after he completed planting several pots. </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Stephanie Wang, Master Water Steward helped “tease” the roots<br />for the student she was assisting at Central Park.</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This positive energy was accentuated by the arrival of the bees and butterflies who appeared moments after we secured the flowering plants like Fragrant Hyssop and Walkers Low Catmint in the ground. Chris O’Brien, our new communications staff person, even caught that on camera!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had to problem solve to make these projects successful. I spent many days recruiting and scheduling Master Gardeners, measuring and laying out the planting areas, calculating the number of students we could fit into a plot and figuring out all the logistics. When the planting days arrived, everyone contributed to the whole process from helping shuttle and move plants around, orienting students about how to plant, filling and hauling water buckets, matching up mountains of gloves and pitching in to load up the stacks of tools, pails and other equipment into my car at the end of each day.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>The morning calm before the storm. Gloves matched? Check.<br />Who is working where? Master Gardeners review their assignments. Check.</i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Watershed Project Manager Paige Ahlborg fills large barrels for watering. In addition, she did grant writing and reporting, communicated with contractors, reviewed bids, planted and so much more! Barr Engineering was responsible for the design and project management of all of our Clean Water Fund projects.</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The real heroes were the kids who applied their own planting skills learned in their native countries, and the young people who stepped outside their comfort zone, got their shoes dirty and tried planting for the first time, then offered to plant a second pot. We were proud of each student for their accomplishments and the way they each “showed up."</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Go TEAM Go! What a powerhouse of youth energy!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The sheer scale of these projects certainly made our work more challenging this year. Luckily most of the planting areas were amended with sand and compost, making it much easier dig than last fall at Maplewood Middle School where we had to cut through some very compacted berms. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Nancy Berry, Ramsey County Master Gardener, guided students who were planting Autumn Joy Sedum on the hillside at Central Park Elementary. The bees love their flowers!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the hardest challenge came from the weather. The temperatures hovered in the eighties and nineties for both weeks and the humidity was high. Thankfully fall has finally arrived for our next installment of projects coming up in October!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Kids cooled down after planting the rain garden at Central Park Elementary.</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The District began developing these projects over three years ago when we applied for an accelerated implementation grant from the state to assess all our public school sites and prioritize locations for BMPs on their grounds. A couple years later we were awarded a Clean Water Legacy grant to implement six projects. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last summer the first three rain gardens were installed and then planted in the fall by students in Maplewood and North St. Paul. This fall we worked with five classes at Central Park Elementary in Roseville and ten classes at RAMS to plant close to 800 gallon pots in these two rain gardens. </span><br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>After two days we were down to the tenth class at Roseville Area Middle School!</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcyYLSOfTBYfK4ZxH05bJwDhqn0-7ymypurxQ8p7B2fpI5fXH1hbZe2LouwI7dU8V8zUklThhWhM4lMViFJ7of39iWe9U0QqssVpdjkp_ddo6TGmftOBjirbfjidhpcHRZghbqmRfak8/s1600/DSC_0789_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcyYLSOfTBYfK4ZxH05bJwDhqn0-7ymypurxQ8p7B2fpI5fXH1hbZe2LouwI7dU8V8zUklThhWhM4lMViFJ7of39iWe9U0QqssVpdjkp_ddo6TGmftOBjirbfjidhpcHRZghbqmRfak8/s400/DSC_0789_s.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>First step, move the mulch. Second step, dig the dirt out.<br /> Third step, pose for the camera.</i></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Next month we will be cranking up that number to a “whopping” seventeen classrooms from Woodbury Elementary and Middle Schools that will be completing our final rain garden planting at their location over three days in early October. That project will involve 564 students. Watch for that story in an upcoming Ripple Effect.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The photos below help paint the story of our efforts this fall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdrX2lIIrpdQGPNgY6HjpXcHS0xXvmvZI_2yXjKwwVYL8XIPX8aj7eD6QuJ2SIhbHCsemdqhF0P2RorybCXK9OBQ2gIElzhRqZIo__ihAGbvHQN5_vaDfZxt6YQPU5AvPGagMn7PaPCY/s1600/DSC_0820_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdrX2lIIrpdQGPNgY6HjpXcHS0xXvmvZI_2yXjKwwVYL8XIPX8aj7eD6QuJ2SIhbHCsemdqhF0P2RorybCXK9OBQ2gIElzhRqZIo__ihAGbvHQN5_vaDfZxt6YQPU5AvPGagMn7PaPCY/s400/DSC_0820_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Tracy Leavenworth demonstrates how to plant a pot of prairie dropseed<br /> at Central Park Elementary. She provided instructions for all<br /> of the classes the four days at each of the schools. No small feat!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycEngrZy6emy0H8EJGSPzljBUDnVHLu1K0UDqddx0YWcEnkt3V489d5KgdPtWCFwmG-vjTnctsX-yFiBgmMMF3vVR05BkbrjNlh0-yACuYRSFQoIPzHLR_ubtAxnReErIt9IOlU-5gjU/s1600/DSC_0929_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycEngrZy6emy0H8EJGSPzljBUDnVHLu1K0UDqddx0YWcEnkt3V489d5KgdPtWCFwmG-vjTnctsX-yFiBgmMMF3vVR05BkbrjNlh0-yACuYRSFQoIPzHLR_ubtAxnReErIt9IOlU-5gjU/s400/DSC_0929_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Anthony Larson, Roseville Area Middle School science<br />teacher, advises his team of students.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGvyfGiDT4_9xQ7apc-kSIfSg6eEK7HBDCVMaiBN0YgHX_AsisPQ1x9rQ99PWHs1bRMTXfU0biqQPcLn9kkt2kNn-GFlNKgVSWnIinDkzjhbUG4c0uiKjkohjhj7n5gZcZxA8qJE4zoU/s1600/DSC_0899_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGvyfGiDT4_9xQ7apc-kSIfSg6eEK7HBDCVMaiBN0YgHX_AsisPQ1x9rQ99PWHs1bRMTXfU0biqQPcLn9kkt2kNn-GFlNKgVSWnIinDkzjhbUG4c0uiKjkohjhj7n5gZcZxA8qJE4zoU/s400/DSC_0899_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Happiness written all over her face!</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you to everyone for a job well done! We are looking forward to seeing our rain gardens grow and thrive in the future.</span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-35559117064687314722017-09-28T03:30:00.000-07:002017-09-29T07:12:22.882-07:00Organic lawn care: Better turf without chemicals<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKMguU-BKgYw77xCiEBBsZUit5x_eNrD98g89JewBRqO1svodcybmAiv4mthsJVKNHU-fKONoBgzs1qpsjmC-sYXe73k3vEs6q4fYvIp2JxqIKJ9DXApb3SeMJCd7Qig7b3ZrhB0dpj8/s1600/Organic+lawn+care_spreading+compost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1204" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKMguU-BKgYw77xCiEBBsZUit5x_eNrD98g89JewBRqO1svodcybmAiv4mthsJVKNHU-fKONoBgzs1qpsjmC-sYXe73k3vEs6q4fYvIp2JxqIKJ9DXApb3SeMJCd7Qig7b3ZrhB0dpj8/s640/Organic+lawn+care_spreading+compost.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: CleanWaterMN</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maintaining a healthy lawn doesn’t mean you have to douse it with chemical weed-killers and fertilizers that can cause harmful runoff. Just ask “Organic Bob” Dahm who is pioneering a natural approach to lawn care in the Twin Cities. Clean Water Minnesota recently caught up with Dahm and client-turned-business partner Melissa Berg to learn how aeration, organic compost and the right seed blend can build a resilient lawn that’s easy on the environment.Read the story at </span><a href="http://cleanwatermn.org/organic-lawn-care/?utm_source=ws-ramsey-wash&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=2017-October-Blog" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cleanwatermn.org</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.<br /><br />Interested in trying natural lawn care for yourself? Dahm and Berg recommend </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1580176496/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=4161761476&hvqmt=b&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_6o4knz8oly_b" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Organic Lawn Care Manual: A Natural Low-Maintenance System for a Beautiful Lawn</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> by Paul Tukey. You can also register for an </span><a href="https://metroblooms.org/event/installing-turf-alternatives-workshop-lynnhurst/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Installing Turf Alternatives workshop</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> on October 24, presented by Metro Blooms and Blue Thumb. </span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-25561762726692048182017-09-27T15:00:00.000-07:002017-09-29T06:56:25.079-07:00District staffing changes in the air<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1500" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoE1ZYTl8qVLNQifnMAFQefrVxAVQa0wmskciK3QfocYQKXo8_1aZe9W-z76sVhYdL-hBBJwVKhwtLByiyop5UA9jtWHCdG8CBWLrQKOw5XVYmbBeQK4OeuSO4ER-kxtvCF61C6ezrH8/s640/Carole+retirement+header.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AG-XyTS3l_ilC69Pu-8EPzXuJcFEHbeB0T7lLdlgmm1CdYZHcnwc-8y_o7dHEOyFEHZCFWprQhXVLwerT57q9bvq7Q_pQ__4LJ8ify8Twowks3dC3wgp83JCmX6_IjvFfOIq8VlvaQg/s1600/Carole+Pastorius.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="380" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AG-XyTS3l_ilC69Pu-8EPzXuJcFEHbeB0T7lLdlgmm1CdYZHcnwc-8y_o7dHEOyFEHZCFWprQhXVLwerT57q9bvq7Q_pQ__4LJ8ify8Twowks3dC3wgp83JCmX6_IjvFfOIq8VlvaQg/s200/Carole+Pastorius.jpg" width="181" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The month of September marked a couple of big changes here at RWMWD. On Sept. 8, Administrative Secretary Carole Pastorius retired after 19 years. Her hard work and attention to detail was an asset to countless projects and helped keep our operations running smoothly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We appreciate her commitment to the District’s mission, her dedication to our environmental work and the individualized support she provided each of us. We wish Carole the very best in her retirement!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2EFywULbtesIXQICTQ3F-RX_nOudsQVwtfVKsZeyMJ45TBIyIXTwSd_d575DE4alnWNhZaOIUZzT1kspfQbVgrlct747h4T5BxlPbiOVvjKZ6w6vDHxAYDHen2I7_WkXdZwdBJZGhGM/s1600/Chris+O%2527Brien.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2EFywULbtesIXQICTQ3F-RX_nOudsQVwtfVKsZeyMJ45TBIyIXTwSd_d575DE4alnWNhZaOIUZzT1kspfQbVgrlct747h4T5BxlPbiOVvjKZ6w6vDHxAYDHen2I7_WkXdZwdBJZGhGM/s200/Chris+O%2527Brien.JPG" width="163" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also this month, we welcomed Chris O’Brien to our team in the role of communications coordinator. This is a new position created to guide the strategic planning, implementation and continuous improvement of all District communications efforts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since graduating from Winona State University with a degree in Mass Communication, Chris has worked as an editor for <i>North American Fisherman</i> magazine, marketing coordinator and project manager for Supervalu Store Design Services, and most recently, an information officer for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. An avid fisherman and musician, Chris lives in the Battle Creek neighborhood of Saint Paul with his wife, Kim, and their two young sons, Henry and Everett.</span></div>
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<br />Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-66243968762017788592017-08-17T05:41:00.000-07:002017-09-29T07:12:49.809-07:00Seeking Master Water Stewards-in-Training <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1OkvjbDmzAm6yeBzMBdXr7rn6_wFaQZDxWDKrgEvwZzT2qwtLQBOKh9qedm82LRubWxYVAAZj50XBH3QNhr-nWk2uRfSVK_DSKHY3sTYExyW2fmreuuCiuhvGTHHgUoGSqpBrhkcCG0/s1600/DSC_0636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1OkvjbDmzAm6yeBzMBdXr7rn6_wFaQZDxWDKrgEvwZzT2qwtLQBOKh9qedm82LRubWxYVAAZj50XBH3QNhr-nWk2uRfSVK_DSKHY3sTYExyW2fmreuuCiuhvGTHHgUoGSqpBrhkcCG0/s640/DSC_0636.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Master Water Stewards identify examples of residential water practices during one of their classes.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are you looking for an opportunity to get involved protecting water in your community? Consider becoming a Master Water Steward. Now entering its third season, the deadline for the Master Water Stewards program in the District is fast approaching. Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District is seeking four Master Water Steward applicants for the coming year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvE-U_QiYGbCfLokSIzGdvGAlImXTHc_iDEwIgGLuHD89qnbi32zhLge6I22r-zRRNm9ne1wqOt9NQ8c1oQSFEHxK47gJ9eb7OqCzWq6AvdOLR-pRS6v98lMj02aOAtM2RnmHbfLrDMk/s1600/Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1200" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvE-U_QiYGbCfLokSIzGdvGAlImXTHc_iDEwIgGLuHD89qnbi32zhLge6I22r-zRRNm9ne1wqOt9NQ8c1oQSFEHxK47gJ9eb7OqCzWq6AvdOLR-pRS6v98lMj02aOAtM2RnmHbfLrDMk/s320/Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Applications are due September 30 and can be found <a href="https://masterwaterstewards.org/application-page/" target="_blank">here</a>. Classes will begin on October 10. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Contact Sage Passi at 612-598-9163 or by <a href="mailto:sage.passi@rwmwd.org">email</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for more information.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Stewards-in-training will participate in classes both online and in person, tour our watershed and identify projects in the community that will reduce water pollution. As part of the certification process, Master Water Stewards work in pairs to design a capstone project and develop an outreach educational activity or event. