Join Washington County Master Gardeners to learn about planting for pollinators. This free workshop will explore simple yet practical steps you can take at home to support native bees and butterflies.
Celebrate Earth Day and join Minnesota Water Stewards for an evening of water-themed Trivia. Everyone is welcome so bring the whole family. Free to play. Prizes for top 3 teams and prize drawings in between rounds.
6:00 PM Come early to order food & drink.
6:30-8:30 PM Trivia
Have you been looking for ways to make a positive impact on the environment around you? Convert your turf lawn to a pollinator-friendly habitat? Or attract more birds to your property? The South Washington Watershed District provides grant funding to eligible individuals and organizations within the district for water stewardship planting. This program promotes water quality improvement by focusing on the reduction of phosphorus in stormwater runoff, reducing erosion and sedimentation, and preserving and restoring natural lands throughout the watershed.
Join Watershed Partners for Adopt-a-Drain Day at the Minnesota Twins baseball game!
The game will be held at Target Field in Minneapolis on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 at 1:10 PM with a pre-game parade around the field beforehand.
Have you been looking for ways to make a positive impact on the environment around you? Convert your turf lawn to a pollinator-friendly habitat? Or attract more birds to your property? The South Washington Watershed District provides grant funding to eligible individuals and organizations within the district for water stewardship planting. This program promotes water quality improvement by focusing on the reduction of phosphorus in stormwater runoff, reducing erosion and sedimentation, and preserving and restoring natural lands throughout the watershed.
Have you been looking for ways to make a positive impact on the environment around you? Convert your turf lawn to a pollinator-friendly habitat? Or attract more birds to your property? The South Washington Watershed District provides grant funding to eligible individuals and organizations within the district for water stewardship planting. This program promotes water quality improvement by focusing on the reduction of phosphorus in stormwater runoff, reducing erosion and sedimentation, and preserving and restoring natural lands throughout the watershed.
We all want beautiful yards, but summer irrigation can place a major strain on municipal water supplies and cost homeowners a lot of money.
During this presentation, Angie Hong will share strategies for building drought resiliency in your lawn and gardens. We’ll talk about simple changes, such as modifying your mowing and irrigation, as well as bolder conversions that replace traditional turf grass with low-mow and drought resistant fescues. Angie will also provide recommendations for deep-rooted native plants to include in your garden areas.
Whether your yard is large or small, the little changes you make can help to preserve Woodbury’s groundwater resources for future generations.
Join us aboard a Stillwater River Boat for our signature networking and education event for local leaders, including city councils, planning commissions, township boards, county commissioners, SWCD and watershed board members.
Register at www.tinyurl.com/2026WOW.
This year’s event will include a popular “conservation speed dating” activity with learning stations about harmful algal blooms, healthy aquatic plants, ash tree management, stream restoration, comp plans and codes, and wake boat model ordinances.
During our keynote presentations, speakers will also share updates about the Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy, the St. Croix TMDL, and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway boundary sign project.
What’s in your drinking water? To participate in this free water screening clinic, bring water from your home tap (minimum of one cup - 8oz) in a clean, hard plastic or glass container and include the location and date that you collected the sample. We will run a screen test on your water for nitrate and chloride. You can wait for your results or request them via email.
During the clinic, experts will also be on hand to discuss wellhead protection and groundwater concerns, including arsenic, bacteria, pesticides, and Perfluorinated Alkylated Substances (PFAS). Stop by anytime to pick up fact sheets and talk with clinic volunteers. This clinic is free and open to everyone, regardless of what city, county or state they live in.
Learn about the weeds that run amok through our backyards and natural areas! In this presentation, we will explore what makes a plant "invasive" as well as how to manage a weed based on its life cycle. Lastly, we showcase some of the newer and more problematic weeds that are becoming more common in this part of the state and explore options for managing them in our open spaces.
Join Freshwater and Washington Conservation District to learn about PFAS, aka. "forever chemicals." These chemicals are used in many everyday products from nonstick pans, to food packaging, and even clothing. They are now also in our environment and can cause harm to living organisms, natural systems, and human health.
