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NEWSLETTER / APRIL 2024
Rolling into Spring with Earth Day Cleanups, Native Plant Sales and Workshops
 Be sure to make some time to enjoy the beauty of spring — even the dandelions.
It’s Earth Day weekend, and the MWMO is here to help you celebrate! 🎉
Community cleanup events 🧹 are being held all over the Twin Cities metro area this Saturday. We’ve assembled a handy list of cleanup events in our watershed (see below). All supplies provided and no experience necessary. Just show up!
Now is also the time to start planning 🌱 Earth-friendly changes to your yard. Check out our updated list of upcoming plant sales, Blue Thumb workshops, and other spring yard care resources. You can find all this and more on our blog.
Read the Blog Post >
River of Ideas: Creating Sustainable Yards
 Episode 02 of River of Ideas is now live!
For our latest podcast episode, we sat down with Metro Blooms Design + Build Vice President Jennifer Ehlert to talk about designing sustainable urban landscapes.
Metro Blooms has been a pioneer of urban landscape designs that emphasize native plants and raingardens. In the podcast, we discuss the history of Metro Blooms and delve into some practical advice for residents who want their own sustainable yards.
Watch it now on YouTube or find the audio version wherever you listen to podcasts. And don't forget to subscribe!
Practical Yard Care Tips for Early Spring
 Dandelions and other flowering weeds can be important early-season food sources for pollinators.
April yard care is easy. In fact, you should mostly be doing nothing!
Here are four tips to help you navigate the early spring:
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Be patient. Hold off on any major planting activity until soil temperatures rise to 50 degrees. (Usually around the time that dandelions start to flower.)
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Wait on watering. Dormant, overwintering plants do not need supplemental watering. If you don’t see green sprouting up from the ground yet, don’t water.
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Go easy on the weeds. Flowering weeds like dandelions are often considered a nuisance, but they provide an important food source for pollinators early in the year. (There’s no need to let them spread, however, so pull them before they go to seed.)
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Get your hands dirty. Is your soil moist or dry a few inches down? If it’s wet, you probably don’t need to water. If it’s dry, new plantings might need supplemental watering.
Taking Stock of Our Lost Winter
 You might be wondering how Minnesota’s warmest, driest winter on record could impact our local ecosystems. If so, you’re not alone.
Here are four ways our increasingly mild winters are impacting the environment:
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The life cycles of native pollinators and their food sources might be out of sync if the long-term trend toward warmer winters and earlier springs continues. (Metro Blooms)
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Habitat restoration work requires adaptive strategies to work around a lack of snow and frozen ground. (Friends of the Mississippi River)
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A lack of ice on the Mississippi River disappointed scientists and fishermen but led to an early start for the commercial shipping season. (MinnPost)
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Some animal species might experience a temporary population boom, even as climate change threatens the survival of some of the state’s most iconic species. (Axios Twin Cities, MPR News)
The bottom line: Plants and animals that depend on temperature and daylight cues for their lifecycle events are experiencing a number of shifts. Scientists will need to closely observe the impacts and develop strategies to adapt.
Macroinvertebrates and Water Quality in the Kasota Ponds
 Macroinvertebrates (creatures like crayfish, mussels, insect larvae and worms) are an indicator of water quality, since healthier waterbodies can support larger populations and a wider variety of species.
In a new video, MWMO water quality monitoring staff highlight the types of macroinvertebrates found in the Kasota Ponds wetlands during a recent community cleanup event.
Watch the Video >
MWMO Weaving Water: Why Knot?
📅 Saturday, April 20 @ 10 a.m. – Noon
📍 Columbia Heights Library
Make a cotton macramé plant hanger and learn how to tie square, overhand and other knots with MWMO Artist-in-Residence Sarah Nassif. Learn about the chemistry of organic indigo and dip your creation in an indigo vat to dye it shades of blue.
Share your love for the Mississippi River at a fun and learning-filled workshop. All ages and abilities welcome! Registration required.
Register Here >
Habitat at Home: Using Native Plants to Improve Water and Habitat
📅 Thursday, May 16 @ 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
📍 Fridley Community Center
Learn about the importance of native plants in your yards, gardens, and community spaces in this MWMO workshop. Cost: $15
Register Here >
Photo of the Month
 A bald eagle soars over the Mississippi River, as seen from the Lowry Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis on April 8, 2024.
See more great MWMO photos on Flickr.
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