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFMh00mDAHlHb5suC6kG-OFNjf1pE2jQr8gsRxxsleaQQUM00TuToncqtyXzz8722G8jJY1d1fSngBxd2xT4D2GistJTNEWB3-V_v_g38czqlcH7-q5-UiFGYUeeuI5XexZT3B3ILe3k/s1600/DSC_0840_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFMh00mDAHlHb5suC6kG-OFNjf1pE2jQr8gsRxxsleaQQUM00TuToncqtyXzz8722G8jJY1d1fSngBxd2xT4D2GistJTNEWB3-V_v_g38czqlcH7-q5-UiFGYUeeuI5XexZT3B3ILe3k/s400/DSC_0840_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Evan Pugh shares his knowledge about protecting bee habitat<br />while doing maintenance for rain gardens.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is an example of what one of our Master Water Steward teams accomplished this year after completing their training: </span><br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Master Water Stewards, Bill Cranford, Rachel Hanks and Phyllis Webster initiated the Adopt-A-Drain program as their capstone project in the Phalen Heights area of St. Paul this spring. They reached out to over 700 household in their neighborhood in order to identify residents who would commit to clearing leaves, dirt and trash regularly from storm drains near their homes and keep them from polluting nearby Lake Phalen and the Mississippi River downstream. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4r3xfPZQYrvUyMWGJJp5B_vfH3z7u6xbpbN2TsmXnDgntX-q0IhmVKIEB-xyWCKQRrwB_QJaZR9KBwAQd4gnSl1Sweq8J-s2o3hu_MkbEnt2iv0k9rT9pw307CZzgHxGJ7Eq5o1tGnKo/s1600/Adopt-a-Drain-Phalen-Sign---Rachel-Hanks_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4r3xfPZQYrvUyMWGJJp5B_vfH3z7u6xbpbN2TsmXnDgntX-q0IhmVKIEB-xyWCKQRrwB_QJaZR9KBwAQd4gnSl1Sweq8J-s2o3hu_MkbEnt2iv0k9rT9pw307CZzgHxGJ7Eq5o1tGnKo/s400/Adopt-a-Drain-Phalen-Sign---Rachel-Hanks_s.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Rachel Hanks installs an Adopt-a-Drain<br /> sign in her neighborhood.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rachel says, “It’s gratifying to experience positive results from our efforts to improve water quality. We see clean storm drains as we take our regular walks in the neighborhood. We have engaged with our neighbors and are building a network of people who also desire to keep our local Lake Phalen clean." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Master Water Stewards Program Intro Session at </strong></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Urban Boatbuilders - September 14</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Join Master Water Stewards and Watershed District program staff at Urban Boatbuilders on <em>Thursday, September 14, from 5:30 - 7:00 PM</em> to learn more about this dynamic program. Guests can expect delicious appetizers and a sneak peek at the Urban Boatbuilders workshop, as well as great conversation with the people who know this program best - our stewards. Stewards will be sharing their stories throughout the event. Stop by on your way home from work and stay as long as you’d like. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/master-water-stewards-listen-learn-join-tickets-36586120070">RSVPs appreciated.</a> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The workshop at Urban Boatbuilders</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Directions and Parking</strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Urban Boatbuilders is located at 2288 University Avenue W, St. Paul 55114</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>From the west:</strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Urban Boatbuilders warehouse is on University, but set back from the road. Turn right on LaSalle and the building will be on your left. Parking is along the back on Myrtle Street.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>From the east:</strong><br />If coming from the east, you'll pass the address and turn around at Raymond to head east on University and take a right on LaSalle. The building will be on your left. Parking is along the back on Myrtle Street.</span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-35330133225766722692017-08-16T23:00:00.000-07:002017-08-17T07:12:43.047-07:00Cherishing a Crown Jewel – Tamarack Nature Preserve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Sage Passi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The July tour at Tamarack Nature Preserve attracted an enthusiastic crowd.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Credit: Dana Boyle</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tamarack Nature Preserve, tucked between Valley Creek Road, Radio Drive and Bielenberg Drive in Woodbury, is one of the few remaining intact tamarack supporting wetlands in the Twin Cities area. There are thousands of acres of tamarack swamps up north, but very few exist this far south. It’s become a favorite hiking destination for neighborhood walkers, birdwatchers, nature lovers and avid plant IDers. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Anna Barker, Washington County Master Gardener and Master <br />Water Steward, shares her knowledge about plants on the summer tour.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The last public tour the Watershed District co-hosted in the preserve with the city of Woodbury was in 2013. Thanks to the encouragement and work of Tamarack Nature Preserve advocates, Dana Boyle and Stephanie Wang, the wheels began to turn again this spring to host another tour for the public in mid-summer to raise interest and appreciation for this “crown jewel” of wetlands. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> “We are working on a broad community engagement plan to help residents learn about opportunities throughout the year to tour the Preserve, help with trail management (buckthorn and burdock removal and trash cleanups) and become better educated about this amazing treasure in our own backyard,” announced Dana and Stephanie who live in neighborhoods adjacent to the preserve. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Last year Dana created an online field guide that highlights the diverse plant life abounding in the Preserve. Click <a href="http://www.rwmwd.org/vertical/sites/%7BAB493DE7-F6CB-4A58-AFE0-56D80D38CD24%7D/uploads/Tamarack_Nature_Preserve_Field_Guide_-_web.pdf">here for the guide</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The sensitive fern, found along the boardwalk in the Preserve, <em>Onoclea sensibilis,</em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">gets its species name from how quickly the leaves die back after the first frost.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"> Photo credit: Dana Boyle</span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Bog aurum, also known as water arum or wild calla, is prolific in the Preserve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo Credit: Sage Passi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />This summer, Dana and her colleagues created a crowd-sourced “project” for the Tamarack Nature Preserve on the iNaturalist app to complete their capstone requirements for the Master Naturalist program. This interactive field guide is for people of all ages and interest levels to gain an appreciation for nature, specifically this Minnesota wetland, and to collaborate in order to become part of a community of friends of the Preserve. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Broadleaf Arrowhead in bloom in the Preserve</span><br />Photo Credit: Dana Boyle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The guide currently features plants that are found in the fen (a bog trail) and on its perimeter (a woodland trail). It will also include birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Anyone who visits the area is invited to add their observations to this project. Over time they will have a record of phenology and see when and where these observations are most likely to be found. Here is a <a href="http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/tamarack-nature-preserve-in-woodbury-minnesota">link</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Left to right: Dana Boyle, Kevin Burshten, Amy Howard, Kristin Seaman and Stephanie Wang trek through the Preserve. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In preparation for the summer tour, Dana and Stephanie organized a reconnaissance walk in May with Woodbury Assistant Park Supervisors, Amy Howard and Kevin Burshten and Woodbury’s Environmental Resources Specialist Kristin Seaman to look for long and short-term solutions that would address trail issues in the park. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A reoccurring challenge in the preserve is a stretch of the path on the north side of the preserve that becomes very muddy and impassable in the spring and summer. They were also scouting for locations where invasive species could be removed by volunteers.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A stretch of the path in the Preserve that is hard to cross during parts of the year.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a short term solution Woodbury park staff built a temporary boardwalk over the areas that typically flood so that the upcoming tour participants and others using the park could pass on the north side of the trail between the two main boardwalks. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A temporary boardwalk helps hikers<br /> pass over muddy areas of the trail.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Both Dana and Stephanie have also organized several ad hoc invasive plant removal activities and are planning an educational event in August with a Woodbury Pack 60 Webelos Cub Scout Den who will be cutting back burdock on the north stretch of the trail between the boardwalks and touring the preserve. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Researching Tamarack Swamp’s recent past</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Stephanie wanted to learn more about the history of the preserve so she approached Steve Kernik, a retired environmental planner for the City of Woodbury who provided this historical background about the area. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Tamarack Swamp used to be an unbroken system starting at the back of City Hall and flowing downhill all the way to Battle Creek Lake. Over the years it got severed by Valley Creek Road, Bielenberg Drive, I-494 and Weir Drive. Valley Creek Road impacted the upper part of the swamp behind City Hall because the culverts under the road were set too high, which resulted in permanent high water that changed the character to a normal swamp.<br /><br /> <span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About ten years ago a lift station was installed (mainly for stormwater management purposes) which keeps the fluctuations down, but the damage is done. From Valley Creek Road to Bielenberg Drive the swamp is fairly flat, dropping only a few feet. West of Bielenberg Drive it drops quite quickly, about 30 feet from Bielenberg to I-494. So the swamp west of Bielenberg is somewhat drier than the east side just because of topography."</span><br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Studies Completed in the Preserve</strong></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"There have been a number of studies done on the swamp, some of them dating back to the late 1970's or early 1980's. The really early ones aren't very detailed but the last one (or ones), done by the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District are the most valuable. A detailed study of the vegetation of the swamp was done in 1999 that includes a map that shows the major ecosystems that are present.” </span><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHpJmGNS5FMqVlodN-goaTWY6ltwPk-WxHqvHP8Ew_OLcepDTCxzbQgBPaapcXQ3IVJEUiRAaCQO_LL64Ceg_Wd4AKX1jc9_zh7aG-V4AHHvVngwk05i3kjchT8bzJFzBBANYCY09RJI/s1600/Tamarack_tour_handout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHpJmGNS5FMqVlodN-goaTWY6ltwPk-WxHqvHP8Ew_OLcepDTCxzbQgBPaapcXQ3IVJEUiRAaCQO_LL64Ceg_Wd4AKX1jc9_zh7aG-V4AHHvVngwk05i3kjchT8bzJFzBBANYCY09RJI/s640/Tamarack_tour_handout.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This map delineates the location of different plant communities in the Preserve and its walking paths.<br />(Click on map for larger image.)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kernik continued his recollections. "One of the interesting findings of that study was that all of the tamarack trees in the swamp are about the same age. They all got their start during the drought years of the 1930's. The assumption is that conditions were good for the tamaracks to germinate at that time, and as water started to rise in subsequent years, the trees were able to grow new roots just at the water line, which allowed the trees to survive in the deeper water. The problem is that young tamaracks can't germinate in the high water conditions.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn1Nhb7SOJyHCGja58VNRB7009RXiO-fzOq6B_oHaiCsKfUSQ7mnVRvkicv6tHDjCcPXDa6CBV3IbquBTVm-6abdKoRbDYIT1PKYF6-RKDlYzxIG73xxXtm0YH00sd1OYSL5IY8nGZ1A/s1600/DSC_0433_edited_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn1Nhb7SOJyHCGja58VNRB7009RXiO-fzOq6B_oHaiCsKfUSQ7mnVRvkicv6tHDjCcPXDa6CBV3IbquBTVm-6abdKoRbDYIT1PKYF6-RKDlYzxIG73xxXtm0YH00sd1OYSL5IY8nGZ1A/s400/DSC_0433_edited_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of the tamaracks that towers above the Preserve.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The District did a study of the high water which determined that it was caused by high groundwater, not surface water inputs. They examined what it would take to lower the groundwater through drain tile but determined that the damage caused by installing the tile would basically destroy the areas that we would be trying to save. So the high groundwater is just a fact of life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other factor affecting the Tamarack Swamp is water quality. Tamaracks and the associated ecosystem usually exist in very low nutrient waters. It's not that they can't handle higher nutrient loads, it's just that other plants begin to outcompete them when nutrient levels rise. So this has affected the presence of other species moving in to the swamp." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To decrease stormwater runoff impacts the Watershed District installed two treatments systems in 1999 to capture sediment and contaminants entering the wetland. In 2003 the District designed a series of swales and basins, located along Valley Creek Road in Woodbury to treat stormwater before it enters the Preserve. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9KGklLwjr5PEH71xwAjFbR9N8jqzCRfQ_dVuVLsrImareJzEu9nzTjuGx_8SUsfWNZSTm9YRl0LgeJoPXGBqoTs1YYGa9c5Xs3v7QZw1MFYDLtLCp9kSx7mndt29KTNOiOj8n0C5ulg/s640/PFS+Pond.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The treatment systems on the edge of Tamarack Nature Preserve are pond-like with a brick bottom porous enough to allow some water infiltration, but hard enough to support a bobcat for sediment removal.