Collectively, America’s 78.2 million dogs generate 10.7 million tons of waste, an amount that exceeds 6% of the staggering 165 million tons of waste that end up in U.S. landfills each year.

Let’s start with what you should not do: Don’t put dog poop in municipal compost bins. Why? Temperatures might not get high enough in compost facilities to kill pathogens, including salmonella, campylobacter, and toxocara.

Unless your city explicitly forbids or discourages either practice, dog waste should be put in a plastic bag and placed in the regular trash, or flushed down the toilet to be processed in the municipal sewage system. Though note: Dog waste should not be flushed into septic-tank systems unless installers and manufacturers verify that the system can handle it.

Of the two options, though, flushing may be preferable. This is partly because you can just deploy a reusable scooper to pick up each canine deposit instead of one-time-use plastic bags. Also, more sewage plants now digest sewage to produce methane that’s then burned to create electric power or produce sewage sludge that’s used as fertilizer.

But there is no simple answer, partly because some landfill facilities do burn methane from dumps to generate electric power, while others incinerate the waste itself to make energy. On top of these quandaries are questions about all these processes, which include concerns about dangerous toxics in sludge and emissions that result from burning garbage.

Do a quick web search and you’ll find various other methods for dealing with dog doo, from home composting devices to bulk flushers attached to sewer clean-outs to simply interring the stuff at a specified depth in your backyard. I can’t vouch for these approaches any more than I can certify a lot of whatever else is bobbing on the turbid sea of the internet.

Information provided by the Sierra Club’s Mr. Green.

Nature is fuel for the soul. Resolve to get outside more — it’s one resolution that doesn’t have to cost a penny and has countless benefits for you and your kids.  

Research on the benefits of nature shows that:

*  Being in a natural environment benefits the body, mind, and spirit. 

*  Nature makes you more caring and enhances social interactions and close relationships.  

*  Being outdoors helps keep you healthy — boosting vitality; improving vision; reducing risks of heart disease, obesity, bone problems,  depression, and stress; reducing the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and more.

*  Children and adults find it easier to concentrate and pay attention after spending time in nature.

*  Short outdoor education programs improve children’s cooperation, conflict resolution, self-esteem, peer relationships, and behavior in class.

*  Nature provides a rich source of hands-on, multi-sensory stimulation, which is critical for brain development in early childhood.

*  Short outdoor education programs improve children’s science test scores.

With all of this research coming to the forefront, it’s not surprising that everyone — from researchers to politicians to educators to doctors to parents — is encouraging us to spend more time outdoors on a regular basis. 

Tips and ideas for getting outdoors

You don’t have to go far to spend time outdoors. Nature is right outside our door. You can enjoy walking, winter biking or bird watching from just about anywhere. 

Make it a top priority. Dedicate time every week to spend outdoors. To really develop a lasting, deep relationship with nature, you need to be out in it, regularly.  

Dress for the weather.  There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. Make sure you are both dry and warm. Keep a set of winter clothing in your car so you are ready to take advantage of unexpected outdoor opportunities. 

Enjoy the parks and trails. Parks and trails are all around us. Many are free; others require either a day pass or year pass for a small fee. Check your city and county websites for locations, fees, and outdoor activities and events. Check out these sites for Minnesota state parks and state trails.  

Visit your local nature center. Nature centers are located throughout Minnesota and offer beautiful, natural settings to explore. Often they have snowshoes, cross country skis, binoculars, and other outdoor gear available to borrow or rent. Check out this list of Minnesota nature centers and other environmental educations destinations to find one close to you. 

For the truly adventurous, try winter camping.  Winter camping has several advantages over summer camping. No Mosquitoes. You can easily hike across frozen lakes and ponds to directly access locations that might require lengthy hikes during other seasons. Clear night skies offer great star gazing. Night time sounds carry easily, so listen for coyotes, owls, trees snapping and ice cracking. Deciduous trees shed their leaves and provide unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape. 

There’s an app for that. Free smartphone apps are available to identify bird calls, tree species, and Minnesota places to explore. 

Additional resources

Children and Nature NetworkThe Minnesota Children and Nature Connection

The National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There Campaign and Green Hour Activities

Information provided by the MN Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). 

Friday, January 27, 2012. 7:30-9:00 a.m.

St. Cloud City Council Chambers–400-2nd St. S., St. Cloud

It’s beginning to look a lot like potential problems for rural septic systems this holiday season. “It may not be such a happy new year for some households if we don’t get snow cover before temperatures really start to drop,” Dan Olson, public information officer with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), said.  “Snow helps to insulate septic systems and keep them from freezing.  Fortunately, temperatures across the state have remained relatively mild so far, but that could change any time.”

The University of Minnesota Onsite Sewage Treatment Program provides tips for homeowners on how to prevent septic system freeze-ups & how to deal with them should they occur:

• Place a layer of mulch eight to 12 inches thick over the pipes, tank and soil treatment system to provide extra insulation.  This can be straw, leaves, hay or other loose material that will stay in place and not become compacted.  This is particularly important for new systems that were installed so late in the year that vegetative cover could not be established.  However, if the system is currently frozen, don’t add mulch now; it will delay thawing in the spring.

• Let the grass or native vegetation growing over the tank and soil treatment area get a little taller in the late summer and fall to provide insulation and help hold snow.

• Use water ― the warmer the better ― if you’re worried that your system is starting to freeze.  Spread out your laundry schedule so you run one warm/hot load a day.  Use the dishwasher and take hot baths.  However, DO NOT leave water running all the time, as this will hydraulically overload the septic system.

