Clean Water Blog

Firefly.org

http://www.firefly.org/why-are-fireflies-disappearing.html

Have you noticed fewer fireflies (lightening bugs) in recent years? These amazing winged beetles make summer nights special with their use of light (bioluminescence) with which they communicate and attract mates.

However, throughout the world, these insects seem to be disappearing - note the web site above as well as this article from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/30/AR2008083002097.html It’s unknown why, but it may have to do with loss of habitat through development, as well as light pollution.

The www.firefly.org web site provides a lot of interesting information about fireflies and their predicament, including tips for how to help, such as:

- Turn off outside lights at night

- Let logs and litter accumulate

- Create water features in your landscape

- Avoid use of pesticides

- Use natural fertilizers

- Don’t overmow your lawn

- Plant trees

- Introduce earthworms

- Talk to your neighbors

The Boston Museum of Science is carrying out a Firefly Watch project to help track observations by individuals throughout the country about fireflies. See https://www.mos.org/fireflywatch/ to learn more about and to participate in this “citizen science” effort, in which volunteers across the country are tracking firefly sightings throughout the season. Participants provide important documentation of the state of the firefly population and can help in recognizing trends.

More general background on fireflies can be found at the MN DNR’s summary profile of this insect at: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/julaug02/fireflies.html A local citizen scientist has started a discussion site on the topic of firefly population decline at the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Science Buzz site at which visitors can post comments: http://www.sciencebuzz.org/blog/where_have_all_the_fireflies_gone

For information on light pollution - which may have an impact on firefly populations - see this NextStep entry: http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us/res_detail.cfm?id=270 To learn more about how land use patterns can impact natural communities, check out some of the resources posted on the MN DNR’s web site: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/pubs_landuse.html (note particularly Natural Areas: Protecting A Vital Community Asset, A Sourcebook for Minnesota Local Governments and Citizens )

Healing low-oxygen aquatic “dead zones” is going to be harder than scientists originally thought. A Washington Post article reported that leading scientists are finding that the low oxygen levels that make it impossible for most organisms to survive also kill bacteria crucial to removing nitrogen from the water. Excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, feed massive algae blooms and are the main culprits.

There is a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico that is about the size of New Jersey. Fertilizer runoff from the Midwest into the Mississippi River is responsible. There are also dead zones in Chesapeake Bay, India, Japan, Australia, Brazil and Mexico. Daniel Conley, a professor at Sweden’s Lund University, noted that it would take up to 60,000 rail cars of liquid oxygen annually to re-oxygenate the Baltic Sea, which has a dead zone the size of Denmark.

“There’s no silver bullet,” Conley says.
We still need to greatly reduce nutrient runoff”.

For more information, go to the Washington Post website

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/21/AR2009092103109.html

The Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District will be hosting an open house in celebration of the SWCD’s 60th Anniversary and Earth Day on Thursday, April 22.

The open house will be held from 1 to 4 PM in the atrium of Marketplace Mall located at 110 2nd Street South, Waite Park. If you are not sure where this is, it is the same building as Pizza Ranch and formerly Outback Steak House.

Come visit with SWCD staff about natural resource concern and programs. SWCD works with rural and urban landowners on projects such as animal waste management, lakeshore landscaping, shoreline erosion control, lake management planning, rain gardens, rain barrels and wellhead protection.

All are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Emerald ash borer is an insect that destroys ash trees – and it has just arrived in Minnesota.

Emerald ash borer was found in a St. Paul neighborhood on May 14, 2009. The insect only kills ash trees, but it does so in great numbers. The borer has already killed millions of ash trees in North America. It is expected to have a huge effect on Minnesota’s landscape and the 937 million ash trees that grow in our cities and forests.

Much of its spread is due to humans transporting it as larvae burrowed under the bark of firewood or landscape trees.

This invasive species was accidentally brought to the United States from Asia in the 1990s. It was first discovered in Michigan in 2002. Since then it has been found in Ontario, Canada, and Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Missouri, Wisconsin, and now Minnesota.

A major culprit in spreading emerald ash borer and other insect pests is firewood. Many of the places where it was found are parks and campgrounds. People carried emerald ash borer with them when they brought firewood on a picnic or camping trip.

Don’t move firewood—Buy it where you burn it.

This information was taken from the DNR website. For more information please see http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/eab/index.html

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (4/7/2010) – What is a shoreland buffer? Why would I want to plant a buffer? How do I plant a buffer? These are common questions we hear from people whose homes and property adjoin water.

Tiffany Determan, watershed coordinator for Sherburne and Benton Soil and Water Conservation Districts, will address these and many more questions as well as show examples of shoreland buffers in a free seminar sponsored by the Benton County Master Gardeners. The seminar will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 26th at the Watab Township Hall in Rice. There is no need to pre-register for this event.

Additionally, Determan will describe and give an update on the shoreland buffer project around Little Rock Lake and the demonstration project at Benton Beach Park.

