Download - Rain Garden in Baxter - University of Minnesota Duluthseawww/downloads/july_aug_2008.pdf · Rain Garden in Baxter July - August 2008 What might be the biggest rain garden in central

Transcript
Page 1: Rain Garden in Baxter - University of Minnesota Duluthseawww/downloads/july_aug_2008.pdf · Rain Garden in Baxter July - August 2008 What might be the biggest rain garden in central

#86

RRaaiinn GGaarrddeenn iinn BBaaxxtteerr

July - August 2008

What might be the biggest rain garden in centralMinnesota was planted in Baxter in May of 2008. The

8,500-sq. ft. rain garden was designed by WestwoodProfessional Services, Inc., to handle the stormwater runofffrom a 4.5-acre, low-impact development site – FairviewOffice Park.

The rain garden was the practical portion of a rain gardenworkshop presented by Eleanor Burkett, University ofMinnesota Extension educator, and sponsored by theNorthland Arboretum in Brainerd. In addition to workshopparticipants, Crow Wing County Master Gardeners and sitedevelopers also assisted with this hands-on portion of theproject.

The sides of the rain garden (3,014 sq. ft.) were seeded withGrassland LoGRO (a no-mow-grass seed mix) and coveredwith an erosion blanket. The bottom of the rain garden(5,486 sq. ft.) was amended with about 4 inches of a mixtureof 2/3 peat and 1/3 sandy loam and tilled. Two inches ofshredded mulch were added afterwards. Here, 853 plantswere planted. Plant selection included ornamental grasses,perennials, and shrubs. For research purposes, native andnon-native varieties of the same plant were selected.

Much of the costs associated with the installation of this

rain garden were covered by grants from the MinnesotaPollution Control Agency and the Crow Wing CountyWater Plan. The owners of Fairview Office Park agreed towater and weed the commercial site’s rain garden on anongoing basis.

Educational signage with information about rain gardensand the names of the plants used at this rain garden will beinstalled soon. The public is encouraged to visit FairviewOffice Park at 13760 Bluestem Court in Baxter to see thisgreat rain garden.

Shoreland MaintenanceJuly 19, 2008 – Deerwood, MNContact: Sandy Kretlow at [email protected]

Calendar of Events

For the most current listing of Shoreland Educationworkshops, visit www.extension.umn.edu/shoreland.

Aquatic Plant IdentificationJuly 26-27, 2008 – McGregor, MNContact: Neal Sampson, [email protected]

Jackie Froemming, University of Minnesota Extension,(218) 824-1068, [email protected]

Wild Bergemot (Monarda fistulosa), one of the native speciesplanted in the rain garden.

Rain GardensAugust 13, 2008 – Winsted, MNContact: Karen Terry, [email protected]

Shoreland BuffersAugust 16, 2008 – Battle Lake, MNContact: Mike Kotten, 218-864-5665,[email protected]

Shoreland BuffersAugust 22, 2008 – Backus, MNContact: Paula West, 218-838-5010,[email protected]

Page 2: Rain Garden in Baxter - University of Minnesota Duluthseawww/downloads/july_aug_2008.pdf · Rain Garden in Baxter July - August 2008 What might be the biggest rain garden in central

RRaaiinn GGaarrddeennss –– WWhhyy NNoott??

Natural resource professionals and concerned citizenswho provide information, classes, and/or cost-share

for rain gardens, shoreland buffers, and other homeownerpractices that will improve water quality in our lakes andrivers and provide wildlife habitat are asking this veryquestion: Of the homeowners that understand the greatbenefits of these practices, why aren’t more of them tak-ing action? Also: How do we reach additional homeownerswith this message and encourage them to install a raingarden or shoreland buffer or take other appropriateaction?

There is a temptation to assume that we understand whypeople act as they do when we should really be askingthem! Sounds simple, right? But to uncover and under-stand people’s attitudes and beliefs that may influence thelikelihood of them installing a rain garden or shorelandbuffer requires the assistance of social scientists. Throughfocus groups, surveys involving carefully designed ques-tions, and other mechanisms for eliciting perceptions,social scientists are helping us discover what really moti-vates people to take action on water quality issues andwhat obstacles prevent them from doing so.

One example involves University of Wisconsin social sci-ence researchers and extension educators collaborating ona project to motivate landowners to build rain gardens ontheir properties. Different from typical surveys, their sur-veys focus on landowner perceptions and beliefs aboutrain gardens and what others might think of theminstalling a rain garden.