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong><br />Rallying the Community</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span></strong> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />As summer approached, efforts to publicize the summer tour escalated. To initially get the word out about the tour and raise interest in the Preserve, Dana had a table at WaterFest. Many people stopped by as she worked on a painting of one of flowering plants that grace the boardwalk in the summer – the marsh cinquefoil. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoLu3TBWWLaCiGe4V4Ik6F8rfLZQHX5KY-XlC05UW7sR2lhI5vfCzxvULaemhph_BXa7wW5RX0xjrZ2JlUBpVr8UtYV0LcJNpkdKZNW3XhAU6Yj3pLT332NslKeCZ75vTHg8lYQ1mltE/s1600/Dana-painting-at-WaterFest_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoLu3TBWWLaCiGe4V4Ik6F8rfLZQHX5KY-XlC05UW7sR2lhI5vfCzxvULaemhph_BXa7wW5RX0xjrZ2JlUBpVr8UtYV0LcJNpkdKZNW3XhAU6Yj3pLT332NslKeCZ75vTHg8lYQ1mltE/s640/Dana-painting-at-WaterFest_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Dana used painting at WaterFest to draw attention to one of the beautiful wildflowers growing in the Preserve.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAgEfqcogBdt-ng-GPLdWxHBwSdmjeSmKFAcs9CPAmYQtBDY_5qjDp-llv7OgZCVqFkUwt04nS7oXcDopaYR_eBmSsya4w_Z_2sIXnA3tKAmuBdPuuUpV2HNEyk-Q_RRXTZgQzZSYHEE/s1600/DSC_0672_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAgEfqcogBdt-ng-GPLdWxHBwSdmjeSmKFAcs9CPAmYQtBDY_5qjDp-llv7OgZCVqFkUwt04nS7oXcDopaYR_eBmSsya4w_Z_2sIXnA3tKAmuBdPuuUpV2HNEyk-Q_RRXTZgQzZSYHEE/s640/DSC_0672_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Dana's completed painting of marsh cinquefoil</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The tour was advertised broadly through many different organizations, social media networks, the city’s email lists and with posters in key gathering points near the Preserve (Caribou, YMCA and library), and along the trail access points. By mid-July, 150 people had reserved a spot on the tour and phone calls were still coming in right until the end! Clearly, interest in learning about this gem in our watershed is strong!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_BQmQ6Fnz0gcJSFiFfrVW6vxuMMZ-RiL_6_W0eyTRQ-JS1jVyKlCME0p7tgy_6mPJUFAoJ5LTpBsIdrPxzPryo-hBcnhDUnriukmsPaHhLUB0rGzAEj6PGXbqmBAAD6RiTqNJMfxogQ/s1600/DSC_0428_edited_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1255" data-original-width="1600" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_BQmQ6Fnz0gcJSFiFfrVW6vxuMMZ-RiL_6_W0eyTRQ-JS1jVyKlCME0p7tgy_6mPJUFAoJ5LTpBsIdrPxzPryo-hBcnhDUnriukmsPaHhLUB0rGzAEj6PGXbqmBAAD6RiTqNJMfxogQ/s400/DSC_0428_edited_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The crowd was intrigued with the variety of plants in the Preserve.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the day of the tour, a thunderstorm threatened to cancel the event. But by six o’clock the weather had settled down and a group of eighty-five people in a range of ages showed up, from seniors to families with younger children from the surrounding neighborhood to Master Naturalists-in-training who were drawn from across the metro area to come to learn from Jason Husveth, plant ecologist of Critical Connections and his team of experts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For nearly two hours Jason captivated tour participants with his explanations of the ecological and geological changes on the land, impacts of development on the water flow and all sorts of fascinating details about the diverse array of plants that inhabit this unique preserve. Meanwhile, in other areas of the park, two other tour groups, including an “express” version for parents with younger kids and for those who wanted a shorter tour. A second plant ecologist, Doug Mensing, kept participants engaged and inquisitive about the unique characteristics of the preserve and its diverse plants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jason Husveth, Critical Connections plant ecologist and tour leader, shares his knowledge about marsh marigold that blooms earlier in the season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are great ingredients for continuing to expand Woodbury’s engagement and protection of this valuable resource - people who are curious and excited about learning, a parks department that is responsive, and the kind of teamwork that lends a vibrant approach to crafting more opportunities for the community to appreciate the complex beauty and intricacies of nature “in the city”.</span></span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-62994879822597890532017-08-16T07:59:00.000-07:002017-08-17T07:06:24.122-07:00How Can Minnesota Reach its 25 by 25 Water Goal?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Sage Passi</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD9FZbeXYD88MbE3CnlbMcSggHsVgjDwkhhPKm3g8qyxHvY-6DxAFAL2YUeXR1Jw7NtshR19REJ6UI0GmCdfVaMtctjQZSSwf958XLZB8nOGafQbcvBNQfb6TxQQ2vcpb2aFi1m-kHyw/s1600/Mississippi%252C_Minnesota-Wisconsin_%25287122503083%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1592" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD9FZbeXYD88MbE3CnlbMcSggHsVgjDwkhhPKm3g8qyxHvY-6DxAFAL2YUeXR1Jw7NtshR19REJ6UI0GmCdfVaMtctjQZSSwf958XLZB8nOGafQbcvBNQfb6TxQQ2vcpb2aFi1m-kHyw/s640/Mississippi%252C_Minnesota-Wisconsin_%25287122503083%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Join us in a conversation this September about what can be done at the local level to help Minnesota reach its 25 by 25 water quality goal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Early this year Governor Dayton announced a new </span><a href="https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/?id=1055-276817"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“25 by 25” Water Quality Goal</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, which would spur collaboration and action to improve Minnesota’s water quality 25 percent by 2025. Without additional action, the quality of Minnesota’s waters is expected to improve only 6 to 8 percent by 2034. Governor Dayton’s proposal would not add new regulations, but would instead drive public engagement and partnerships to address Minnesota’s water quality challenges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District, along with Conservation Minnesota, Capitol Region Watershed District, Ramsey Conservation District and Rice Creek Watershed District, is hosting a community water meeting on September 12 to discuss local water health and hear your ideas for improving and protecting our water resources in Ramsey County. We invite you to join this discussion! Water meetings like this are part of Conservation Minnesota’s effort to include local communities in responding to the Governor’s proposed water pollution reduction initiative. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This summer and early fall, the Governor’s office is holding ten regional town hall meetings across the state to gather input on what it could take to realize this goal. Townhall meetings in the metro area are scheduled for late September and early October in Minneapolis, Burnsville and Stillwater. Dates and locations for these town halls are listed <a href="https://www.eqb.state.mn.us/Townhalls">HERE</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“All Minnesotans have a stake in water that’s safe for drinking, swimming and fishing,” says Governor Dayton. “These town hall meetings will further the important conversations already happening across Minnesota around water quality. Together we can develop strategies and solutions that work for all of our communities.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are hosting a local meeting to ensure that those who cannot attend the Governor’s meetings or who want extra time to talk through their ideas have the chance to do so.<br /><br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Join us and<br /> share your ideas!</em></span> <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Ramsey County Community<br /> Water Meeting</span><br /><br />Tuesday, September 12<br />6:30 - 8:30 PM<br />Autumn Grove Park<br />395 Lydia Ave W, Roseville</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To ensure we have enough space and refreshments, please RSVP by </span><a href="mailto:julie@conservationminnesota.org"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">emailing </span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Julie Drennen or call 612-767-1569. This is an open meeting, so you’re welcome to invite all who you think would be interested. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-63361051248368248362017-08-16T06:41:00.000-07:002017-08-17T07:04:05.044-07:00The Final Stages of our Church Grant<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Paige Ahlborg</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mhalPs3Gl7z5V6hNkcp5DRaKLpzLBcsbtiUxoc6eYiF8puk9Sr6tIWK6cZ7MGR0kOb-LAGhl0MY_OQypyK5TYZZdfqmCMlOKGTkbVx9hGD1qkqA-Q9agw8lbhr3lH2XABkBKsFbehuw/s1600/Lakeview-Lutheran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mhalPs3Gl7z5V6hNkcp5DRaKLpzLBcsbtiUxoc6eYiF8puk9Sr6tIWK6cZ7MGR0kOb-LAGhl0MY_OQypyK5TYZZdfqmCMlOKGTkbVx9hGD1qkqA-Q9agw8lbhr3lH2XABkBKsFbehuw/s640/Lakeview-Lutheran.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lakeview Lutheran Church was our first completed project through the Clean Water Land & Legacy Grant.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2013, Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District received a community partners grant through the </span><a href="http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/cleanwaterfund/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment.</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We used this grant to partner with six churches to install over fifteen rain gardens on their properties. These churches were in Maplewood, Roseville and St. Paul. A complete listing can be found on our website. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This grant was met with such success that we applied for and received a second grant in 2015 to work with six additional churches. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmvzyfC8UfDQSWCFhyLaNrrMOr39VzklWJ4jD3-m6fUAX4UnWGbl40k6R6cBXUYrFr9LHYwOy8hNIiKu6DL4_0qO9HUKHbgvsWfT2XXpLgbUkKJAmFIIcM578rl7WJxqfouBaMHgT6ro/s1600/legacy_logo-H_rgb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="751" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmvzyfC8UfDQSWCFhyLaNrrMOr39VzklWJ4jD3-m6fUAX4UnWGbl40k6R6cBXUYrFr9LHYwOy8hNIiKu6DL4_0qO9HUKHbgvsWfT2XXpLgbUkKJAmFIIcM578rl7WJxqfouBaMHgT6ro/s320/legacy_logo-H_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2016, rain gardens were installed at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Parkview United Church of Christ in White Bear Lake and Christ United Methodist Church in Maplewood. In 2017, rain gardens were installed at North Presbyterian Church in North St. Paul and Trinity Presbyterian Church in Woodbury. The final rain garden is set to be installed at North </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heights Church in Roseville this fall.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Rain garden at North Presbyterian Church in North St. Paul</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />This grant targeted faith organizations in priority sub-watersheds with impaired waters (those not meeting state water quality standards) or waters that are at-risk of becoming impaired. The water bodies protected through this phase of the grant include Kohlman Lake, Battle Creek and Lake Owasso. Rain gardens were installed to help lessen the amount of stormwater runoff coming from large parking lots and rooftops. By capturing the stormwater, the rain gardens help reduce the amount of phosphorus and other pollution that reaches these important water bodies. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> These beautiful rain gardens not only help improve water quality, they also provide increased pollinator habitat, increased aesthetic value to the property and provide an ongoing education opportunity to the congregation. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Rain garden at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Woodbury</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the first two years following rain garden installation, RWMWD covers maintenance costs on these projects. Church maintenance staff and volunteers are invited to be involved with the maintenance during that time to learn how to maintain their gardens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After our maintenance contract expires, RWMWD staff work closely with church staff to help them fully know what is needed to keep their rain gardens looking and functioning as intended. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> RWMWD has worked with many churches over the years and will continue to do so into the future under our </span><a href="http://www.rwmwd.org/costshare"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cost share program</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. These grants target churches that may not otherwise known about our goals for water quality improvement. We are grateful to have received the grant and grateful to have worked with these organizations on a common goal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> More information can be found on our website at </span><a href="http://www.rwmwd.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.rwmwd.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-9284714547537361842017-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:002017-07-06T10:08:55.889-07:00School Retrofits: Allowing the Flow to Happen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Sage Passi</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFZqwBfM9vc4VW6lNRXhyr6miVW-Y3DGKo_ISl9hXbvlrgShXEMGrIkge04DJlFS4_6VB_RyiSmoeW9_MZHV4prYketh_swAX6h2Ahva_Knck2RbQlLWKdBixX2SlvHgCylnHfpVA7fk/s1600/How-much-driveway-contributes-run-off_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="1600" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFZqwBfM9vc4VW6lNRXhyr6miVW-Y3DGKo_ISl9hXbvlrgShXEMGrIkge04DJlFS4_6VB_RyiSmoeW9_MZHV4prYketh_swAX6h2Ahva_Knck2RbQlLWKdBixX2SlvHgCylnHfpVA7fk/s640/How-much-driveway-contributes-run-off_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What’s the area of our driveway in front of Central Park? These students took on this math challenge to determine the drainage area for their future rain garden.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Things have a way of eventually coming together. Our efforts over the past four years have involved the search for schools that are open and willing to be models for stormwater retrofits in their community. We’ve identified teachers who like hands on learning. We’ve connected with partners who are interested in working with schools – Maplewood Nature Center, EMWREP and Ramsey County Master Gardeners. Master Water Stewards have been assisting us with our field activities to help students understand the elements built into rain gardens and how they function.