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NEWSLETTER / SEPTEMBER 2023
Northeast Neighbors Rally to Restore Riverfront
 A group of Northeast Minneapolis neighbors have been working to restore native vegetation along a 1.5-acre section of riverfront near Sheridan Memorial Park.
The Sheridan Neighborhood Organization (SNO) and Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) partnered on a habitat restoration project along the Mississippi River just north of the Broadway Avenue Bridge. In a pair of events this month, volunteers removed invasive species and then planted native perennials at the site.
The MWMO supported the project with a Community Grant, part of our Stewardship Fund program. SNO and FMR plan to continue these efforts and develop and implement a Natural Resource Management Plan for the area, similar to a recent project at Nicollet Island.
Check out these inspiring photos of the volunteers in action! If you have an idea for a similar project in your community, learn more about our Stewardship Fund Grants.
Beyond Raking: Three Alternatives to Manage Fall Leaf Litter
 Raking and bagging leaves for yard waste pick-up is a time-honored fall tradition, but it’s not the only way to manage your leaf litter.
Here are three alternatives to raking that can provide extra benefits to your yard:
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Mulching. Mulching your leaves with a lawnmower gives your turfgrass a shot of much-needed nutrients while keeping the leaves out of stormdrains. This strategy works best if you start sooner rather than later. A good rule of thumb is to mulch when your lawn is less than 50 percent covered in leaves and to rake if it’s more than that.
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Piling/storing. Leaf litter provides important habitat for overwintering pollinators. If there’s a spot you can safely pile them where they won’t blow away, consider leaving them put until late spring. (Raingardens and garden beds can be perfect for this.)
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Composting. Finally, leaf litter provides excellent fuel for a backyard compost bin. Home composting of yard and food waste can provide a healthy, organic source of compost that can be used as a soil amendment or mulch. The Minnesota Composting Council offers a handy how-to video series and other resources to help you get started.
Our main goal is to keep leaf litter out of streets and stormdrains, where it becomes a source of excess nutrients that pollute the Mississippi River. However you choose to manage your leaves, don’t forget to clear your gutters and stormdrains this fall!
Dig deeper with our updated fall yard care guide (or just watch the short version on Instagram).
Bonus: Now is also a great time to adopt a stormdrain as well.
Asters and Goldenrods: Catch Them While You Can
 Fall is a great time to see some of the most spectacular native plant blooms to be found along the Mississippi River in our watershed: goldenrods and asters.
Goldenrods and asters are a part of the Asteraceae (or Daisy) family, which is second only to the Orchid family in terms of the number of known species. They’re also critical sources of habitat for a variety of pollinators.
These delightful native wildflowers are deceptively diverse and easy to find in natural areas along the Mississippi River. That includes the MWMO’s own backyard, where we host several varieties of species.
Learn about these fascinating plants on our blog and our Instagram Reel, and get out and see them yourself before they disappear for the season.
Upcoming Events
Smart Salting Training
 Earn your Smart Salting Certification by learning best practices for managing snow and ice. The MWMO sponsors several different types of smart salting professional training workshops with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
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Smart Salting for Parking Lots & Sidewalks — Tuesday, Oct. 10, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. (Register)
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Smart Salting for Property Managers — Tuesday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. (Register)
Additional training opportunities may be available through other organizations. Check the MPCA’s training calendar.
Minnesota Water Stewards — Info Sessions
 The MWMO will be hosting a new cohort of Minnesota Water Stewards in partnership with Freshwater!
Learn more about the program and what it takes to become a water steward at one of the upcoming information sessions hosted by Freshwater staff:
- Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, at 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, at 12 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, at 12 p.m.
Please register in advance.
Grant Application Deadlines
Photo of the Month
 MWMO Artist-in-Residence Sarah Nassif teaches visitors how to make a felted watershed map at the Longfellow River Gorge Festival on Sept. 11, 2023.
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