Environment Articles

Admit it. Rabbits are overtaking the neighborhoods. Cute? Yes. Destructive? Oh yes! Rabbits are here in unprecedented hordes.
 
In spite of their “cuteness,” wild rabbits can pose problems, some serious, for humans and pets, primarily through the transmission of diseases and parasites.

Purple creeping bellflower is an invasive plant from central and southern Europe, west Asia, and the Caucasus. It will easily take over a garden and choke out other plants.

The MnDNR says “Invasive species are species that are not native to Minnesota and cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” Wild parsnips are one of the latest “invasives” to show up in the region. The MnDNR says wild

Stefan (Stef) and Audrey Freeman lived on Eureka Road across the street from a large wooded lot in Shorewood. The house on that lot had burned down but there was an old faded red barn still standing on the property. Stefan wondered who owned the property and whether or not he could buy it.

Sometimes there are certain areas of the lawn that constantly cry for maintenance. Traditional bluegrass lawns demand food, water, temperate weather and are disease prone.
 
One local resident has researched alternatives and starting in the drought of 2023, is experimenting with perennial white mini-clover in a contained area.

Images of the Bradford pear tree (sometimes referred to as “Callery” pear) may appear in nursery catalogs cloaked in a solid sheath of white blossoms. Local nurseries sell them.
 
But buyer beware: Bradford pears may be a “wolf in sheep’s’ clothing.

By Barry Brown – Freeman Park Advocate
 
On June 11th your voice counts! People often ask: What are the plans for Freeman Park wooded areas and trails now that most of the buckthorn has been cleared from 20 acres of woodland? To be blunt, the City of Shorewood had no plan when they cleared the buckthorn except to utilize a $50,000 grant from the DNR that was about to expire, and still, has no workable plan today.

EPA Increases Enforcement Activities to Ensure Drinking Water Systems Address Cybersecurity Threats What is your city’s security plan? Source:  United States Environmental Protection Agency This Enforcement Alert provides community water systems (CWSs) with information on immediate steps they can take

This time of year, many of us are shopping for new plants for our gardens, planting our vegetable gardens, or cleaning out diseased trees or bushes. We are fortunate to have tremendous resources to support our beautiful gardens through the University of Minnesota.