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’ve gotten acquainted with kids who are curious and open to trying new things. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMab-B6PJPkkiI1nHCuTsA_Kw-Camy7h-U3IribwX4oKqm2oTTGxTwt4XfMYU89pSTK3CZzyOE8EOruUAXipmmn9KgRDhwz_tBH5wDLktZId88cl4u5oxU0yWskHPrMu8F80vpQsXvEoc/s1600/Teamwork-with-the-auger_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMab-B6PJPkkiI1nHCuTsA_Kw-Camy7h-U3IribwX4oKqm2oTTGxTwt4XfMYU89pSTK3CZzyOE8EOruUAXipmmn9KgRDhwz_tBH5wDLktZId88cl4u5oxU0yWskHPrMu8F80vpQsXvEoc/s640/Teamwork-with-the-auger_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">An auger is not something kids use every day!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've been equipping students with tools that help them understand the “whys” and “hows”.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Woodbury fourth graders interpret a map of their school grounds </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">to see where run-off comes from impervious surfaces and travels </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">to their future rain garden site.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Along the way we’ve been lucky to engage with scientists and teachers who have the desire to meet each other on the playing field. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As we close in on implementing the culminating steps of our state grant, “Engaging Schools in Retrofit BMPS”, the excitement has been building. It’s no longer just a vision. It’s concrete, it’s real and we are doing it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Central Park Elementary, Roseville Area Middle School and Woodbury Elementary Schools are in the spotlight this year. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As summer moves along, retrofit rain gardens are being constructed on their school grounds. When I drove over to Central Park Elementary in Roseville one afternoon in late June, I saw the contractors wetting the concrete to cut the inlet for the new rain garden with a circular saw. I stopped to watch, mesmerized and in awe. This step, while just one small action in the process, was symbolic to me, representing the accomplishments of cutting through resistance, opening up to change, and allowing the flow to happen!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Cutting the curb for the rain garden inlet at Central Park Elementary</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The construction of these rain gardens takes anywhere from a week to two weeks, depending on their size. The Central Park Elementary rain garden was able to secure “center stage". As the buses entered the driveway in front of the school, they lined up next to it. We couldn’t ask for a better front row seat for students attending summer school to watch the construction unfold. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Rain garden construction at Central Park Elementary in Roseville</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">As work continues, a limestone wall emerges that will frame the back of the rain garden.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In preparation for the installation of these three rain gardens, we felt strongly that it was essential to connect our youth audience with the lakes and streams we are trying to protect. In early March Woodbury Elementary students traveled by bus to Battle Creek Lake to study its water quality. Roseville Area Middle School students came to our office site in late May to trace the flow of their stormwater to Gervais Creek that flows below our office windows and look at how our rain gardens function. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We set up two half-day field trips in early May for Central Park students to visit their downstream lake with time built in to explore, play and conduct research. The morning became a blend of structured and less structured opportunities to invite inquiry, wonder and foster curiosity. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSoHP7RUIsVpUzPOtZbSaF_h9trnmGXXtzsdX33t0Tk0MHTlLBS7H2yXIRN1Ii-Ewtehh1JiacPH6AdSX0QuwsDow-6wCqxAAmvhlr3JIe550mICFylkbRvocoXH6jEQufCNWfGCdxA4/s1600/Lake-Owasso-trip_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSoHP7RUIsVpUzPOtZbSaF_h9trnmGXXtzsdX33t0Tk0MHTlLBS7H2yXIRN1Ii-Ewtehh1JiacPH6AdSX0QuwsDow-6wCqxAAmvhlr3JIe550mICFylkbRvocoXH6jEQufCNWfGCdxA4/s640/Lake-Owasso-trip_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Central Park fifth graders explore Lake Owasso’s shoreline on their spring trip to learn about water quality in their watershed. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcJxJf-9kNlchbLUgjptQc7xF6ZvPR9axoOP2hO4cnhklTRBeH9c0mKPH_0b9vQRsWbBENAL9_r2Hc2T8MTD53X0Uhpl1gMZdNXOMoTLMkuceb_loae8D2jZnTs-IumJ4HnQCa3hvI3E/s1600/Young-Turtle_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcJxJf-9kNlchbLUgjptQc7xF6ZvPR9axoOP2hO4cnhklTRBeH9c0mKPH_0b9vQRsWbBENAL9_r2Hc2T8MTD53X0Uhpl1gMZdNXOMoTLMkuceb_loae8D2jZnTs-IumJ4HnQCa3hvI3E/s320/Young-Turtle_s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A baby snapping turtle appeared at the beach.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> We knew many of the students at Central Park Elementary were more familiar with nearby Lake McCarrons, so we decided to blend a field trip to both Lake Owasso and Lake McCarrons. This became an opportunity to illustrate the concept of watersheds by using maps before the trip to illustrate that water on the land has many paths to nearby lakes, but still ends up downstream in a larger watershed – The Mississippi River. We pointed out the watershed divide between Capitol Region and Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districts and explained that while their school’s run-off ends up in Lake Owasso, if they live in other areas near the school, it flows to Lake McCarrons. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbb-qwFkkEtfslOFGOyQyN0sDcAhvAIH9cYXym_6b78zbbcZ9-7LMvCHxM1AcZVMBcybwXYI0SlLL39QE1KitgcvRWsTPH0nBFPdAM-QwRs-zjo_itJENTgqmae4g6wMkSNGy8xRcTVY/s1600/Central-Park-Water-Flow_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1600" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbb-qwFkkEtfslOFGOyQyN0sDcAhvAIH9cYXym_6b78zbbcZ9-7LMvCHxM1AcZVMBcybwXYI0SlLL39QE1KitgcvRWsTPH0nBFPdAM-QwRs-zjo_itJENTgqmae4g6wMkSNGy8xRcTVY/s640/Central-Park-Water-Flow_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central Park Water Flow</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Team-Teaching Strengthens Our Approach</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We invited our water quality intern to assist us on the field trip. Lyndsey Provos demonstrated the use of the monitoring equipment she uses on various lakes in the watershed. Prior to her position with RWMWD, she spent time in graduate school working on data collection on Lake McCarrons, so she was familiar with the conditions on that lake. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Lyndsey Provos, the District’s water quality intern, introduces Central Park fifth graders to the Sonde which she used to help them collect data about Lake Owasso. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1y1xW0bgSCts9NczUgC_xLGLxJxKrJIaN-5_d4-5aL_cjRL9a7XIWnzHUpez_NIaih-qI_mfeajiJiJVqt7AL3B_Fa3bCxyvpqfpWflM92zuMU3BW_MBmPSYDxkXQeekuiB-Nkf585o8/s1600/The-Sonde_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1105" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1y1xW0bgSCts9NczUgC_xLGLxJxKrJIaN-5_d4-5aL_cjRL9a7XIWnzHUpez_NIaih-qI_mfeajiJiJVqt7AL3B_Fa3bCxyvpqfpWflM92zuMU3BW_MBmPSYDxkXQeekuiB-Nkf585o8/s400/The-Sonde_s.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">What water quality parameters can we measure with the Sonde? </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The RWMWD has assigned a water quality classification of “At Risk” to Lake Owasso based on recent water quality data at or near the MPCA and RWMWD nutrient water quality standards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jordan Wein, a fish specialist with Carp Solutions, met classes at Lake Owasso on both days to expand the story of water quality to include what is living in the lake. He is beginning a population study of carp in Lake Owasso and Bennett Lake. He brought some samples of equipment including a trap net and his radio tracking devices to show students the tools he is using in his research with the Watershed District. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecjvl3r-RN8VsPBMKRuKDpRB9yvVv4NTlDFNSARuTZ856A9a3Z29h8TBrh_ENImUZqX_yZZZj7OcxyRx1scUqMM5b3M9QH08-LI65DOoN7vb4p4JMRH_N2bTLnRc3scHriP-YMzEqbwU/s1600/Jordan-explains-dissolved-oxgen_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecjvl3r-RN8VsPBMKRuKDpRB9yvVv4NTlDFNSARuTZ856A9a3Z29h8TBrh_ENImUZqX_yZZZj7OcxyRx1scUqMM5b3M9QH08-LI65DOoN7vb4p4JMRH_N2bTLnRc3scHriP-YMzEqbwU/s640/Jordan-explains-dissolved-oxgen_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jordan highlights the oxygen level needs of different fish using the dissolved oxygen kit the students will use to measure the levels in Lake Owasso and Lake. Water quality is a driving force in our rain garden projects.</span> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />Teaming up with Lindsay Schwantes, Community Outreach Coordinator for Capitol Region Watershed, provided great support. She introduced a number of fun activities to the day’s mix including a game, 'Sharks and Minnows' that she adapted into an action packed exercise in the park next to Lake McCarrons. Students took on roles as sediment, hydrologists and rain gardens. Hydrologists tried to tag as many 'Sediments' as possible as they ran from one end line to the other. If students playing the roles of 'Sediment' were tagged, they became rain gardens who remained stationary but could still reach out to try to tag any 'Sediments' as they passed by.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB_xHJVjrAIsBKlHj5sTIsqIkbl7gpV_n5t4XZzQWj3HdZTD-q4PKHXCnRnSEA-0Kwf1pU6jB7zWcojBZHJLwnkBE5R1PFuREFHcF_5NV2zbdHiCpb_VkM09Ga_FOlJnyggsiT_-jRJ4/s1600/Kids-racing_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="1600" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB_xHJVjrAIsBKlHj5sTIsqIkbl7gpV_n5t4XZzQWj3HdZTD-q4PKHXCnRnSEA-0Kwf1pU6jB7zWcojBZHJLwnkBE5R1PFuREFHcF_5NV2zbdHiCpb_VkM09Ga_FOlJnyggsiT_-jRJ4/s400/Kids-racing_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">“1,
2, 3, RUNOFF!”</span> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lindsay also engaged student in the use of the enviroscape to illustrate how run-off impacts downstream waters. </span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Lindsay Schwantes introduces the fifth graders to the enviroscape.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Classes walked around the perimeter of the lake, tracing its route through a storm drain, then underground, then flowing out into a marshy area adjacent to the beach before it heads underground again and travels through the Trout Brook Interceptor to the Mississippi River.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zOO58mi_StOuYtkckMlmYZLYoYZnOmSoR8Uzax7iwseUiHfHmPdzuNBUJNLm5cSqUsldDlfNu60gsyRPtZ82RpTSHPn3YaN3Zu-HZ7REEo6pjvatImrHDDNkVhJCT4Sv5k3HFbuKIBE/s1600/Lake-McCarrons-storm-drain_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zOO58mi_StOuYtkckMlmYZLYoYZnOmSoR8Uzax7iwseUiHfHmPdzuNBUJNLm5cSqUsldDlfNu60gsyRPtZ82RpTSHPn3YaN3Zu-HZ7REEo6pjvatImrHDDNkVhJCT4Sv5k3HFbuKIBE/s640/Lake-McCarrons-storm-drain_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This stop prompted many questions and observations about both the water’s route to and from the lake and the quality of the water as it leaves the lake. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> We are optimistic that our field trips were food for thought and will inspire students to come back to wonder and wander by the lakes again. When they return to school in the fall and have the opportunity to plant their rain gardens, we hope that they can make the connection between seeing these new additions on their school grounds and the memorable experiences they had while exploring their nearby lakes through new eyes. </span><br />
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</span></span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-88165735972666254252017-07-06T08:30:00.000-07:002017-07-06T10:50:05.455-07:00Want to Get Off the Sidelines and Make Real Change?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzht8SMXXDvOnY0y8vA7nSzCQ7s3u9mAYgAkNpu9Z7SmMS1xoKk2KCHPnWxl8E9KzsiPk97X8Xmxw9FKOD1LewYor-PycxRHIWsaOZGdDdifqWSpKubonVwzhE2OtRKXIfHr5aZhyphenhyphenQLmA/s1600/DSC_0033_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzht8SMXXDvOnY0y8vA7nSzCQ7s3u9mAYgAkNpu9Z7SmMS1xoKk2KCHPnWxl8E9KzsiPk97X8Xmxw9FKOD1LewYor-PycxRHIWsaOZGdDdifqWSpKubonVwzhE2OtRKXIfHr5aZhyphenhyphenQLmA/s640/DSC_0033_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Rachel Hanks, 2016 Master Water Steward, and Sarah Goodspeed, program facilitator, explore<br />the plantings in Cross Lutheran Church’s rain garden across from Wakefield Lake in Maplewood. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You don’t have to be an expert. We’ll show you the way.</span></strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The Master Water Stewards program offers a great opportunity for you to work on environmental problems in your community and join a local network of energized leaders. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rusty Schmidt, Landscape Ecologist and author of the Blue Thumb<br /> Guide to Rain Gardens, provides consultation at the RainScaping<br />workshop held each year for Master Water Stewards.</span> </span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOREEBby4c64CiSWzvdvYovjzZJq0IRaYOZTKswtEl-2fdkZCyi4g-CSzXezZ_251qLZ8_DXgtVHFNJ1_JH95nbkFJ-xmd3cIb4OREwAhrmm8BV6CeB0HBBg8eBTzW7QwWJsL3TltSqUo/s1600/DSC_0159_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOREEBby4c64CiSWzvdvYovjzZJq0IRaYOZTKswtEl-2fdkZCyi4g-CSzXezZ_251qLZ8_DXgtVHFNJ1_JH95nbkFJ-xmd3cIb4OREwAhrmm8BV6CeB0HBBg8eBTzW7QwWJsL3TltSqUo/s400/DSC_0159_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hallie Finucane and Linda Neilson showcase their Master Water<br /> Steward capstone project and provide educational materials at a <br />local film showing sponsored by Wild Ones and RWMWD.</span> </span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Master Water Stewards is a program that certifies and supports community leaders to install pollution prevention projects that educate community members, reduce pollutants from stormwater runoff, and allow more water to soak into the ground before running into storm sewer systems.</span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPefobdMWZnPMFCzHQWooZj1QPvoEBtc1uX9lHnuIHIU2apYBQrLSZ7pshigrjw3788ZrFpd7oa1pWUai9Pt0gqPc4hMz6Ugtyh6w3PdWn_m6a2dKqC3BZTIqWHiXxMUZkaXgYiBrpFI/s1600/IMG_0055_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPefobdMWZnPMFCzHQWooZj1QPvoEBtc1uX9lHnuIHIU2apYBQrLSZ7pshigrjw3788ZrFpd7oa1pWUai9Pt0gqPc4hMz6Ugtyh6w3PdWn_m6a2dKqC3BZTIqWHiXxMUZkaXgYiBrpFI/s400/IMG_0055_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Anna Barker assists a Woodbury resident, Mitzi, with a rain garden<br />installation to prevent hillside erosion into Battle Creek.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The program is a partnership between the </span><a href="http://freshwater.org/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Freshwater Society</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and participating cities, watershed districts, watershed management organizations and non-profits.</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RWMWD is now seeking candidates for the upcoming year’s Master Water Stewards program in our watershed district. The program is slated to begin October 10. </span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please contact Sage Passi at 612-598-9163 or </span><a href="mailto:sage.passi@rwmwd.org"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">email Sage</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> for more information about becoming a Master Water Steward for Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District. Applications are due by September 30. You can download an application </span><a href="https://masterwaterstewards.org/application-page/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Qualified applicants must:</span><br />