During this info session for volunteers and community residents, Dr. Ali Ling, University of St. Thomas, will talk about these chemicals, their effects, and what we can do about them moving forward.
Have you been looking for ways to make a positive impact on the environment around you? Convert your turf lawn to a pollinator-friendly habitat? Or attract more birds to your property? The South Washington Watershed District provides grant funding to eligible individuals and organizations within the district for water stewardship planting. This program promotes water quality improvement by focusing on the reduction of phosphorus in stormwater runoff, reducing erosion and sedimentation, and preserving and restoring natural lands throughout the watershed.
Your yard can help to support songbirds, pollinators, and wildlife - AND look beautiful! March is the perfect time to begin planning gardening projects, but there are also some common mistakes that you should avoid. During this presentation, Angie Hong will talk about what to plant, how to get started, where to buy native plants in Minnesota, and where to find additional support for planting projects. Learn about native gardens, bee lawns, flowering trees and shrubs, and prairies, as well as spring gardening “dos and don’ts.”
Whether your yard is large or small, you can help to create pockets of habitat and protect Woodbury’s wetlands and lakes.
Washington Conservation District will be hosting an activity table with information about birds and habitat restoration. We’ll be sharing information and resources to help private landowners improve their wildlife habitat, as well as opportunities to engage in projects on local public lands. Youth and families can also sign-up to Adopt-a-Drain in their neighborhood or help with storm drain stenciling.
Note: This event is for youth and their families. Learn more and buy tickets at Ducks Unlimited.
Join us for a free professional training, with practical advice on maintaining beautiful lakeshores. Help your clients achieve the shoreline of their dreams, while also supporting fish, wildlife, and clean water.
Winter Salt Week - Webinar #6
Register at Salt Monitoring 101
Want to make a difference? Let’s talk practical ways to mobilize your community, collaborate with local leaders, and champion policies that support smarter winter maintenance.
Winter Salt Week - Webinar #5 (Conversation Table)
Register at Advocating for Change: Conversation table
Winter Salt Week - Webinar #4
Register at Engineering Solutions
Discover how innovative engineering can dramatically reduce the need for winter salt. This webinar will highlight design approaches—such as optimized grading, drainage, and material choices—that set the stage for safer, more efficient winter maintenance. We’ll also explore the growing role of smart sensors and connected infrastructure in tracking conditions in real time. Finally, learn how AI-driven storm management tools can support crews in making faster, more precise decisions that keep surfaces safe while minimizing salt use.
Winter Salt Week - Webinar #3
Register at Smart Salting Contracts
Knowing how to ask for best practices can be difficult. If you aren’t an industry professional, you likely feel out of your league when deciphering terms like deicing vs anti-icing, pre-treatment vs pre-wet. What chemical deicers should you ask for or steer away from? Learn the basics about industry best practices and valuable resources that are available to support you to get the services you need and reduce liability at your property.
Winter Salt Week - Webinar #1
Register at Salt Wise Stories
Hear directly from winter maintenance practitioners who have made the shift to smarter salting. In this webinar, they’ll share how they built the business case for change—reducing costs, improving efficiency, and protecting local waters. You’ll learn how they retooled their operations, from equipment upgrades to staff training, and what results they’ve seen on the ground. These leaders now pay it forward by educating peers, supporting contractors, and inspiring communities to adopt Salt Wise practices of their own.
Winter Salt Week - Webinar #1
Register at Freshwater Salinization: Causes, consequences and trends
Get the big-picture view of freshwater salinization and why it’s emerging as a critical water-quality challenge across the country. We’ll break down the major drivers, the ecological and infrastructure impacts, and the trends scientists are tracking in rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Then we’ll zoom in on a real-world case study from the Occoquan Reservoir, where researchers and managers are grappling with the complex mix of land use, weather patterns, and human behavior that fuels rising chloride levels. This case will illustrate both the challenges and the practical management strategies communities can use to protect their drinking water supplies.
Become a Water Steward! Build your skills with classes in water science, policy, and public engagement. Then, plug into watershed work in your community.
Learn about the program, class schedule, and how to apply in this quick 40-min info session.
