Environment

Since St. Anthony Park has come to know the Emerald Ash Borer more intimately than the rest of the state, you might be interested in joining the hundreds of citizens who already have stepped-up to help keep an eye out for new infestations of emerald ash borer and other destructive invasive pests. These volunteer "first detectors" form part of the state's early warning system for invasive tree pests, making it more likely that infestations will be found in early stages when they are easier to control. 

Celebrate your watershed this Earth Day by joining us at the annual Kasota Ponds Cleanup!  We'll kick off the day with treats and fun learning activities for the kids in the group at the our gathering place on Kasota Avenue, just West of Hwy 280.  After passing out bags and gloves, volunteers will have the option of cleaning up Kasota Ponds or, thanks to a grant from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, going into St.

Join Nick Jordan, presenter in the Eco Garden Walking Tour Backyard Talk in 2009, for a workshop on Small Plot Gardening 101.  He will highlight tips and tricks he's learned from gardening in his boulevard.  Email green@sapcc.org to RSVP- all are welcome, new and experienced gardeners alike!

Stay tuned for more event details to come!

I. Yearly events and projects

1. Organize volunteers for annual neighborhood cleanup in September
2. Organize volunteers for annual Kasota Ponds cleanup

II. Specific tasks for 2012

1. Continue to communicate on and advocate for Raymond Avenue Reconstruction
2. Initiate new Raymond / University Parking Task Force to mitigate issues related to Raymond Avenue Reconstruction
3. Research and implement fundraising for Hampden Park implementation project, including funding from various sources including CIB and CRWD
4. Educate the neighborhood about proper leaf disposal through signage and events
5. Create a vision for improved transit, cycling, and pedestrian connections within and through St. Anthony Park
6. Investigate a planning grant for the long term management and improvement of Kasota Ponds water quality 

III. General outreach/advocacy

Did you ever think about what happens to the thousands of tons of salt that is applied to roads, parking lots and sidewalks?  Most of it ends up in our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. As a result, clean water in the Twin Cities is in jeopardy. Watch this new video, Improved Winter Maintenance: Good Choices for Clean Water to learn about tools, techniques and products that you can use to keep your driveways and sidewalks safe AND protect our waters. To watch it, visit this link or go to YouTube.com and type in MWMOvideo . Two St. Anthony Park people are featured in the video - Dr.

Learn how you can help build a strong local food system in our community at the Midway Local Food Resource Hub Kick-Off on Wednesday, January 25 at 7:00pm at the Hamline Midway Library (1558 W. Minnehaha). Together with your neighbors, you can gain access to low-cost seeds and plants, gardening workshops, a tool-lending library, newly-established community gardens, and more to expand gardening and healthy food access in our community.

Come learn about local food opportunities in the neighborhood and join the discussion to build on these efforts. Light refreshments and children's activities will be provided.

Are you a resident of the Twin Cities metro area?  If you answered yes, please take a minute or two to answer the questions on a survey from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization about winter salt use (your answers anonymous).  Then, forward it to colleagues, students, friends and family in the Twin Cities so they can participate too!

The District 10 Como Community Council's Environment Committee is sponsoring an event on Sunday, February 19 at 2 p.m. at the North Dale Recreation Center. Heather Holm, horticulturist and author of the blog, "Restoring the Landscape with Native Plants," will speak on day-flying moths and butterflies and their native food plants. The talk is free and open to everyone.  You can find more information on the attached flyer.

Sherm Eagles presented the report to the St. Anthony Park Community Council Board in December:

History

The community gardens were started in 1981 and grew out of a neighborhood leaf composting project of the district council. The district council has always been the “responsible” organization for the community gardens, serving as fiscal agent and at first renting the land from the railroad. 

When the railroad said they were going to sell the land for the purpose of constructing a steel coil off-loading facility, the gardeners and district council responded by organizing a political effort to prevent the loss of the gardens and the construction of a disruptive use incompatible with the residential neighbors.  The gardens provide an attractive and “green” buffer between the residences and the transportation corridors of railroad tracks, Energy Park Drive and Highway 280. 

If you are bringing your leaves to the Ramsey County Yard Waste site, bring proof of residency, such as a driver's license, state-issued identification card or a utility bill with Ramsey County address. Accepted: trees, shrubs, leaves, grass clippings and non-woody plants. Closing November 30th. Site hours: Monday-11 am to 7 pm; Tuesday-CLOSED; Wednesday -11 am to 7 pm; Thursday-CLOSED; Friday-11 am to 7pm; Saturday-9 am to 5pm; Sunday-11 am to 5 pm

December – March (weather permitting) Frank & Sims, and Midway sites open the second full weekend of each month. All other sites are closed during this period. Saturday | 9 am – 5pm; Sunday | 11 am – 5 pm

The MPCA offers "What’s in My Neighborhood?" as an online tool for users to search for information about remediation projects and landfills around Minnesota, using a map or text-based search. Visitors can find information about air quality, hazardous waste, remediation, solid waste, tanks and leaks, and water quality. This increases the number of sites to nearly 150,000.

For each site or facility, viewers can find:
* Enforcement actions at the site
* MPCA contacts
* Site details: permits, projects, registrations, etc.
* Links to related information
* A list of alternative names and IDs

This information is made available so that you may understand your community and environment better. Visit the MPCA website for the search tool and more information.

Fall residential street sweeping is beginning on Halloween Monday.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is sponsoring a third National Pharmaceutical Drug Take-Back event at the State Fair fairgrounds. Last year, over 400 citizens dropped off unused or expired medications at the event. These nationwide events provide a unified opportunity for the public to surrender medications for destruction. This event brings national focus to the issue of pharmaceutical substance abuse, while providing a secure and environmentally-friendly outlet for disposal that will protect our water resources.

Saint Paul partners with Ramsey County to provide a place to dispose of leaves and other yard waste. More info here....

And while you're waiting for the leaves to fall, check out this lovely idea: The power of a leaf pile by Jun-Li Wang, St. Paul, MN:
 
I love raking in the fall.  Our street is flanked by fantastic maples that turn brilliant red and orange – children and adults come to collect them, admire them, and take photos.  As a child, I lived in Washington state for a few years and had fond memories of jumping into the big leaf mounds my mother had raked up, only to have

The registration site for the Twin Cities Urban Sustainability Forum, Nov. 2-3, is now open: http://register.cce.umn.edu/Course.pl?sect_key=185840.

The registration fee is $25 (student rate $10) and you can apply for AICP and PDH continuing education credits.

About the Forum
The Forum will highlight emerging outcomes of sustainability research and cutting edge trends in sustainability practice and policy. Presentations by leading national speakers will address:
- Connecting urban ecosystem science with social and economic sustainability
- Federal and state-level sustainability policy
- Overcoming disconnects between sustainability research and practice