Hello conservation friends!
Please help in promoting our new Adopt-a-Drain program; see if you’re interested in becoming a Master Water Steward; and share new resources to help you with maintenance of raingardens and native plantings. More info below.
Feel free to call or email Angie Hong (see below) with any questions. Enjoy the beautiful weather and thank you for being a conservation champion!
Adopt-a-Drain: www.adopt-a-drain.org
Sign up online to “adopt” a storm drain near your house & tell your friends and family to do it too! It’s one of the easiest things people can do to help protect lakes and rivers from stormwater pollution. Sweep up litter, sediment, leaves and debris near your storm drain 1-2 times per month and log-on to report your good deed. This program was developed by Watershed Partners with Hamline University and includes the whole seven-county metro area. We’ve got 4000+ adopters so far, but only 95 in Washington County. Let’s bump that number up!
Become a Master Water Steward: https://masterwaterstewards.org
We are looking for 10 more people to get trained as Master Water Stewards this year before our grant funding runs out. Master Water Stewards learn about water, science, and policy and then get engaged with volunteer projects to protect water in their communities. We’re teaming up with Freshwater to offer a streamlined “mini-training” this fall that combines online coursework with two in-person classes:
Mon., Sept. 16, 5:30-8:30pm; and
Sat., Oct. 5, 9am-3pm (both classes will be held at our office in Oakdale)
Though the program usually costs $2500 per person, we have a grant available for 10 Washington County residents to participate free-of-charge during 2019. Master Water Stewards is a great way to make new friends, learn new skills, and make a positive change in your community.
Maintenance support for raingardens and native plantings
Need help remembering what to do when? Download our new maintenance calendar to your google or outlook account to get monthly reminders for basic raingarden maintenance: http://www.mnwcd.org/maintenance-guide
Print and on-line resources:
Where to buy plants
Washington County Master Gardener Plant Sale: Sunday, May 19, 11am-3pm at Washington County Fairground
Landscape Revival Native Plant Expo & Market
Sat., June 1, 9am-1pm in Shoreview (3920 Victoria St. N)
Sat., June 8, 9am-1pm in Oakdale (1584 Hadley Ave N)
Native plant nurseries and landscapers – list and map
And, you can always request a site visit to get advice from us: www.mnwcd.org/site-visit-signup-form
Happy spring to you all -
Angie
Angie Hong Water Education Senior Specialist East Metro Water Resource Education Program Representing Brown’s Creek, Carnelian Marine - St. Croix, Comfort Lake - Forest Lake, Middle St. Croix, Ramsey -Washington Metro, Rice Creek, South Washington and Valley Branch Watersheds, Cottage Grove, Dellwood, Forest Lake, Grant, Lake Elmo, Hugo, Newport, Oak Park Heights, Oakdale, Stillwater, St. Paul Park, Willernie, West Lakeland, Woodbury, Washington County and the Washington Conservation District C/O: Washington Conservation District 455 Hayward Ave. Oakdale, MN 55128 angie.hong@mnwcd.org Phone: (651) 330-8220 x. 35 Fax: (651) 330-7747 www.mnwcd.org/emwrep
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