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<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Attend an information session. Date and location in August TBA. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Complete application process (application due by September 30). </span></span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Complete all class sessions in the Maser Water Steward Certification process <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Be willing to serve as a community resource for environmental and watershed information <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Complete a capstone project <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsUdVmVoT0f2Ma1kBgxgaD3uFEzSObj7wyjzBiktRhw0vi89sXJNrQV_N01Lp-v5x1zkTgTUyma1v2z4-ZqRvSXquSjB5Fd40dmWWP8uQ20X42ZQvfQzrdvil_a_Oz38j5vMQUzOKiio/s1600/DSC_0322_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsUdVmVoT0f2Ma1kBgxgaD3uFEzSObj7wyjzBiktRhw0vi89sXJNrQV_N01Lp-v5x1zkTgTUyma1v2z4-ZqRvSXquSjB5Fd40dmWWP8uQ20X42ZQvfQzrdvil_a_Oz38j5vMQUzOKiio/s400/DSC_0322_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Phyllis Webster and her Master Water Stewards cohorts are introduced<br />to a fun teaching tool that illustrates the concept of watersheds<br />during one of the classes. </span></td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-71264282105854837892017-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:002017-08-17T07:04:47.747-07:00The LEAP Nomination Deadline is Fast Approaching!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnpqrWYn4VP3e6Y4Ac2wCtm07J1P6e4m7VJuwb-LocQZo-KsxlS8Ioijqe6j1FIQVgkk7iq-ybJFJyntzjqyqq9-g8mLiF_zNXYahHTnCFtMICKvH5_SvPK4WbY5e-mgGl1JblPShqBA/s1600/LEAP+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="471" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnpqrWYn4VP3e6Y4Ac2wCtm07J1P6e4m7VJuwb-LocQZo-KsxlS8Ioijqe6j1FIQVgkk7iq-ybJFJyntzjqyqq9-g8mLiF_zNXYahHTnCFtMICKvH5_SvPK4WbY5e-mgGl1JblPShqBA/s400/LEAP+sign.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You’ve driven by it...a yard that stands out! For good reasons! A yard that says, “We care about what happens downstream”. <br /><br /> It could be a yard that provides superb habitat for those butterflies, bees and critters that need nesting areas, food and forage. <br /><br /> Or perhaps it’s a property, maybe at a school, church or business that uses good ecological practices to manage stormwater. <br /><br /> Or maybe it’s your neighbor who you’d like to nominate. <br /> <br />We love to recognize the good efforts of citizens in our Watershed.<br /><br />Time is short! Send us your recommendations for our 2017 Landscape Ecology Award Program <em>NOW</em>. Nominations are due July 15. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please send us your recommended site(s) by emailing the addresses to Deb Barnes at </span><a href="mailto:deb.barnes@rwmwd.org"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">deb.barnes@rwmwd.org</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> If you have a contact name, email address or phone number for the property, please include that information. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Landscape Ecology Awards Program recognizes landowners in the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, including private residences as well as public and commercial properties that use good management practices to preserve and improve water quality and natural resources. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The District's volunteer LEAP Team manages this program and conducts all judging. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of several yards in White Bear Lake that won a 2016 LEAP Award.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnulXKH06-jKckalYY8AWPE2OZfApRZWpevvcxM39VM-zQ6lUCvwCCXDTpNoupEDmVre_Nk-P1dV1eNRuBbyoXe0YuedsA-wS5qASkuq9lRElcA_LYIUGX3ghPtPFyBCGJ8rrK-Ccqy-Y/s1600/2016-RWMWD-_070_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnulXKH06-jKckalYY8AWPE2OZfApRZWpevvcxM39VM-zQ6lUCvwCCXDTpNoupEDmVre_Nk-P1dV1eNRuBbyoXe0YuedsA-wS5qASkuq9lRElcA_LYIUGX3ghPtPFyBCGJ8rrK-Ccqy-Y/s400/2016-RWMWD-_070_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Connie Taillon accepts the award for the City of White Bear Lake<br /> from LEAP members Dana Larson-Ramsay and Mark Gernes.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Landscape Ecology Awards are given annually at our Recognition Dinner in November. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visit <a href="http://www.rwmwd.org/index.asp?SEC=8B60314B-F7F2-41BE-816D-72D9638F1448&Type=B_BASIC">the LEAP page</a> on the District's website to see past recipients of the program.</span><br />
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</span></span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-42605626927931518572017-07-06T07:00:00.000-07:002017-08-17T07:05:03.652-07:00Join us for the Tamarack Nature Preserve Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMfPCQM5RUbv9bKFr3WclLIAFEt5t06PHmjJpkyVwo0l2nUPaa3ylJakrrQeYeMXdhWl5rccZKW6WxMyLBBHUpl4wi0DFn0xq_9BTYtQaphTaW2zRME2OtD9s99T60YrctbkryaFljSI/s1600/Group-of-Four-Pics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="991" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMfPCQM5RUbv9bKFr3WclLIAFEt5t06PHmjJpkyVwo0l2nUPaa3ylJakrrQeYeMXdhWl5rccZKW6WxMyLBBHUpl4wi0DFn0xq_9BTYtQaphTaW2zRME2OtD9s99T60YrctbkryaFljSI/s640/Group-of-Four-Pics.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Explore a little known natural area unique to Woodbury and to the Twin Cities metro. <br /><br />The City of Woodbury and the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District invite you to join them for a free, guided walking tour of Tamarack Nature Preserve on <strong>Wednesday, July 19th from 6:30-8:30 p.m.</strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tamarack Nature Preserve has more than 150 acres providing home to plants and trees that are normally found only in northern Minnesota. Learn about the park’s history, geology, unique blend of ecosystems and diversity of plants.<br /><br /><strong>Meet at the Tamarack Nature Preserve parking lot (1825 Tower Drive) at 6:30 pm</strong>. Then join the group on a guided walking tour on the boardwalk as plant ecologists answer questions and point out the diversity of unique bog flowers and trees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong><em>Play Tamarack Swamp BINGO and win prizes!</em></strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Two tours</strong> will be leaving the parking lot 6:40 pm: one tour will be about 30-45 minutes and the other will return to the parking lot by 8:30 pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Pre-registration required. </strong></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Call Deb at 651-792-7959 or email deb.barnes@rwmwd.org by 4:30 p.m. on July 12. This event is free of charge. Participants of all ages are welcome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">➜ <em><strong>For updates and weather info, visit Tamarack Nature Preserve Tour on Facebook.</strong></em></span></div>
Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-57559118744374214682017-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:002017-08-17T07:05:13.826-07:00A Watershed Educator's Shipboard Experience, Part 2 - The Ship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Tracy Leavenworth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last July I had the opportunity to travel aboard the EPA’s Lake Guardian with fourteen other educators as we teamed up with research scientists and the ship’s crew to collect data and study various aspects of the ecology of Lake Superior. Part One of my experience (<a href="http://therippleeffectmn.blogspot.com/2016/08/">Ripple Effect, August, 2016</a>) focused on the research conducted on our journey (water quality parameters, zooplankton in the water column and diporeia in the sediment) and how we gathered data. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Lake Guardian</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Part Two I will focus on the ship itself and the experience of being aboard the ship (research facilities, living quarters, food, crew, pilot house, amenities, etc.). Come along for the tour!<br /><br />The Lake Guardian is 180 feet long (the length of four school buses placed end-to-end) and sleeps 42 people in its hotel deck. Constructed in 1981 to serve as a supply vessel for offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, the ship was purchased in 1990 by the EPA and converted into a research vessel.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jacob Petersen, a teacher from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and<br />a crew member watch as preparations are made to leave port.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ship’s homeport is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When it returns to Milwaukee to refuel, the process can take an entire day as it can hold up to 79,000 gallons of fuel - that’s six-tanker trucks worth of fuel! The Lake Guardian has two engines, each with 1200 horsepower, and has a cruising speed of 10.8 knots. That is equivalent to 12.4 miles per hour on land.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Layout of the main deck. Notice the labs!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The Lake Guardian is the EPA’s largest research and monitoring vessel, sailing between late March and early October among all five Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario) and their connecting channels. Researchers from government agencies and universities use the ship’s facilities to collect and analyze samples of water, aquatic life, sediments and air. The US EPA Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) manages the ship’s operations from their Chicago-based office.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Lake Guardian in port, from the stern.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Crew</span></strong></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Crew member Max, a research technician, works<br />the controls of the large crane on the aft deck.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Lake Guardian has a permanent crew of up to fifteen people (the number of additional passengers varies by cruise, depending on how many EPA and visiting scientists are involved with a particular project). The crew and scientists work round-the-clock, adhering to a six-hours-on, twelve-hours-off schedule.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Bridge</span></strong></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Bridge</span></td></tr>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The Bridge is the top deck on the ship where the rescue boats, pilot house and rosette-operating booth are located. The Bridge also provides parking space for crew members' bikes which are useful for getting out and exploring port cities during land side off-duty hours.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Life saving equipment on the Bridge</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Bridge is the best place to be when arriving or leaving port.<br />Here we are preparing to leave Duluth.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Pilot House</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="background-color: yellow;"></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Looking through the door leading to<br />the Pilot House from the Main Deck</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Pilot House is where the captain and mates operate the ship’s navigational equipment.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Captain John Mallard at the controls in the Pilot House</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A chart in the Pilot House</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Aft Deck</span></strong></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Looking down from the Main Deck to the<br /> Aft Deck during a sampling stop</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The Aft Deck is the platform at the back of the ship from which various scientific tools are deployed. Life vests, hard hats and steel toed boots must be worn by anyone on the Aft Deck. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are several winches, including a large hydraulic "A-frame" winch, located at the stern. This winch has a maximum capacity of 30,000 pounds. This is the equipment from which the benthic sled, multi-corer, bow corer, etc. are deployed.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Collecting zooplankton samples at night from the Aft Deck</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A smaller winch is used to deploy the PONAR and the zooplankton nets from the starboard side of the aft deck. If the captain needs to use the engine during a sampling session, he is careful to only employ the engine on the opposite side of the ship from where the sampling is taking place to reduce effects on the samples collected.