• Going away for an extended period?  Plan accordingly.  Have someone use warm water in your home regularly while you are gone or have your septic tank pumped out before you leave.  If a shallow tank is left full for several winter months, the sewage will become very cold and can freeze.

• Fix any leaky plumbing fixtures or appliances in your home.  This will help prevent freezing problems and help your system perform better all year long.

• If you have appliances that generate very low flows, such as high-efficiency furnaces, you can put heat tape in the pipe, and have someone come by and run warm water for a while you are on vacation.  Alternatively, install a small condensate pump that holds and discharges two gallons per cycle.

• Keep all vehicle, animal and human traffic off the system.  This is a good rule to follow all year long as compacted snow and soils cause frost to go down deeper and faster.  Pay special attention to the area between the house and the septic tank.

• Make sure all risers; inspection pipes and manholes have covers.  Sealing them and adding insulation is a good idea.  Insulation may be added during construction particularly if the top of the septic tank is within two feet of the surface.

• Keep an eye on your system.  If any seeping or ponding occurs, contact a septic systems professional to help determine the cause and remedy.

• Add more insulation to your system.  This could include replacing pipe with insulated pipe, installing expanded foam panels over the septic tank, or adding more soil cover.

A common cause of freeze-ups are pipes that are not installed with the proper slant or that have settled, resulting in dips in the line.  Where a dip or flat spot occurs, sewage can collect and freeze.  Pump lines can develop a dip right next to or above the septic tank as a result of soil backfilled during tank installation settling.

If your septic system freezes, call a septic system professional. 

For information on keeping your system healthy all year, visit the University of Minnesota Onsite Sewage Treatment Program website.

Information provided by the MN Pollution Control Agency.

Ag News WireBy Gary Wyatt, University of Minnesota Extension 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (12/19/2011) —Windbreaks and living snow fences benefit open and rural landscapes by protecting homes, farmsteads, communities and roadways from blowing and drifting snow. Winter is a great time to monitor drifting snow to identify locations for living snow fences,  develop a planting design and prepare to order plants for spring

Planting designs should be developed from January to March so plants can be ordered for spring. An Extension fact sheet, “Selecting Trees and Shrubs in Windbreaks” reviews many plants to consider and is available at www.extension.umn.edu/go/1088 (PDF). For more Extension Agroforestry resources, visit www.extension.umn.edu/agroforestry.

The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) just released a new program to educate children about groundwater and water conservation. The program is themed around a group of cartoon characters called “The Slurps.”

To view the first Episode: Mega Rainbow on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KODS3kiGbM

or on our website: http://www.wrd.org/safe

Stormwater is the #1 cause of water pollution in the United States according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Stormwater runoff occurs when rain falls on impervious surfaces such as pavement, sidewalks, roof, etc. where it cannot be absorbed into the ground, so it runs off the surface. This runoff picks up many pollutants (such as sediment, nutrients and bacteria) on these surfaces before flowing into storm drains in urban communities.  These storm drains send the polluted runoff straight to a streams, lakes or wetlands UNLESS there is a stormwater best management practice (BMP) in place to capture and treat the runoff.   Examples of BMPs include raingardens and filtration basins, which capture stormwater runoff in a shallow depression where fast-draining soils allow quick infiltration and removal of pollutants as water passes through. Plants in the BMP absorb nutrients (phosphorus) that cause algae blooms.

Two of the pollutants raingardens and other stormwater practices are designed to remove from runoff are phosphorus and sediment. Too much phosphorus in lakes and rivers cause algae blooms and too much sediment hurts fish and other aquatic species populations and the overall health of the lake or river. 

The Forests to Faucets project will also help identify watersheds where a payment for watershed services project may be an option for financing conservation on forest lands. The cost of treating drinking water increases 20 percent for every loss of 10 percent of forest land in a watershed.

“Spending money on forest management upstream in a watershed saves money on water treatment downstream,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “The Forests to Faucets project provides powerful information that can help identify forest areas that play a key role in providing clean drinking water.”

The project found that Appalachian forests critically impact drinking water in East Coast cities including New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. Forests in the Sierras in California and the Front Range in Colorado are also home to crucial watersheds that provide clean drinking water for millions of Americans.

Watersheds on national forests and grasslands are the source of 20 percent of the nation’s water supply, a value estimated to exceed $27 billion per year. Another 60 percent of the nation’s water flows from private lands.

“We expect Forests to Faucets will support rural economies by steering funding to upstream landowners, encouraging healthy forests and healthy water,” said Tidwell.

Before you grab your live bait to go fishing, you may want to think twice about what you are bringing into the natural environment.  Earthworms, especially night crawlers, are making our forests more susceptible to invasive species that destroy the natural ecosystem.

Only one variety of earthworm found in the Carolina’s is native to the United States.  Europeans introduced the rest, and in northern Minnesota, worms strip the forest floor bare.  They eat through the leaf litter and leave exposed, black mineral soil behind.  They also drive out native beetles that aerate the soil. 

Now you may ask so what?  Earthworms have been apart of our environment as long as people can remember.  The challenge is that their territory is growing, leaving our northern forests susceptible to dramatic changes.  Most of the invasive plants are pretty much dependent on the worms because worms create the right germination environment.  They co-evolved with the worms on their home continent, so it is only natural that they thrive on ours. 

To protect our treasured lands, be sure to pack out any live bait you bring in.  Never dump your leftover worms on the land or release your live minnows in a lake or river.  It may seem like an appropriate act, but it may forever change the places the love to enjoy.