Become a Water Steward! Build your skills with classes in water science, policy, and public engagement. Then, plug into watershed work in your community.
Learn about the program, class schedule, and how to apply in this quick 40-min info session.
For property managers & owners, sustainability, environmental & safety coordinators, and those who hire or supervise winter maintenance staff.
Using less salt reduces indoor and outdoor salt damage and related costs. You will be able to recognize sustainable practices amongst your maintenance crew, hear ideas for managing liability, discover possible improvement areas and more.
Become a Water Steward! Build your skills with classes in water science, policy, and public engagement. Then, plug into watershed work in your community.
Learn about the program, class schedule, and how to apply in this quick 40-min info session.
Become a Water Steward! Build your skills with classes in water science, policy, and public engagement. Then, plug into watershed work in your community.
Learn about the program, class schedule, and how to apply in this quick 40-min info session.
Participants will learn how to integrate science with practical winter maintenance and save money while minimizing impacts on the environment.
Learn about ways to safeguard your property from shoreline erosion. We'll talk about bioengineering strategies that combine vegetation and hard-armoring, as well as lessons-learned from previous bluffland projects along the St. Croix. This workshop will also connect you with resources and techniques to help you manage invasive species like buckthorn and improve wildlife habitat.
Whether you’re interested in planting prairies, teaching nature programs for local students, or planning watershed art events, there are numerous ways to volunteer in our area.
Join us on Tuesday, Nov. 4 (6-8pm) for a cozy bonfire and night hike outside the Nordic Center at Lake Elmo Park Reserve (1515 Keats Ave N).
This event is an opportunity to make friends, meet some of our local Water Steward volunteers, and learn about training and volunteer opportunities in 2026. And yes! There will be s’mores!
Become a Water Steward! Build your skills with classes in water science, policy, and public engagement. Then, plug into watershed work in your community.
Learn about the program, class schedule, and how to apply in this quick 40-min info session.
Become a Water Steward! Build your skills with classes in water science, policy, and public engagement. Then, plug into watershed work in your community.
Learn about the program, class schedule, and how to apply in this quick 40-min info session.
Do you own woods? Join Washington Conservation District forestry staff for a guided hike at Sunfish Lake Park to discuss strategies for managing your wooded areas with soil health, water quality, and support for native plants in mind. We’ll also talk about local options for funding and professional support for woodland management.
Presenting together, Kenneth "Kenny" Blumenfeld, Senior Climatologist at the Minnesota State Climate Office, and Jen Kader, Administrator of the Clean Water Council at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, will discuss climate science and change through the lens of facts and numbers, people and community, and how to create practical change.
Join us for a fun and immersive aquatic critter quest at Carver Lake Park. We’ll get our hands wet as we search for fish, frogs, snails, and aquatic insects and learn what these critters can teach us about the health of a lake or stream.
Help cut and remove invasive buckthorn from Burris Park in Marine on St. Croix and learn about the planned stream improvement projects for Mill Stream that aims to improve and reconnect aquatic habitat for trout and other wildlife.
Meet us at this fun, family-friendly event where we will be hosting a fishing-inspired game for kids. Other event activities include:
A giant sand castle
Touch a truck
Hay rides
Food & drinks
Community vendors
This annual event is co-sponsored by Brown’s Creek Watershed District and Sustainable Stillwater and features live raptors, environmental education stations, crafts, games, live music, and free ice cream. New this year, there will also be a bird costume contest for kids and adults.
Join Washington County Parks for a vibrant birding event at the park in partnership with Urban Bird Collective, celebrating the diversity of our patrons and pollinators. Explore the wonders of nature, learn about local bird species, and enjoy a day filled with community. Everyone is invited to join as we foster an inclusive space for all with emphasis on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
Vehicle Permits will be provided thanks to Statewide Health Improvement Partnership grant funding. No registration required.
Your yard can help to support songbirds, pollinators, wildlife - AND look beautiful. Grab a brew and join us on the banks of the Mississippi River to learn more!
This event is hosted by Friends of the Mississippi River, with Angie Hong (EMWREP water educator) as the guest speaker.