Responses to their first survey of year-round and season-al landowners provided valuable information on how toproceed with the project. Most respondents already feltthey had an understanding of rain gardens and the poten-tially important link between rain gardens and water qual-ity. One important barrier that might be a reasonlandowners do not build rain gardens is a preference tohave a yard that is mostly lawn. Other landowner barriersto building rain gardens include: cost and expense, havinginsufficient time, and believing it would be too muchwork. The strongest predictors of an individual’s intentionto build a rain garden on their property in the next coupleof years were the belief that rain gardens really wouldimprove water quality and the availability of cost-sharing.Another significant predictor of behavioral intent was thedegree to which respondents believed significant others,such as friends, family, and neighbors would look favor-ably toward them installing a rain garden.

The next step for Wisconsin researchers and extensioneducators will be to design a community-based social mar-keting campaign based upon these responses. The cam-paign will likely include communications about cost-shareopportunities and activities that build social norms amongfriends, families, and neighbors.

For a more complete description of this UW project see: Chenoweth, R. 2008. Understanding Barriers andIncentives to Building Rain Gardens. EnvironmentalCommunication & Social Marketing Newsletter. UWExtension Environmental Resources Center,http://ecsm.uwex.edu/

From Shore to Shore, Issue 86, Page 2

Mary Blickenderfer, University of Minnesota Extension, (218) 327-4616, [email protected]

Page 3: Rain Garden in Baxter - University of Minnesota Duluthseawww/downloads/july_aug_2008.pdf · Rain Garden in Baxter July - August 2008 What might be the biggest rain garden in central

TTaacckklliinngg tthhee pprroobblleemm

Lead is a toxic metal that, in sufficient quantities, hasadverse effects on the nervous and reproductive sys-

tems of animals. Found in most fishing jigs and sinkers,this metal is poisoning wildlife such as eagles, loons, andother waterfowl. More anglers are using fishing tacklemade from non-poisonous materials such as tin, bismuth,steel, and tungsten. And these alternatives are becomingeasier to find.

PPrriiccee ppooiinntt

Expect to pay a bit more for non-lead tackle. But considerall the other costs involved in a fishing trip — a few centsmore to avoid lead poisoning of wildlife is well worth it.

TTrroolllliinngg ffoorr cchhaannggee

Minnesota is fishing country. We buy a lot of tackle. That’sa big reason why our focus is on educating and partneringwith others to stimulate the marketplace and speed thetransition toward lead-free angling. Today, more environ-mentally friendly tackle is being made and sold, and grow-ing numbers of anglers are going lead-free.

In Minnesota, there are no bans on the sale or use of leadweights and jigs. In many areas though, non-lead tackleisn’t just a good idea — it’s the law.

• Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont havebanned the use or sale of lead sinkers in recent years.Massachusetts prohibits their use in certain key wildlifeareas. Canadian national parks and national wildlife areashave banned the use of lead sinkers and jigs weighingless than 1.76 ounces (50 grams).

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has or is planningrestrictions on lead sinker use in over two dozen nation-al wildlife refuges and Yellowstone National Park.

• The European Union has banned lead in all consumerproducts, including fishing tackle.

WWhhaatt’’ss tthhee rriisskk?? WWeeiigghh tthhee eevviiddeennccee::

While it is hard to get an accurate count of water birds andbirds of prey that die from ingesting lead tackle, currentresearch indicates that lead poisoning is a serious concern— and that such poisoning is avoidable because non-toxicalternatives are available.

Research around the nation has found that lead poisoningfrom lead fishing tackle is responsible for 12 to 50 percentof adult loon deaths.

The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota hasmonitored injured bald eagles for lead since 1980. Leadpoisoning has been the cause of admission of 315 out of atotal of 1,398 eagles, or 23 precent. Eagles are exposedwhen they eat fish that have ingested lead tackle.

TTeeaacchh yyoouurr ttaaddppoolleess

Create a lead-free tackle box for your kids or grandkids.Choose from the tin split shot, bismuth jigheads, and tung-sten composite worm weights. They are non-toxic andsafer for youngsters to handle. Plus, it’s a great way to helpinstill a strong conservation ethic.

DDoonn’’tt tthhrrooww oolldd lleeaadd ttaacckkllee iinn tthhee ttrraasshh

Bring it to your local household hazardous waste collectionsite during your next visit. Some scrap metal recyclersmay also accept lead.