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Rosette Operating Deck</span></strong></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNh_gaGE9naEh_lFGNdjDeVl-NfEtFV7yFsYHtsWYD9JzvQLkLm67ADCDgV9T9sFGOcj9OzLm2ONIwoqA3lF779Q8R6m7Y-TH_GKNCKmJX7N1ndk0h07EQkNJw0c1Qm9PsMsbj_jQKKs/s1600/PastedGraphic-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="468" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNh_gaGE9naEh_lFGNdjDeVl-NfEtFV7yFsYHtsWYD9JzvQLkLm67ADCDgV9T9sFGOcj9OzLm2ONIwoqA3lF779Q8R6m7Y-TH_GKNCKmJX7N1ndk0h07EQkNJw0c1Qm9PsMsbj_jQKKs/s400/PastedGraphic-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Looking down on the Rosette Operating Deck from the Bridge</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Looking toward the Rosette Operating Deck from above the Aft<br /> Deck. The Rosette Operating Booth can be seen above the deck.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Rosette Operating Deck is the working deck where the Rosette is stored and from which it is deployed.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oWGmEG729iVav3qObDObZZz9_AChyphenhyphenv3wv7s9haoLgPSxefkIqeFqoSCUaACyrs4-u_2eSZHNJ7k_6LWBc9JBdUJvlEu0oh8wSkmZkUND3X6yElA2ICx146FU6-VHrjlGws_-6XFXgmc/s1600/PastedGraphic-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="351" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oWGmEG729iVav3qObDObZZz9_AChyphenhyphenv3wv7s9haoLgPSxefkIqeFqoSCUaACyrs4-u_2eSZHNJ7k_6LWBc9JBdUJvlEu0oh8wSkmZkUND3X6yElA2ICx146FU6-VHrjlGws_-6XFXgmc/s400/PastedGraphic-10.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Several people are required to guide this expensive<br /> water quality monitoring equipment as the winch<br /> and crane lift it off of and back onto the deck.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Rosette Operating Booth</span></strong></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Rosette Operating Booth is a tiny room on the bridge<br /> from which a crew member operates the Rosette.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lvxmAaUPnL8Yd66vRO6dct40AbMDKxZknaA0YIXGQdH2HE4r-_vFT9sGly4G_IF-JiqYOxuhiAk3UCXGrTjHa24tu-KapzOnhrW46gpQC6AzyzBrVwYFlntdQ8AOqkTlUCtzzMYplcY/s1600/PastedGraphic-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="468" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lvxmAaUPnL8Yd66vRO6dct40AbMDKxZknaA0YIXGQdH2HE4r-_vFT9sGly4G_IF-JiqYOxuhiAk3UCXGrTjHa24tu-KapzOnhrW46gpQC6AzyzBrVwYFlntdQ8AOqkTlUCtzzMYplcY/s400/PastedGraphic-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Working with the crew mate in charge of the winch holding the<br /> Rosette, the Rosette Operator sees on the monitors when the Rosette<br /> reaches depths where samples are desired. The Rosette Operator<br /> can remotely close any number of the twelve sampling containers<br /> that form the outer circle of the Rosette.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Depths of interest for collections tend to be the surface waters (the epilimnion), the frigid depths (the hypolimnion) and the transition between the two called the thermocline (as well as where the transitions occur between these three layers). The thermocline shifts within each lake at various times during the year. These shifts are of particular interest to scientists.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Biology Lab</span></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Biology Lab is generally used to study phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthos (bottom dwelling organisms). The bio lab contains a fume hood, canopy hood, deionized water system, vacuum, refrigerator, freezer, phone, eyewash, incubator and a high efficiency particulate air filter.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Educators and scientists process samples and record zooplankton data in the Bio Lab.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Chemistry Lab</span></strong><br /><br />The Chemistry Lab is where the diporeia research took place on our cruise. However, it is most often used for contaminant extractions from various media. The Chem Lab contains two fume hoods, a canopy hood, deionized water system, vacuum, refrigerator, incubator, phone, eyewash and three high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvxFp9ODfOmoakbyXypuA-lLOzyOm4RYboLQsffAgHbGg6YYEY2Jz6s4YXxJ21wPXU6NwRsc9l9wtqBMLSDeKWSuitEdiwOFL7XZD1R0kSkax1FLohF1A-SFEYNMUT94TR5Tx1HwXWVo/s1600/pastedGraphic_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvxFp9ODfOmoakbyXypuA-lLOzyOm4RYboLQsffAgHbGg6YYEY2Jz6s4YXxJ21wPXU6NwRsc9l9wtqBMLSDeKWSuitEdiwOFL7XZD1R0kSkax1FLohF1A-SFEYNMUT94TR5Tx1HwXWVo/s400/pastedGraphic_6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Chemistry Lab</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Wet Lab</span></strong><br /><br />The Wet Lab contains an array of safety and laboratory equipment including life preservers, hard hats, steel toe boots and rain pants, as well as computers, work benches, a fume hood and a sink and eye wash. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As educators, we spent much of our time in the Wet Lab working on reports, participating in lessons and listening to presentations by professors from local universities who came aboard the ship while we were in port.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjAI9kx1V_CO0Rsmy4jLGhV8TRzAEzSZNisRcpy9PF5f8TbRbM_L5WVdNhcMNoL6VfOq5pZDQJn3RB1Q0ZO0XAyfZplVrc1BssC4vJwAfpwLScPihyiONbbPbqWvxne0tyRZlpsyT6po/s1600/PastedGraphic-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="468" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjAI9kx1V_CO0Rsmy4jLGhV8TRzAEzSZNisRcpy9PF5f8TbRbM_L5WVdNhcMNoL6VfOq5pZDQJn3RB1Q0ZO0XAyfZplVrc1BssC4vJwAfpwLScPihyiONbbPbqWvxne0tyRZlpsyT6po/s400/PastedGraphic-13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Educators working on the Shrinking Cup activity in the Wet Lab</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This area of the Wet Lab, also known as Dr. Glenn Warren’s<br />hang out, is where samples collected from the Rosette are<br />analyzed for various water quality parameters.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Hotel Deck</span></strong></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><em>Shhhh!</em> Quiet rules here. There are often people sleeping in their<br />dormitories at every time of day.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The ship’s passengers are divided among the sixteen cabins on board that come furnished with a bunk bed, desk, locker space and access to either a private or shared bathroom. Round-the-clock work schedules make it important to keep noise to a minimum at all times while on the hotel deck to respect individuals who may be sleeping when off-duty.<br /><br />I shared a cabin with two other women, and our cabin connected to another three-person cabin through a shared bathroom in between. Bunks were surprisingly comfortable and the purring of the engine provided great white noise for lulling us to sleep, although not everyone appreciated this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Galley</span></strong><br /><br />A full-time galley staff prepares meals each day. There are many delicious and healthy choices offered at every meal.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z1ryu9rBYqNLh41jYR6DSkrESr65N_h6JPFI4BA9sCdMG5JECcU87SDrEJW1uIR7Aq60BE6Chpmjo8moFgW-9Y0Wooes8Q5wREwJjYujQfZSnpL5eIq1jleZUI9VBqk-MvHp8EplgsE/s1600/PastedGraphic-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="468" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z1ryu9rBYqNLh41jYR6DSkrESr65N_h6JPFI4BA9sCdMG5JECcU87SDrEJW1uIR7Aq60BE6Chpmjo8moFgW-9Y0Wooes8Q5wREwJjYujQfZSnpL5eIq1jleZUI9VBqk-MvHp8EplgsE/s400/PastedGraphic-15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Everyone's favorite place on the ship! Officers, crew and scientific<br /> personnel all eat together at set meal times.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Workout Room</span></strong></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Looking down the steps to the Workout Room</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The Workout Room is accessible from the main deck, a place to unwind and get some exercise! Some crew members use their musical equipment here too.<br />
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<br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Lounge</span></strong><br /><br />A place for crew and scientists to relax when off-duty, furnished with a table and chairs, couches, a stereo, satellite TV and DVD player. <em>Don’t tell anyone, but there are also lots of treats and chocolates in the cupboards.</em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mO5g6GzthZGxvuusOUG29O3WUxvc3TmcV0MoPakMa_jJovUJvHMSFp4tA52jAvSdE0hwB88-bdyE2DrxAd-7ZJ1r5m8BrOK3XxGE9E0GkUo0LE_F-4jX0tgDLBbZjUU1fC6-kJ9dTF0/s1600/pastedGraphic_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="666" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mO5g6GzthZGxvuusOUG29O3WUxvc3TmcV0MoPakMa_jJovUJvHMSFp4tA52jAvSdE0hwB88-bdyE2DrxAd-7ZJ1r5m8BrOK3XxGE9E0GkUo0LE_F-4jX0tgDLBbZjUU1fC6-kJ9dTF0/s400/pastedGraphic_9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Everyone must be working!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spending a week aboard the Lake Guardian was an unforgettable experience. We pulled sediment from over 300 meters down in one of the deepest sites in Lake Superior, we hypothesized how much our Styrofoam cups would shrink when submerged at depth with the Rosette, we survived a storm, our eyes got a workout counting zooplankton and most of the time we remembered to be quiet on the hotel deck.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjjG4708wvIOFNR2xisxB6B4xr1KN5FCvHTP_Nzv4xiaPeFwyr9kbj0ZycP1VbL_vxPnbI2p1FYItu2FSIQNvN806HDQEa-ZXnpcYMCLHg-0nEZOlsM1mQt38Ko6FkG8VCMLUZKEaC5w/s1600/pastedGraphic_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="659" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjjG4708wvIOFNR2xisxB6B4xr1KN5FCvHTP_Nzv4xiaPeFwyr9kbj0ZycP1VbL_vxPnbI2p1FYItu2FSIQNvN806HDQEa-ZXnpcYMCLHg-0nEZOlsM1mQt38Ko6FkG8VCMLUZKEaC5w/s400/pastedGraphic_10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The computer in the Wet Lab tracking the Guardian's course<br /> shows the ship in the vicinity of the Apostle Islands.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDdavMiUOOnpSNp8YERAA2kwT5keAGnKH9iypYO8IZlbwvlWzlyZwVBehUXcwAYyCYUDetX08TLF_RTC9RB_5U7WL5CMAbZyhAxn3mzq5qfEq3lrb4kUh2J16de5knFJ2p7sHfmlbFfU/s1600/pastedGraphic_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDdavMiUOOnpSNp8YERAA2kwT5keAGnKH9iypYO8IZlbwvlWzlyZwVBehUXcwAYyCYUDetX08TLF_RTC9RB_5U7WL5CMAbZyhAxn3mzq5qfEq3lrb4kUh2J16de5knFJ2p7sHfmlbFfU/s400/pastedGraphic_11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We were treated to a beautiful sunset over Madeline Island.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The research was fascinating, the food was delicious, the crew, scientists and educators were wonderful and Lake Superior was beautiful. Kudos to the Center for Great Lake Literacy and their partners for creating such an outstanding program!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglI0_GPYTjCF-C5xSacbGPKT4SJVAJbJRhGHmlBh2oFriZnSvT551fdpzsAGyGgvTD1PQqCSt7ADH12YDkCVnEFfLjguq7ULKSiD_tlbW0PiZ9IWVsst4LJU0btAOBOuOj5B6WIX7p-nI/s1600/PastedGraphic-16.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglI0_GPYTjCF-C5xSacbGPKT4SJVAJbJRhGHmlBh2oFriZnSvT551fdpzsAGyGgvTD1PQqCSt7ADH12YDkCVnEFfLjguq7ULKSiD_tlbW0PiZ9IWVsst4LJU0btAOBOuOj5B6WIX7p-nI/s320/PastedGraphic-16.png" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Captain John is a seasoned and capable pilot, as well as a very likable and amiable guy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">THANK YOU, Captain John!</span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-81468900095540591402017-06-14T07:00:00.000-07:002017-08-17T07:04:35.260-07:00WaterFest 2017 <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3B1eMScWpWNrdZYqU13bH356v8sd60IkXhopiikeYYTa3iUBXQDeQV1ZP4MHAsVwJm2gkSq4Q2gA_0tB5vG2qkFBqU05Zkbsbc6q-d-QxAAz7Qcp8uZ6RcPeGM8g7eSEBmopokbN-Ck/s1600/2017_06_03_WaterFest17_cm-%252826%2529.jpg_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1600" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3B1eMScWpWNrdZYqU13bH356v8sd60IkXhopiikeYYTa3iUBXQDeQV1ZP4MHAsVwJm2gkSq4Q2gA_0tB5vG2qkFBqU05Zkbsbc6q-d-QxAAz7Qcp8uZ6RcPeGM8g7eSEBmopokbN-Ck/s640/2017_06_03_WaterFest17_cm-%252826%2529.jpg_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Wilderness Voyager canoes travel between the Phalen Channel and Phalen Lake</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Carrie Magnuson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WaterFest 2017, held on June 3rd at Lake Phalen in St. Paul, was a busy, fun-filled event with well over 2,000 attendees. The temperature reached 88 degrees and the sun was shining. It was a perfect day for this year's festival.<br /><br /> Thank you to all our wonderful partners, exhibitors, volunteers, sponsors and you who attended - the people who love to "Make Waves!" And a big round of applause for our WaterFest consultant who helps make it all happen - Debbie Meister! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /> <strong>The photos below provide a great overview of the event.</strong> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Farnsworth Aerospace Marching Band</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXF8vy9X1qpsuFCu_GZrx4QMArFWXgQIxTo1r64ze9hN5akMlVLXgeOVe9iHFG8pzatiR03-9-8o3Kxs_5MS1wdmRl1Rynl3Gv6e_ANYGiVCd_o0lkHwNbKaEWyRjxxkHQ6X_F5-ABK1g/s1600/2017WF_Bato_133_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXF8vy9X1qpsuFCu_GZrx4QMArFWXgQIxTo1r64ze9hN5akMlVLXgeOVe9iHFG8pzatiR03-9-8o3Kxs_5MS1wdmRl1Rynl3Gv6e_ANYGiVCd_o0lkHwNbKaEWyRjxxkHQ6X_F5-ABK1g/s640/2017WF_Bato_133_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Breck School Bato Bato! Marimba Ensemble perform in the amphitheater.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This band was a great hit!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">CHAT - The Center for Hmong Arts and Talent - helped coordinate performances.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Senator Foung Hawj provided the welcome and introduced the Farnsworth Band.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Hmong traditional dancers performed in their beautiful costumes.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Catch-a-Critter in a net was organized by Harriet Alexander Nature Center.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Our neighbors, Children's Discovery Academy of Early Learning, were planting bean seeds.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqn5iddK0rUGNUuW6LOGIV1yrAMo-KsS6JP8xiewsDFTbxlZ4vqQdwuq8zqVcJ_qWmF0ybY9qIEo6B_5UOP5umWewcSmHD-HE5CD4PvfHw-r5L4EIflCxIZtWtqay2lcOkaAU1jM4kRg/s1600/2017WF_Drgonflies_118_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqn5iddK0rUGNUuW6LOGIV1yrAMo-KsS6JP8xiewsDFTbxlZ4vqQdwuq8zqVcJ_qWmF0ybY9qIEo6B_5UOP5umWewcSmHD-HE5CD4PvfHw-r5L4EIflCxIZtWtqay2lcOkaAU1jM4kRg/s640/2017WF_Drgonflies_118_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Minnesota Dragonfly Society talked with over 400 people.