Over a decade ago Daniel Schultz listened to a talk given by Doug Tallamy, the author of the book Bringing Nature Home. It turned the way he saw the natural world upside-down. “It was such a shock to learn how little wildlife habitat is left in the United States,” states Daniel.Read More When a caterpillar […]

All winter long I dreamed of spring planting. I purchased countless seed packets with big plans to grow organic soybeans to make tempeh, tomatoes to can, blue corn for cornmeal, cabbage for sauerkraut, and dry beans to last our small family throughout the next cold season. I ordered 125 fruit and nut trees from the […]

The Greater Longfellow Community of Minneapolis has registered to become a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. To certify as a “Wildlife Habitat” four basic elements are required: food, water, cover, and a place to raise young. We need 150 individual yards to officially certify our community, as well as four schools, […]

January 16, 2023leslieBees, Insects Our gentle dog Ruby was diagnosed with malignant melanoma last year. She was diagnosed shortly after we rang in the supposedly post pandemic New Year with the resolution: “have more fun.”Read More

July 31, 2018leslieInvasive Species, Lawns, Native Plants, Organic, Pesticides, Pollinators, Ponds, Recycling, Soil, Trees, Vegetables, Waste, Water Forty-two ways to green your neighborhood: just plant a new tree Lee, sweep up the salt Walt, pick up your dog’s poo Lu, and set yourself free.Read More December 9, 2017lesliePonds, Water Did you know stormwater does not […]

Here are four things you may not know about America’s lawns. Who uses more pesticides? Farmers on their agricultural crops, or homeowners on their lawns? The answer? Homeowners. According to the non-profit, Beyond Pesticides, suburban lawns and gardens receive more pesticide applications per acre (3.2-9.8 lbs) than agriculture (2.7 lbs per acre on average). Next […]

The Butterfly Effect is published four times per year by Neighborhood Greening. In it, we spotlight our successes, examine small but impactful changes we can make to become better stewards of our local environment, tell our “green” stories, and show how environmental stewardship directly enriches our community, families, and lives. Sign up to be notified […]

Did you know that Minnesota is home to over 400 species of native bees? One native, the squash bee, has an especially symbiotic relationship with plants in the squash family. Your pesticide-free cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons, squash, and cantaloupe will be bigger and tastier if visited by this bee. Squash bees often mate, and males shelter […]

This harmless, stunning creature should be welcomed in your yard or garden. As a beneficial insect predator, the yellow garden spider will help keep flies, moths, beetles, wasps, and mosquitoes in check in your yard. This spider is most often observed in the month of September when it has grown to a noticeable size and […]

Did you know that unused medicines flushed down the toilet cannot be fully removed by our water treatment facilities? According to Scientific American (“External Medicine: Discarded Drugs May Contaminate 40 Million Americans’ Drinking Water”), “Millions of us are flushing unused medications down the toilet.…” According to the report, our sewage treatment plants and septic systems […]

November 14, 2017leslieWaste, Water You love your pooch but its waste is an environmental pollutant—so much so that the EPA has put it in the same category as herbicides and insecticides; oil, grease and toxic chemicals. Always bag it up and throw it in the trash (or flush it down the toilet if you have […]

Sun shining down upon the nearly five-foot wingspan of the great egret illuminates the pure white feathers of this bird. Because its stunning plumes were used as decoration in the hat making trade, the great egret was almost hunted to extinction in the late nineteenth century. The near extinction of this and other wading water […]

November 6, 2019leslieCommunity, Gardening, Native Plants “My little slice of heaven in the city provides big habitat for wildlife. A small, modest bungalow on a narrow, 40-foot wide lot in Minneapolis, not far from the only gorge along the mighty Mississippi.Read More

December 1, 2020leslieSoil, Trees “A tree’s most important means of staying connected to other trees is a ‘woodwide web’ of soil fungi that connects vegetation in an intimate network that allows the sharing of an enormous amount of information and goods.Read More