This information comes from a fact sheet produced by theMinnesota Pollution Control Agency. For more informa-tion (including a list of lead tackle exchange events, how toorder educational kits, and a list of lead-free alternativeretailers and manufactures) or to download the fact sheet,visit http://www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/reduce/sinkers.cfm.

From Shore to Shore, Issue 78, Page 3From Shore to Shore, Issue 86, Page 3

GGeett tthhee LLeeaadd OOuutt!!NNoonn--lleeaadd FFiisshhiinngg TTaacckkllee iiss aann EEffffeeccttiivvee AAlltteerrnnaattiivvee,, aanndd iitt PPrrootteeccttss LLoooonnss,, EEaagglleess,, aanndd OOtthheerr WWiillddlliiffee

Photo credit: USFWS

These pebbles and sinkers were found in the gizzard of alead-poisoned loon. Loons mistake lost weights for pebblesthey eat to grind their food.

Page 4: Rain Garden in Baxter - University of Minnesota Duluthseawww/downloads/july_aug_2008.pdf · Rain Garden in Baxter July - August 2008 What might be the biggest rain garden in central

From Shore to Shore is made possible by Minnesota Sea Grant, in cooperation with the Universityof Minnesota Water Resources Center and University of Minnesota Extension.

The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access toits programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex,age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status or sexual orientation.

Ferns have been around for a long time, having beenfound in fossils dating back some 345 million years.

During this time, amphibians, reptiles, and flying insectswere abundant on our planet, yet dinosaurs, birds, andmammals had not yet arrived. Early fern ancestors weredifferent in growth habits than modern ferns and had vastbranching and shoot systems. These early ferns wentextinct approximately 270 - 290 million years ago, butbefore they disappeared, some evolved to ancestors ofmodern fern species exhibiting similar growth habitsfamiliar today.

How ferns reproduce has stumped many botanists andscholars unable to determine whether the “dust” found onthe underside of the leaf was the seed or pollen. In folklore,ferns were thought to have had “invisible seed,” only to becollected on Midsummer’s Eve. Now we know ferns differ

from other plants such as trees, flowers, and grasses as the“dust” are spores that germinate when they are releasedand land on a suitable substrate. But wait! The life cycle offerns is a little more complicated than that. Once thespores germinate, they grow scale-like vegetation thatbears either (or both) male and female sex organs. Themale sperm must find a female egg to fertilize. If all goeswell, the fertilized egg’s cells divide and eventually, spore-bearing leaves (fronds) will emerge. It may take up tothree years to complete the fern life cycle from spore tospore-bearing leaf. Possibly because of this more compli-cated life cycle and the fact that spores tend to not live longin soil (seeds often can lie dormant for many years withviable germination), there are fewer known species offerns than their seed bearing counterparts.

Since the advent of DNA mapping, the way botaniststhink about plants once called “fern allies” has changed.

FFeerrnnss:: AA NNaattuurraall HHiissttoorryy ((PPaarrtt II))

Eleanor Burkett, University of Minnesota Extension, (218) 828-2326, [email protected]

wrc.coafes.umn.edu www.seagrant.umn.edu www.extension.umn.edu www.shorelandmanagement.org

Horsetails (Equisetum) and whisk ferns (Psilotaceae), oncetermed fern allies, actually are ferns according to theirDNA structure. Ferns belong to a group of plants calledPteridophyta. Clubmosses, spikemosses and quillworts arenot ferns; they are in the Lycopodiophyta group and con-tain a very different molecular structure thanPteridophyta.

Some plants that are not ferns but are called ferns includeair fern (actually these are animals called Hydrozoa, relat-ed to jellyfish and corals), sweet fern (Comptonia peregri-na, a flowering shrub), and asparagus fern (Asparagus spp.,which are seed-producing plants).

A number of ferns are considered invasive species. Thesemay include bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) and sensitivefern (Onoclea sensibilis). Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta)is a highly invasive aquatic plant creating mats several feetthick, choking out other plants and causing waterways tobe unnavigable.

In the next issue of From Shore to Shore, we will look atthe uses of ferns, some of the ferns of Minnesota, andmore.

RReessoouurrcceess:: Moran, R. C. (2004). A Natural History of Ferns.Portland, OR. Timber Press.

Fern. (2004, February 21). In Wikipedia, the free encyclo-pedia. Retrieved June 6, 2008, fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern

From Shore to Shore, Issue 86, Page 4

Photo Credit: Renee Pardello

Photo Credit: Renee Pardello