January 23, 2021leslieBirds “It is increasingly difficult to find ‘grassland’ birds, such as meadowlarks, within metro areas. Empty fields are typically seen as opportunities for more urban development.Read More
October 30, 2018leslieCommunity, Gardening, Native Plants, Water “Six years ago I decided to do my part to help ensure the health of the small lake I live on. I removed all the roses, daylilies, hydrangeas, and the rest of the plants I had been managing with TLC for years. I had been reading about native […]
Living Next Door to the Avian Superhighway Those who live near rivers in our metro area are fortunate to live alongside one of the world’s most amazing bird migratory routes: The Mississippi Flyway. Every year, over 325 bird species migrate from their breeding grounds in Canada to their wintering grounds in the Gulf of Mexico,…Read […]
Pictures tell most of this story. Property owners in an east suburb carved out a section of their property and transformed it into a wildlife haven in just a year. Milkweed that had always grown on the property were supplemented with a variety of Minnesota native plants. The following season, the planting was bursting with […]
February 4, 2018leslieCommunity, Gardening Build an Aldo Leopold Bench While Aldo Leopold is best known for his writing, teaching, and work regarding his forward-thinking “land ethic,” back in the early part of the last century, he also designed a nifty little bench. His design is a reflection of simplicity, functionality, oneness with nature, and surprising […]
After World War II, suburbs sprang up across America. These new landscapes often included Chinese and European ornamental flowers, trees, and shrubs that were (and still are) available at local garden centers. Unfortunately, because these plants came from afar, they contributed very little to local foodwebs. The backbone of all foodwebs is native plants. Think…Read […]
January 3, 2018leslieBirds, Community, Waste As daylight transitions to nighttime “electric daylight,” the cosmos above never fully reveal themselves to most of us. According to the article, The End of Night, in the digital journal, aeon, “More than 60 per cent of the world, and fully 99 per cent of the U.S. and Europe, lives […]