If you live on or near a lake or river and want to learn more about ways to keep excess nutrients from entering the water, keep geese off your lawn, preserve the natural beauty of the area, provide for privacy, and much more, plan to attend the free “Shoreland Buffers” seminar on Monday April 26th at 7:00 p.m. Watab Township Hall is located in Rice on the west side of Highway 10 on County Road 4 (old Pirate’s Cove Road).

For information regarding this event call:
Carl Hoffman (320) 255-6169; (800) 450-6171

Information provided by: Carl F. Hoffman, Extension Horticulturist
University of Minnesota Extension
Stearns and Benton Counties

One hundred years ago keeping your home clean was a fulltime job. Cleaning is easier today but it can also be dangerous. Commercial, chemical-based products can contain substances that are both toxic and polluting. Although many of the ready-made cleaning solutions have labels with signal words (caution, warning, danger or poison) to alert us about potential harm, many do not list the chemical ingredients in the product or the hazards associated with the chemical.

A growing number of commercial non-toxic home cleaning products are available. They are both healthier for the residents and are environmentally responsible. For many home-cleaning chores, you can also make your own safe cleaning products.

Here is a list of common, environmentally safe products which can be used.

Baking Soda – cleaner, deodorizer, water softener, scouring powder and fire extinguisher

Boiling Water – drain cleaner.

Borax – cleaner, disinfectant, laundry aid, water softener

Soap – unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.

Lemon – one of the strongest food acids, effective against most household bacteria.

White Vinegar – cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.

Cornstarch – can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.

The following “recipes” offer less toxic alternatives to common cleansers.
ALL PURPOSE CLEANERS
• Mix 1 teaspoon borax with 1 quart of warm water. Add a splash of lemon juice or vinegar to cut grease.
• Mix 2 teaspoons borax and 1 teaspoon soap in 1 quart of water. Can be stored in a spray bottle.
• Mix 3 tablespoons of washing soda per quart of warm water.
DISINFECTANT
• Mix ¼ cup borax in 1/2 gallon hot water.
DRAIN CLEANERS
• Prevention is the best method. Use a drain strainer. Do not pour grease down the drain.
• For maintenance, pour about 1 gallon of boiling water down the drain weekly.
• Pour ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup vinegar down drain. Close drain tightly until fizzing stops. Flush with one gallon boiling water.
FLOOR CLEANERS
• Wood or vinyl floors – mix ¼ cup oil soap with 1 gallon of warm water.
OVEN CLEANERS
• Prevention. Put sheet of aluminum foil on the oven floor. Be careful not to touch the heating element.
• Mix 3 tablespoons of washing soda per quart of warm water. Spray on and wait 20 minutes. Scrub with a fine steel wool pad if necessary.
WINDOW AND GLASS CLEANERS
• Mix 1 part water to 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle. Wipe off with cleaning cloth.
WOOD POLISHES
• Polish with a cloth dipped in olive or soybean oil.
• Light polishing – use a damp cloth to clean most surfaces and dry immediately with a soft dry cloth.
LIME AND MINERAL DEPOSIT REMOVER
• Soak cleaning cloth in vinegar. Apply the cloths to the lime deposits. Leave them for approximately one hour. The deposits will soften and can be removed easily.

The information in this article was taken from the websites of the Galveston Health Department http://www.gchd.org/ech/Cleaning.htm and the Earth Easy website www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

Friday, April 16, 7:30-9:00 a.m.

“Improving Water Quality with Innovative Stormwater Techniques”

Joni Giese, SRF Consulting

St. Cloud City Council Chambers (400-2nd Street South, St. Cloud, 56301)

There’s no question that stormwater runoff’s impacts on water quality are receiving more and more scrutiny. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering strengthening its stormwater regulations, and, locally, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) projects likely will require significant changes to how we handle stormwater runoff throughout the region. What are some approaches that communities can use to effectively implement stormwater improvements? Are there certain techniques that just won’t work in our climate? Landscape architect Joni Giese will discuss how creek daylighting and green infrastructure projects are now being used to address water quality in new- and redevelopments, and will highlight several successful Minnesota examples. Join us for this conversation, as well as a demonstration of how the stormwater BMP cards that Ms. Giese helped develop can lead to innovative stormwater solutions for your area.

Joni Giese, ASLA, is a Senior Associate at SRF Consulting Group, Inc. with broad expertise in incorporating stormwater treatment techniques into project design and implementation. Major projects she has worked on include the public and stormwater amenities in Minneapolis’ Heritage Park, which transformed a 145-acre site into an affordable, sustainable urban neighborhood.  Ms. Giese also helped to develop the Water Quality Manual: Improving the Water Quality of the Mississippi River in Saint Paul for the St. Paul Riverfront Corporation, which includes a unique series of easy-to-use Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) “flash cards.”

Light breakfast provided. Free.

The Mississippi River Forum is made possible by the generous support of the Mississippi River Fund and the McKnight Foundation.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, inspired by young people, encourages participation in National Environmental Education Week, April 11 - 17, 2010: “a time to get involved in lessons and activities that teach valuable environmental skills.”

National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) is a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation and the nation’s largest environmental education event. Held each year the week before Earth Day, EE Week inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students by connecting educators with environmental resources to promote students’ understanding of the environment.