On this page: Meeting schedule, Gallery, Crow-Hassan Park Reserve Tour, Keller Golf Course Native Garden Tour, Minnesota Wildflowers Garden Tour, Volunteer, Board Minutes
Monthly Meetings
Our meetings are free and open to the public.
We hold our meetings on the fourth Thursday of the month, except for the following:
No meeting in December.
During the summer months (June, July and August) we provide several tour opportunities, occurring on various days of the week. Tour descriptions and dates and times will be announced on this website as they become available.
Our meetings start with social time between 6:30 and 7 p.m. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. we have the educational portion of the meeting. We meet at Autumn Grove Park, 1365 Lydia Avenue West, Roseville, MN Map
Meeting Schedule
REGULAR MEETINGS
Spring Peeper Meadow
September 28
Spring Peeper Meadow Restoration
presented by Julia Bohnen
6:30 p.m – 8:30 p.m.
at Autumn Grove Park, Roseville map
Julia Bohnen will talk about the restoration of the Spring Peeper Meadow at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Originally a wetland, the meadow had been drained to be used as farm land. Once the drainage process was reversed, the seeds of 115 different kinds of native plants were introduced. The meadow is now teeming with a diversity of plant and animal life. The story of this project has a lot to teach about how to successfully complete a wetland restoration.
Julia Bohnen has about 25 years of restoration experience, both on the ground implementing and managing restoration efforts, as well as developing instructional resources and teaching about restoration and conducting research into past restoration efforts funded by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.
BEE GALLERY
photos by Karen Eckman
Crow-Hassan Park Reserve Native Prairie Tour
John Moriarty explains prairie life to the group.
Crow-Hassan Park Reserve in western Hennepin County contains about 1600 acres of prairie habitat. On Saturday, August 19, John Moriarty, Senior Manager of Wildlife, Three Rivers Park District, led 18 of us through the prairie. He explained that the park was originally part of the Big Woods. It was converted into farmland and was used to grow crops for generations. In the sixties the park district began converting it to prairie. Mr. Moriarty was clear that this beautiful area is the attempted replication of a prairie. One of the highlights of our visit was a large planting of liatris ligulistylis (meadow blazing star) covered in Monarch butterflies. Our Facebook page has more photos of our time there.
Keller Golf Course Native Garden Tour
Paul Diegnau and Simba Blood describing Keller Golf Course native landscaping, touring on golf carts, interpretive signage. (Photos by Carol Crowe & Eva Ekola)
What, you may ask, were 20 non-golfers doing zipping around Keller Golf Course on their golf carts Thursday evening?
We were participating in a guided tour led by Paul Diegnau, Golf Course Superintendent, and Simba Blood, Natural Resources Technician with the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD). Paul and Simba explained how the two organizations developed a partnership to landscape Keller Golf Course with native plants.
Since 1996 Paul has been working to reduce as much as possible the course’s impact on the environment, especially on the Phalen Chain of Lakes. In 2013 and 2014 the Watershed District and Ramsey County received grants to restore a total of 14 acres. It was our privilege to view these restorations in prairie, pond and wetland areas. We all agreed that Keller Golf Course and RWMWD have done a spectacular job.
For a more complete explanation and lots more photos, visit Keller Project.
Volunteer for one of our Service Projects
Roseville Library Children’s Reading Garden
2180 North Hamline Avenue, Roseville
Join us to help with the children’s reading garden. This outdoor area is framed by natural plantings and includes a rain garden as well as a natural prairie. The garden is used frequently by families with young children who enjoy the fenced in area to safely play outdoors while visiting the library.
Schedule (Rain or shine):
Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Bring gloves and hand tools if possible. Beginners and experts are welcome!
Project Leader:
Nicole Brinkman, 651-724-6032, nbrinkman@rclreads.org
For more information, download the flyer.
Island Lake Elementary Butterfly Garden
Island Lake Elementary School, 3555 Victoria Street N, Shoreview
Enjoy time with your kindred spirits while you help restore and maintain a 5-year-old patch of native prairie.
This 36′ x 36′ Eagle Scout project had suffered several years of neglect until Augusts 21st last year when our Wild Ones Chapter took it on.
Schedule (Rain or shine – except lightning):
Tuesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon
Come when you can. Leave when you need to. Bring water, gloves, and favorite weeding tool(s).
Project Leader:
Karen Eckman, home – 651-483-8460, cell – 651-260-8534, k.eckman@comcast.net.
For more information, download the flyer.
Como Woodland Outdoor Classroom
1199 Midway Pkwy, St. Paul
Our chapter has “adopted” a parcel in Como Woodland Outdoor Classroom (CWOC) – in the Oak Woodland section. We will tackle invasive species and nurture native plant communities in Como Park. We are doing this for the EcoSteward Work Days of the St. Paul Parks.
Schedule:
Saturdays, 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
May 27, June 10, June 24, July 8, July 22, August 5, August 19, September 9, September 23, October 14.
Tools are on site, but dress to work in the woods (pants + sox + close-toed shoes) and we suggest bringing gloves and water.
Project Leader:
Judi Petkau, 612-578-7385.
For more information, download the flyer.
If you have suggestions for other projects in the East Twin Cities Metro area please send your suggestions to bigriverbigwoods@gmail.com. Let us know if an evening gardening time would work better for you and which day and time. Everyone welcome
Minnesota Wildflowers Garden Tour
Peter giving the tour. (Photo by Carol Crowe)
Combine perfect weather and perfect hosts and you will have a sense of what the tour of Minnesota Wildflowers gardens was like Sunday afternoon. Peter Dziuk guided 40 Wild Ones members and guests through his and Katy Chayka’s extensive native gardens. It’s hard to believe that so much variety can be contained in one suburban lot. Peter and Katy travel the state searching its remotest corners to photograph rare native plants for their excellent web site, minnesotawildflowers.info. Sometimes they are able to obtain seed which they bring back home and plant in hopes that the specimen will thrive so it can be photographed for the web site. This was a very educational garden tour. Thanks to Peter and Katy for their generosity in sharing their time and knowledge with us.
Poke Milkweed (Photo by Carol Crowe)
Volunteers needed for the Green Team at the Arboretum in Roseville
2525 North Dale St., Roseville, MN, 55113
Join the team of volunteers who assure that the public gardens are picture perfect and continue to spark community pride. Help weed and maintain beautiful flower beds that make this free public access space. Join us weekly or as your schedule permits throughout the season. Join as an individual or bring your own team of friends, co-workers or family members. A gratifying way to spend some time outdoors with a FUN group of fellow flower fans.
BOARD MINUTES
The Big River Big Woods Board of Directors meets monthly, usually on the second Tuesday of the month. This year our Board’s officers are Eva Ekola, President; Liz Wendland, Vice President; Carol Crowe, Secretary; Leanne Phinney, Treasurer. Erica Tenbroek is our Projects Coordinator. Judi Petkau is our Merchandise Coordinator. Joe Crowe is our Webmaster. Look in this space for our most recent minutes.
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