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdkS7bQM68uXrfu3XoY-4ksDBVBOB2DyGKHKNO303OHaqzCWl35IQo1aEFdWVnpf2HxulbeoBV5DvIM0Tdos1-78C9xQSaCQMpaJ48vW6rVNjBUB5CF2_SDJw-dTVGoTjLYYNoI22KIY/s1600/2017WF_FamiliesOutdoors_072_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdkS7bQM68uXrfu3XoY-4ksDBVBOB2DyGKHKNO303OHaqzCWl35IQo1aEFdWVnpf2HxulbeoBV5DvIM0Tdos1-78C9xQSaCQMpaJ48vW6rVNjBUB5CF2_SDJw-dTVGoTjLYYNoI22KIY/s640/2017WF_FamiliesOutdoors_072_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Families Outdoors, a service of the Jeffers Foundation, encouraged families to un-plug for a day.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj981wWnYoM2fdMF3-8pfZfF1BtTTrqhMd1VqWpOrpLIshYyYpj7I9nbrmVz3MaJ8AJ0W-NnmPEohMpRzc9etoLlD8embwzGVJh0aUf8Ju7_bs5vdkgyWUgJvcqs7uUU8qJeSkCUbGxXik/s1600/2017WF_Fishing_157_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="1600" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj981wWnYoM2fdMF3-8pfZfF1BtTTrqhMd1VqWpOrpLIshYyYpj7I9nbrmVz3MaJ8AJ0W-NnmPEohMpRzc9etoLlD8embwzGVJh0aUf8Ju7_bs5vdkgyWUgJvcqs7uUU8qJeSkCUbGxXik/s640/2017WF_Fishing_157_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We had multiple opportunities for fishing provided by Tips Outdoors and Joe's Sporting Goods.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">It's never too early to learn the finer points of fishing.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzbFTcBq05i4uP7bEnl9cckxbpSaXNpS9e_vbLreZ_UNdVn9dtmLyMHkNvlxOyi8D8s7s8i-0BVfSPD9l67p9TpuUNTT95O7Ew7Q5-WznbafCyghEQ6TA3dLJCo6J2aKsjvmBeUtmsK0/s1600/2017WF_Tips_155_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzbFTcBq05i4uP7bEnl9cckxbpSaXNpS9e_vbLreZ_UNdVn9dtmLyMHkNvlxOyi8D8s7s8i-0BVfSPD9l67p9TpuUNTT95O7Ew7Q5-WznbafCyghEQ6TA3dLJCo6J2aKsjvmBeUtmsK0/s640/2017WF_Tips_155_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The pier provided a great place to offer tips for fishing.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Kids signing in to get their wristbands for Voyager canoes</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Frogtown Green "Don't Feed the Algae" display</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Great River Greening provided information on volunteering with their organization.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwE8KnPT2yS6nK3hy60lG4m7SFzG-MUDYlyS5Hb2YWWpQS3N8deSlWWu694kPVB_KqwfPCA1zXevdSQECEY3KpPEgtUbkQJQH1wkh4XIaX75A7TmhpdjF9-0mnh5IuTInRjj1PU9GZE4/s1600/2017WF_JCastle_080_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwE8KnPT2yS6nK3hy60lG4m7SFzG-MUDYlyS5Hb2YWWpQS3N8deSlWWu694kPVB_KqwfPCA1zXevdSQECEY3KpPEgtUbkQJQH1wkh4XIaX75A7TmhpdjF9-0mnh5IuTInRjj1PU9GZE4/s640/2017WF_JCastle_080_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">St. Paul Parks and Rec is a key partner in WaterFest.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03zqmGs89nnQRrjW7vzeIHbvUXb02fs0xljxGedCVIkh1bW7IVMTRvMRB67BvlvR-OJSnkcD6KLJzetQDrrGR0zPmrfV8bHPcIjPjxwa-5T_ey2ExHO30tYpTaGN9W8Wq0vj2AyF1M6Y/s1600/2017WF_JCastle_079_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03zqmGs89nnQRrjW7vzeIHbvUXb02fs0xljxGedCVIkh1bW7IVMTRvMRB67BvlvR-OJSnkcD6KLJzetQDrrGR0zPmrfV8bHPcIjPjxwa-5T_ey2ExHO30tYpTaGN9W8Wq0vj2AyF1M6Y/s640/2017WF_JCastle_079_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The jump castle is a big hit!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Wilderness Inquiry provides paddling equipment and instruction for all ages.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">"I hope somebody's balancing this thing!"</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLhgdx34dM6akunghJt-nuLrIbO5upNsRFWtp3aWdpVzLFQhDZpBL5zMXjg-kieKtRgta4PHM6P1ST1KmXEn37iyNiJmgoSI4S9Tm4_1HC1zqTm4Wm19zEqvVjLNmUZvdiE4klnO-zPs/s1600/2017WF_MNArmy_114_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLhgdx34dM6akunghJt-nuLrIbO5upNsRFWtp3aWdpVzLFQhDZpBL5zMXjg-kieKtRgta4PHM6P1ST1KmXEn37iyNiJmgoSI4S9Tm4_1HC1zqTm4Wm19zEqvVjLNmUZvdiE4klnO-zPs/s640/2017WF_MNArmy_114_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The MN Army National Guard provides a challenge with the climbing wall.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The kayaks and support at the boating dock were provided by St. Paul Parks and Rec and Twin Cities Paddle Sports.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">It was a great day to be on the water!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Putt Putt Golf provides a fun challenge and information about keeping our water clean.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The St. Paul Public Library set up a StoryWalk leading up to the entrance of the pavilion.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The St. Paul Public Library Bookmobile provided an opportunity to check out books.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Capital Region Watershed District provided several displays that helped teach about water pollution and ways to prevent it.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaomQIHSGvrbkrR2b0F4VeTmiU5k7y5v65g89ztgwczeNvIFacISUclpVb5ZeGAS5Gyv-9whF053N_t8NlBgQbDMlR87nSQqECO6Ah6VM5UqwVx6NzJw9m1m5QXniMc9bAq6EHHXSJ68/s1600/2017WF_FlySwat_034_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaomQIHSGvrbkrR2b0F4VeTmiU5k7y5v65g89ztgwczeNvIFacISUclpVb5ZeGAS5Gyv-9whF053N_t8NlBgQbDMlR87nSQqECO6Ah6VM5UqwVx6NzJw9m1m5QXniMc9bAq6EHHXSJ68/s640/2017WF_FlySwat_034_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Sherry Brooks<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="background-color: white;">and Gene Christenson talk about pollinators.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The 3M Clown Club came to provide fun and animal balloons for the children.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYicBkB4UglHDWWEjx4RGDBf6F6AtyMO961k-5pTJOUYCM1z2G25xT5McO-s5ciadV9gV3F7zAbgtLLJm5bUeX-iyw-J8GgpSpPD2pfWVUyDKYSOQMcCJv1IMInSYt-fq6bjBiE0TgRFg/s1600/2017WF_TamarackNC_042_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYicBkB4UglHDWWEjx4RGDBf6F6AtyMO961k-5pTJOUYCM1z2G25xT5McO-s5ciadV9gV3F7zAbgtLLJm5bUeX-iyw-J8GgpSpPD2pfWVUyDKYSOQMcCJv1IMInSYt-fq6bjBiE0TgRFg/s640/2017WF_TamarackNC_042_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Dana Boyle brought attention to Tamarack Nature Preserve while painting a portrait of a marsh cinquefoil.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVKL2INKcoakU1e24-S2NU9rImDzUIPi0wqW_cV9hrShOnYdDWoBJT3VX_fFwL15Cq6hoPjadm5UYiECFShN0ttV8BDXBIeBtbzQOzcPn5vTpjOuHz8mAZLD1JkMfA94MrxiGyz7K9wQ/s1600/2017WF_Herp_Society_049_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="1600" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVKL2INKcoakU1e24-S2NU9rImDzUIPi0wqW_cV9hrShOnYdDWoBJT3VX_fFwL15Cq6hoPjadm5UYiECFShN0ttV8BDXBIeBtbzQOzcPn5vTpjOuHz8mAZLD1JkMfA94MrxiGyz7K9wQ/s640/2017WF_Herp_Society_049_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Minnesota Herpetological Society exhibit always provides excitement.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">"Want to pet the iguana?"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jenn Radke, Tina Carstens and Mark Gernes show off their new WaterFest T-shirts.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Ramsey County Master Gardeners provide advice on gardening and seed packets.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4uLB11CRyxobfOxCpeRNowEaIELTrkAAlF36sT8inExFKYyLuQKBax-lHxbko7G5au2qP3-s5u4R_76N8GRiBJwrWYTfA9PbAhUFfsAor0WMc4wjQTlqfPII-T7gXc65BMCNa8h5rgQ/s1600/2017_06_03_WaterFest17_cm-%25283%2529_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="1600" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4uLB11CRyxobfOxCpeRNowEaIELTrkAAlF36sT8inExFKYyLuQKBax-lHxbko7G5au2qP3-s5u4R_76N8GRiBJwrWYTfA9PbAhUFfsAor0WMc4wjQTlqfPII-T7gXc65BMCNa8h5rgQ/s640/2017_06_03_WaterFest17_cm-%25283%2529_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Which water did you like best at the Water Bar?</span><br />
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Photo Credit: Carrie Magnuson</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Maplewood Nature Center</span> brought toads and salamanders.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Ramsey County Parks and Rec shared nature neighbors.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Anna Beining, RWMWD Intern, at the natural resources display.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Senator Foung Hawj checks out one of the reptiles.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Which kind of surface creates the least runoff?<br />The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service provided the answers.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Thanks to the parking lot attendants led by Terry Noonan and Joe Fox for their good work.<br />(Terry Noonan pictured above on left.)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong><em>We're looking forward to WaterFest 2018. We hope to see you there!</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>**All photo credits to Anita Jader except where noted</em>.</span></div>
Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-70717131972926887112017-06-14T05:36:00.000-07:002017-06-14T05:42:32.829-07:00Keller Creek - A Channel for Restoring, Learning and Recreation<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Sage Passi</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Mounds Park Academy biology students kick off this year's planting season at Keller Creek.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Keller Creek is a passageway that has long been a thoroughfare for people traveling up and down the Phalen Chain of Lakes. Planting along Keller Creek is an annual affair as we restore this corridor. This spring, the relatively cool weather and frequent rains helped to make the buffer planting a success. Amazingly, not a single restoration session had to be cancelled despite the imminent rain forecast on many of our scheduled planting days!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Chris Klatt, Natural Resources Intern, Tracy Leavenworth, education consultant, and Don Vegoe, Ramsey County Master Gardener, assist Mounds Park Academy students in restoring native plants along the Keller Creek buffer.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now in its third year, this latest phase of the restoration creek buffer project encompasses an area along the east side of the creek between the north parking lot at Lake Phalen near the boat launch and just south of the Frost Avenue Bridge. To prepare the area, invasive trees and shrubs were removed. The turf grass along the edge of the path next to the creek was killed and a seed mix planted beneath the erosion blanket fabric that covers the planting area.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zJNx0WbynGwJJT9OaFx3E6Mxt8csvLu4QrtHemz5J25KAWe1IKS0ZKA2fSGH6eG7LzO7DTHmlKr5N6K67WyibdWEosYoN0TzmrsHR44as0I86t4BMJERvs13MI5J36fcUe_b1cf1Hvc/s1600/Seeding+the+Site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="750" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zJNx0WbynGwJJT9OaFx3E6Mxt8csvLu4QrtHemz5J25KAWe1IKS0ZKA2fSGH6eG7LzO7DTHmlKr5N6K67WyibdWEosYoN0TzmrsHR44as0I86t4BMJERvs13MI5J36fcUe_b1cf1Hvc/s640/Seeding+the+Site.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">To prepare the site, discs on the seeder cut slits in the dead turf and seed<br /> was then dropped onto the soil. A heavy roller helped to close the slits and increase the seed-soil contact.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> In mid-to-late May, over 375 students in fourteen classes from Mounds Park Academy, L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion, Weaver Elementary, Level Up Academy, Harmony Learning Center and Roseville Area Middle School gathered at the site to install 3,500 native plant plugs with the help of Natural Resources staff, Simba, interns Chris, Matt and Anna, education staff, Sage and Tracy, and Ramsey County Master Gardeners. These native plantings are now in the ground and thriving. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A student in Harmony Learning Center’s Adult ESL<br /> class plants at Keller Creek.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Liddy Rich, ESL teacher at Harmony School, helps her students learn new<br /> vocabulary words while they are oriented about the planting. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the coming weeks, Natural Resources staff and Ramsey County Corrections inmate crews will install plants on steeper slopes and in the water in areas that were too hard for students to navigate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prior to coming out to the creek, classes studied the history of changes along the creek, learned about the planting zones (the upland prairie, wet meadow and emergent zones) and the ecological value of buffers and their role in preventing erosion. To review some of the creek’s many changes over time, go to <a href="http://therippleeffectmn.blogspot.com/search?q=+Keller+Creek">this link</a>. <br /><br />Since the restoration project began three years ago, park patrons that walk by the restoration area often share positive comments and express appreciation for the work that is taking place in the park. Kayakers, canoeists and even paddle boats glide by on the creek, taking in the beauty of the area. A bicycle and walking path along the creek often carries people who are traveling between Phalen Lake and Keller Lake or others who are making connections to the Gateway Trail. At the weir or other bridges over the creek, you will often find people fishing. One sunny morning during the restoration project, a student spied a sturgeon lingering by the weir’s wall. When asked what he has been catching, a nearby fisherman reported that he often sees blue gills and big mouth bass in the creek. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The weir in Keller Creek</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On most of the planting days, time was built into the schedule for students to explore the aquatic life in the creek. They collected samples of water and found abundant damselfly nymphs, an occasional dragonfly nymph, a variety of beetles, aquatic worms and other macroinvertebrates. Beneath the weir and other bridges you can see vibrant colonies of eel grass waving in the shallow flow of the stream. This vegetation provides habitat for some of this aquatic life. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Anthony Larkin, a Level Up Academy teacher, climbs down along the weir to point out a turtle to his students.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After planting, many of the classes tried out some newly learned techniques for monitoring water in the creek. They collected water and then carried it onto the weir to measure the creek’s pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and transparency. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jodie Hardenbrook, a science teacher at Roseville Area Middle School,<br /> looks on as her students pour creek water into a transparency tube<br />to measure its clarity.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Except for the first day of the planting when the turbidity of the water was somewhat murky after a rain, the water was remarkably clear. Dissolved oxygen levels were in the 8-9 ppm range and the pH measured around 8.6.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNo3iW-WCWZ4f0bYuuP0OpBUAYxB78lbd_tr8OBhGpp3bknlO7sAyfSjcBl3siQs3ePyNhpctQ7eRcGCOgg8a-4ekJ1HbPVPNEYwaLXRJXNq4auHQ9N21sDhjEE8zfUI_74ybOxgXRKF4/s1600/S-_Ripple-Effect_2017-Monthly-Editions_06-June_Keller-Creek_DSC_0885_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNo3iW-WCWZ4f0bYuuP0OpBUAYxB78lbd_tr8OBhGpp3bknlO7sAyfSjcBl3siQs3ePyNhpctQ7eRcGCOgg8a-4ekJ1HbPVPNEYwaLXRJXNq4auHQ9N21sDhjEE8zfUI_74ybOxgXRKF4/s400/S-_Ripple-Effect_2017-Monthly-Editions_06-June_Keller-Creek_DSC_0885_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A Harmony ESL student carries water up from Keller Creek<br /> to test it for dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The portages near the
