From the desk of Gene Merriam
Last month, the Freshwater Society joined with the Izaak Walton League to host a conference on agriculture, water quality and the changes that more than a century of drainage has … Read more
Freshwater Society
USA National Phenology Network seeks standardized observations
Across the United States, several thousand people this spring are going out into their yards and gardens and the woods and wetlands around their homes and making regular, detailed observations … Read more
Community Clean-ups fight pollution and algae
Leaves bagged by volunteers await pick-up in White Bear Lake. Jill Schroeder raked leaves from parks and storm drains, her husband and his parents diligently stuffed and tied bags, her … Read more
Passwords: Unchangeable laws govern water quality, use
It’s interesting to coin a new word. A number of years ago, Dr. Joe Rossillon, the former president of the Freshwater Foundation, and I were discussing a column I had … Read more
A looming collision: Population and pollution
Al Gore won a Nobel Prize and was profiled in an Oscar-winning documentary for his work calling attention to global warming, which he called the “An Inconvenient Truth” confronting the … Read more
Jim Gilbert tracks nature for Weatherguide calendar
For people who love nature, the Minnesota Weatherguide Environment Calendar has been a major source of information on phenology – the science of observing and tracking plants and animals in … Read more
Phenology, an old science, attracts new interest
John Latimer is a rural mail carrier who drives a 100-mile route through Itasca County five days a week. As he drives, he sometimes speaks into a digital voice recorder … Read more
Earth Day turns 40 this year
Each week, the Freshwater Society publishes a digest of important regional, national and international articles on water and the environment. Scan the articles here, then follow the links to read … Read more
Volunteer monitoring
There are lots of programs that invite citizen volunteers to monitor the quality of Minnesota lakes and rivers. Here are some options: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Citizen Lake Monitoring … Read more
Water, science and the environment: Week of May 6
The U.S. Geological Survey has released trends in nitrate and chloride pollution of groundwater across the country. Check out data from Minnesota. Read up on the debate in Congress over … Read more