South St. Louis Soil & Water Conservation District

09/22/2026

Did you know that as local government units, SWCDs have a locally elected board of supervisors? Supervisors help guide the mission, priorities and stewardship of their county's SWCD. MASWCD (Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts) has created this video highlighting what it means to be an SWCD board supervisor and the support they bring:

Conserving Minnesota's natural resources isn't an option. It's a re...

08/27/2026

Conservation Specialists Tim Beaster and Tryg Solberg helped MN DNR Fisheries Specialists sample fish populations in Amity Creek this week.

The DNR is using electrofishing setups to quickly stun the fish before they can be netted, counted, and released. An EPA Section 319 Grant is being used to design & implement a 3,700 foot stream restoration project. The grant is also supporting the monitoring before and after the project.

They counted about 120 trout from a 500 foot section of Amity with hundreds of additional non-trout fish.

08/11/2026

New name, same mission! 🌿

Twin Ports Climate Conversations is now Regional Resilience Conversations, and we'd love for you to join us for our third event of 2026!

Join us and experts from the South St. Louis Soil & Water Conservation District, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the City of Duluth, MN Government for a guided 1.5-mile walking tour through Hartley Park.

What you’ll explore:
💧 How local partners restored Tributary 7 to reconnect native Brook Trout habitat.
💧Plans to boost climate resilience through invasive species removal, stormwater treatment, and habitat enhancement.
💧Future restoration opportunities at Hartley Dam to benefit water quality, biodiversity, and flood resilience.

When: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM CT
Where: Hartley Nature Center (3001 Woodland Ave, Duluth, MN)
Cost: FREE (Registration required)

⚠️ Space is limited to 20 participants! Restroom access is available at Hartley Nature Center. The tour includes ~1.5 miles of walking on boardwalks and foot trails with periods of standing.

Save your spot: https://z.umn.edu/mnsg-rrc-aug26

Featured Speakers:
💧Tim Beaster, Conservation Specialist, South St. Louis Soil & Water Conservation District
💧John Lindgren, Fisheries Principal Planner, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
💧Kate Kubiak, Natural Resources Coordinator, City of Duluth

08/11/2026

Good work Tim.

The projects helped bring the natural flow and cold water of the Buckingham Creek trout stream back while also replacing an aging sprinkler system that no longer relies on water from the creek.

06/25/2026

https://www.sfa-mn.org/inspire-events/8666

04/13/2026

We've sold out of many species in our Native Tree & Shrub Sale, but still have a variety of species left. As of April 13, we have the following inventory remaining (quantities in bundles of 25):

Red pine - 11
White pine - 6
Jack pine - 2
White spruce - 6
Bur oak - 2
White oak - 2
Red oak - 3
Hackberry - 2
Silver maple - 3

Ordering site: https://www.southstlouisswcd.org/2026-tree-and-shrub-sale/

You must be able to pick up your trees at the Proctor Fairgrounds during the following times:
-Thursday, May 14th from 3 pm to 6 pm
-Friday, May 15th from 9 am - 6 pm
-Saturday, May 16 from 9 am to 11 am.

03/18/2026

Join us at Hartley Nature center tomorrow night! One of our SWCD Conservation Specialists, Andy Kasun, will be giving a presentation on storm water and water quality in Duluth.

Coming Up!!

Next Thursday is the first session of the Hartley Sustainability Series! 🎉

This month’s event has a lineup of amazing speakers presenting on local water quality issues, recent projects, and citizen science programs.

Come and learn about Minnesota’s most important resource and how you can support water quality in your community!

For more information and to register, visit the link in our bio or visit https://hartleynature.org/signature-events/

02/24/2026

2/24/26 Tree & Shrub Sale Update

In the first two weeks of the sale, around 20,000 trees and shrubs have been purchased! While some varieties are now out of stock, we still have many options available. Our tree sale page can be found here: https://www.southstlouisswcd.org/annual-tree-and-shrub-sale/ This will give information on this year's sale as well as access to our online store.

01/21/2026

Our January 2026 eNews just went out to subscribers full of information about the upcoming Native Tree & Shrub Sale. It can also be found here: https://mailchi.mp/47baf806008d/january-2026-enews and updated information is available on our website as well.

10/27/2025

Join us to learn about the Kingsbury Creek Restoration Project, which will restore 3,000 feet of stream and reconnect 5 acres of floodplain in Proctor to improve water quality, reduce erosion, and enhance trout habitat. The meeting will provide an overview of the project design, timeline, and expected community and environmental benefits, with time for public questions and feedback.