weir make it handy<br /> to get down to the water’s edge.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>How to Get to the Restoration Area</strong><br /><br /><strong>Starting from the South:</strong><br /><br />To give you a feel for the restoration’s progression, take a stroll along the creek from bottom to top or the reverse. It is really easy to access. One option is to park in the lot on the north end of Lake Phalen. Take the walking path to the north along the creek. The straw erosion control blanket delineates the restoration. If you look closely, you will see thousands of young native plants popping through the blanket. On your way you will pass by a monument near the Frost Avenue Bridge that provides pictures and history of the area.<br /><br /><strong>Starting from the North:</strong><br /><br />You can also access the full length of the creek restoration from the north, starting with the first stretch of the restoration completed two years ago. Enter Keller Creek Regional Park through the Golfview Picnic Area entrance. This entrance is just north of Roselawn Avenue (south of County Road B in Maplewood). You need to be traveling north on Highway 61 in Maplewood to get to this entrance. Take the road in the park to the top of the hill, park in the lot at the top and walk down the newly paved pervious asphalt trail to the bottom. On your left you will see the newly dedicated Tuj Lub courts adjacent to the creek. Tuj Lub is a traditional Hmong top spinning game. These courts officially opened on June 10 with a grand opening celebration.<br /><br /> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Senator Foung Hawj presents spinning tops to partners who helped make the Tuj Lub Courts possible. Partners include Ramsey County, the City of Maplewood and the Legacy Fund. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Proceed south along the east side of the creek to the weir where the restoration was done two years ago. If you cross over the weir and walk along an informal trail on the west side of the creek you can see the now thriving wet meadow areas planted by students and other volunteers in 2016. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The vibrant wet meadow was established last year on the west side of the creek. In the background you can see the Tuj Lub dedication celebration held at the new courts on June 10. </span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cross back to the east side of the creek and continue to walk along the creek. You will pass under several arched bridges and eventually arrive at the north parking lot of Lake Phalen. The creek opens up into Round Lake and then its waters flow through a channel into Lake Phalen and eventually south to the Mississippi River! <br /><br /> You can also paddle the creek and put in at a number of spots including any of the following lakes in the Phalen Chain of Lakes: Lake Phalen, Keller Lake or Lake Gervais. To download our WaterTrail map <a href="http://www.rwmwd.org/vertical/sites/%7BAB493DE7-F6CB-4A58-AFE0-56D80D38CD24%7D/uploads/Phalen_Chain_of_Lakes_Watertrail_Map.pdf">go here</a>.<br /><br /> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Kayaks are commonly seen along Keller Creek. If the water is deep enough they can pass right through under the weir, but when the water in the creek is shallow the stone portages make it easy to get around the weir and re-enter the water. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860243831617467645.post-37746988656921390192017-06-13T09:10:00.000-07:002017-06-14T14:39:46.386-07:00Roger Svendsen Champions Cigarette Litter Clean-Ups <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Sage Passi</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Roger Svendsen has been picking up cigarette butts around Lake Phalen for almost a decade. He brought his stash to Lake Phalen for Waterfest this year to call attention to the litter issue.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Roger Svendsen keeps a log count of every cigarette butt he’s picked up for the past nine years in the Phalen/Round Lake area. He has a regular beat and walks around these lakes each day. His love of Lake Phalen and the natural areas in the park are a strong driving force behind his commitment to keeping this park clean.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Roger Svendsen walks around Lake Phalen every day, no matter what season.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One late May morning this spring, while I was out at Keller Creek near Round Lake helping classes during our restoration efforts, I spied Roger coming down the paved path. I decided to seize the moment and take some time to accompany him on his route to get a closer look at what has become Roger’s passion for almost a decade. As we proceeded on our walk, I asked him how he first got started on this mission.<br /><br /> He told me that he was discussing litter problems in the park with some park staff years ago and asked them if they picked up cigarette butts during their rounds. “We’re paid by the hour,” they told me. “There isn’t enough time in the day or money to do it.” This was the prompt that drew him into taking on this issue with full gusto.<br /><br /> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I ran into Roger near Keller Creek while he was on his “beat”.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Roger searches for cigarette butts in a storm drain<br /> emptying near Round Lake</span><span style="font-family: "arial";">.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we walked along the path, Roger soon deviated from the sidewalk and headed down some brushy, overgrown trails to several stormwater outfalls and storm drains hidden back in the woods.<br /><br /> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Roger determined that this outfall empties run-off from nearby streets<br /> like Larpenteur Avenue into Round Lake and then into Lake Phalen.<br />It’s one of many regular stops along his beat.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />As Roger bent down with a stick to push a cigarette butt closer to him that was floating in the murky detritus near one of these drains, I realized that this was both a healthy obsession and a commitment with some physical demands.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UwXUlyAR1tqGaJ_uazUyCizyhBlJewOvSCwjG4FDLvLRpv0Ht4Tkd2Yy5G9f3uLVxBzhiqP4AvkuES4eSbf0bw03px1az59JhC2GiRIOB6iK19ROsZx2Ia1Dy2x-RI8adzxtI-sibQ8/s1600/DSC_0865_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UwXUlyAR1tqGaJ_uazUyCizyhBlJewOvSCwjG4FDLvLRpv0Ht4Tkd2Yy5G9f3uLVxBzhiqP4AvkuES4eSbf0bw03px1az59JhC2GiRIOB6iK19ROsZx2Ia1Dy2x-RI8adzxtI-sibQ8/s640/DSC_0865_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">No cigarette butt goes undetected!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“People have suggested that I get one of those trash grabbers so I don’t have to bend down to pick up the cigarettes, but I figured out that if I bend over to pick them up, I stay much more limber. “<br /><br /> At age 73, Roger has acquired a fair amount of notoriety for his role in cleaning up Lake Phalen. He’s been the subject of multiple local newspaper stories and videos. His take on his public image was summed up in this comment,<br /><br /> “My daughter once asked me, “How would you like being known as the daughter of the Cigarette Butt Guy?” I told her that I figure at my age, I don’t think it matters if I am crazy!”<br /><br />As we continued our stroll around the park, I could tell that this daily walk has multiple benefits for both Roger and the community. Walking around the lakes each day provides him with the opportunity to be immersed in the beauty of the natural world and keep fit. But it also allows him to stay connected to a life tied to helping people with chemical addictions. Roger tells me he worked in the field of chemical addiction for many years before he retired.<br /> <br />The puzzle pieces were starting to fit together.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Hp3pC9OU8tmLIuIEhibrC5_cRvt81HWYdCKJILyj2kq0fYogGxLrNr3jIJA0BudXagDCRNR4oAhTuSdmbNEmdUQOAI1e3n5rSn1y4UweSqlSNfFwhdxjGnrf32q2o7-TyPUH3OEzU9A/s1600/DSC_0872_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Hp3pC9OU8tmLIuIEhibrC5_cRvt81HWYdCKJILyj2kq0fYogGxLrNr3jIJA0BudXagDCRNR4oAhTuSdmbNEmdUQOAI1e3n5rSn1y4UweSqlSNfFwhdxjGnrf32q2o7-TyPUH3OEzU9A/s640/DSC_0872_s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Roger’s walks provide opportunities for him to experience both “Beauty and the Beast”. His bridge view in Phalen Park frames the “island” where Roger spends time each week looking for cigarette butt litter. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we got closer to the “island” in Phalen Park, Roger relayed a rather troubling fact that on more than one occasion he has picked up as many as 2,000-3,000 cigarette butts on the island in one visit. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVLKt7EBKqyXa0xlkbsV_ZkB5fRAGzUjHgXNZioQVamxs_rUrVjVcCnPuJTk-GgsBoimNthtai_dTmyAbI4M6M8C7kvCCkfIKI5QCLLyP8CxOEeOzZbaDC1bfGAEstfjvTJHjT1KpLM8/s1600/DSC_0848_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVLKt7EBKqyXa0xlkbsV_ZkB5fRAGzUjHgXNZioQVamxs_rUrVjVcCnPuJTk-GgsBoimNthtai_dTmyAbI4M6M8C7kvCCkfIKI5QCLLyP8CxOEeOzZbaDC1bfGAEstfjvTJHjT1KpLM8/s400/DSC_0848_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">He dedicates certain days to focus on parts of the park, including parking lots</span><span style="font-family: "times";">. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Hearing this has prompted me to contemplate some of the statistics and research I have been digging out about cigarette butt pollution since getting acquainted with Roger. Here are some facts I have learned;</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>The Scoop on Cigarette Butt Litter</strong><br />
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<li>5.6 trillion cigarettes are sold globally every year; 360 billion are sold annually in the United States.</li>
<li>Butt waste is toxic: Cigarette butts leach organic chemicals and heavy metals (including lead, chromium, and arsenic) into the water and the environment that are toxic to fresh and salt-water fish. </li>
<li>A 2009 study found that the chemicals in a single filtered cigarette butt have the ability to kill half the fish living in a 1-liter container of water. They are poisonous when ingested by children and other living organisms. </li>
<li>Whatever their direct health impact on or benefit to smokers, cigarette filters pose a serious litter and toxic waste disposal problem. Cellulose acetate is photodegradable but not bio-degradable. Although ultraviolet rays from the sun will eventually break the filter into smaller pieces under ideal environmental conditions, the source material never disappears; it essentially becomes diluted in water or soil.</li>
<li>In a review of litter cleanup project reports, the Keep America Beautiful campaign reported that cigarette butts comprise from 25 to 50 percent of all collected litter items from roadways and streets.</li>
<li>The overall littering rate for cigarette butts is 65%, and tobacco products comprise 38% of all U.S. roadway litter. </li>
<li>Cigarette butt littering is often associated with the physical environment (38%), i.e. for every additional ash receptacle, the littering rate for cigarette butts decreases by 9%. Cigarette butt littering is also attributable to individual motivations; for example, 77% of individuals in a survey stated they did not consider cigarette butts as litter.</li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Tallying the Cigarette Litter in Phalen Park</strong><br /> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe37ri9yNWH_jt6vBGf6QWhqWwAHZJGDMS_enBMX-Kdy2l18gQG28R3m2UakRa8-fEB1kNKgcTRqSOHBOVuxwoHW1KmMzBwJ14DfjCaExDgyRi_T2X9TuCP3wT5BOnPbWwmiW9FaGBvM/s1600/Roger-Svendsen_s+use.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe37ri9yNWH_jt6vBGf6QWhqWwAHZJGDMS_enBMX-Kdy2l18gQG28R3m2UakRa8-fEB1kNKgcTRqSOHBOVuxwoHW1KmMzBwJ14DfjCaExDgyRi_T2X9TuCP3wT5BOnPbWwmiW9FaGBvM/s400/Roger-Svendsen_s+use.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Roger Svendsen with his stash of cigarette butts at WaterFest 2017</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I decided to invite Roger to have a display at WaterFest this year about his stewardship efforts. He told me he stores the cigarette butts he has collected over the years along in boxes in his garage. When he showed up at WaterFest, he lugged the boxes he has accumulated full of cigarette butts up to the Pavilion and placed this shocking amount of litter at one of the entrances.<br /><br />As visitors walked by, they experienced a rude awakening with the potent aroma of tobacco. It made quite an impact. His tally revealed he has picked up 481,929 butts in nine years. He told me his goal is half a million butts which means he’s close to reaching his goal. That’s quite a remarkable achievement.<br /><br />We’d like to thank Roger for his awesome dedication to this cause! Imagine the impacts on our treasured lakes if he hadn’t taken on this mission!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><strong>References</strong><br />International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, ISSN 1660-4601<br /><a href="http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />Keep America Beautiful</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://www.kab.org/cigarette-litter-prevention/problem-and-facts"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">https://www.kab.org/cigarette-litter-prevention/problem-and-facts</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><br />Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Districthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793604597769136617noreply@blogger.com0