Angie Hong - MN Nature Awesomeness

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Angie Hong - MN Nature Awesomeness

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Environmental educator & writer in Minnesota

11/08/2026

Exploring Lawrence Creek Scientific and Natural Area, except I left my lungs at home and it is STEEP.

There are more than 160 SNAs in Minnesota and these public lands protect areas of high ecological value, often with rare species of plants and animals. During yesterdays hike I enjoyed a grove full of club moss, ferns, and liverworts.

Also, if you are hiking in the late fall be sure to wear bright colors to make yourself visible to hunters.

11/01/2026

SHE DOESN’T EVEN GO HERE!!!

Buckthorn is an invasive species from Europe that has taken over many of our North American forests, especially near urban areas. November is a great time of year to knock it back because it’s easy to identify when most of the other trees have turned colors or lost their leaves.

Often native species like ferns and wildflowers will come back on their own once you clear space for them but be prepared to knock back the buckthorn a few times before it finally stays gone.

10/29/2026

I got you some leeches for Halloween!

This summer, while camping in northern Minnesota my son came out of the lake after fishing, covered in leeches all over his feet and ankles. There were so many that we ended up having to use all of the gauze in our first aid kit to stop the bleeding!🩸

Today, while doing some macroinvertebrate sampling on the St Croix River we found lots of little brown leeches that are harmless to humans.

South Washington Watershed District collaborates with Carpenter Nature Center to do an intensive six-week watershed education program for 6th graders in the South Washington School District. With support from Ramsey-Washington Metro WD the program will be expanding next spring. The kids learn about stormwater and watersheds and practice hands-on science like testing P and N levels and collecting macroinvertebrates.

10/24/2026

Meet La Lake in Woodbury, Minnesota where the fall colors are La La La luscious this weekend!

La Lake was on the state’s impaired waters list for 10 years but is now back in good health, thanks to habitat restoration led by City of Woodbury, MN, South Washington Watershed District and Washington County.

Washington County’s Land and Water Legacy Program was integral to getting La Lake Park established in 2015, and this fall, that program is up for renewal by Washington County voters.

Woodbury is also looking for input from the public on how to develop the north campus of La Lake Park (opposite side of the lake from where I’m walking in this video). You can read more about that and share ideas in a survey at woodburymn.gov/1441/La-Lake-Park-North-Campus-Improvements

P.S.
Go lounge on a bench in the woods!
You won’t regret it.

10/23/2026

Incorporating native plants into your yard is one of the simplest and most impactful things you can do to support biodiversity, pollinators, birds, clean water, and healthy soils.

Here’s how we’re going to get it done!

If you live in Minnesota, BlueThumb.org is your go to resource. Find how-tos, garden templates, and native plant recommendations + apply by Nov. 30 to get a $400 plant grant for next spring. Planting for Clean Water

If you live in another state, I can give you two other great resources:
1. homegrownnationalpark.org
2. Mr. Bloom

Go forth and get gardening!

10/12/2026

Fall colors in the east metro are just starting to pop, making now the 🍁PERFECT🍁 time to schedule an in promptu after work hike!

Located on the St Croix River (Okhižu Wakpa) between Hastings and Afton, St Croix Bluffs Regional Park has trails, camping, picnic areas, and a public boat launch. It also pairs well with a stop at one of the nearby apple orchards or ice cream in Afton.

If you make it to the north end of the park, there is a small beach and a beautiful fern gully that climbs to the top of the bluff. This 100 acre section was added to the park in 2019 with funding from Washington County’s Land and Water Legacy program.

Four miles south of St Croix Bluffs park, the river meets its confluence with the Mississippi River (Wakpá Tháŋka) near Prescott.

10/07/2026

Ah. It was Friday and the sun was shining and life was good.

Now I’m sick and my fall frolicking is on hold until I stop coughing and snarfing.

🍁

10/04/2026

When you work in conservation, it’s an ultra-marathon, not a sprint.

Today we visit some trumpeter swans at Keystone Woods Wildlife Management Area and find frolicking monarchs at Big Marine Regional Park.

Swans almost went extinct in the early 1900s but were saved thanks to a decades-long recovery effort started by Minnesota DNR in the 80s and 90s. Around the same time, Washington and other metro area counties were facing their first wave of major suburbanization and began prioritizing land for regional parks and conservation corridors.

Fast forward to 2024, and 2000+ acres of farm and ranch land goes up for sale. Trust for Public Land uses funds from Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund to purchase 1820 acres for the new Keystone Woods WMA. Meanwhile, Washington County, Minnesota uses funds from its Land and Water Legacy program to purchase several hundred acres on the other side of the highway to add onto Big Marine Park Reserve.

Long term benefits = protecting drinking water aquifer, keeping Big Marine and other nearby lakes clean, providing wildlife habitat, and giving people like you and I a place to hike, swim, and enjoy nature.

10/03/2026

Which trail cam photo is your favorite?

Despite being only 10 acres, the Brown’s Creek Conservation Area in Grant, Minnesota is a wildlife haven with deer, turkeys, foxes, pollinators, songbirds, and even bears. The property was purchased in 2017 through Washington County’s Land and Water Legacy program and then turned over to the Brown’s Creek Watershed District.

Since then, Brown's Creek Watershed District has worked with the Washington Conservation Dist., Emmons & Olivier Resources, Inc. (EOR), Great River Greening, and volunteers to monitor water quality, stream life, plants, and migratory birds, as well as to restore the prairie, wetlands, and woodland habitat on site.

If you live in Washington County you may also notice that the Land and Water Legacy Program is up for renewal this year. If approved, it will continue the work to protect high quality habitat near lakes, streams, and the St Croix and Mississippi Rivers from development and degradation.

10/02/2026

Belwin Conservancy is a regional treasure! Here's what I told folks last night:

We recently celebrated 21 local lakes and streams that have been restored to good health over the past two decades. Sunrise River in Wyoming, Brown's Creek in Stillwater, and Trout Brook in Afton were on the list but Valley Creek was NOT.

The reason is largely due to Belwin Conservancy, which protects 1600 acres of land in southern Washington County, including 16% of the Valley Creek watershed. Because this land has been protected and still functions as a living ecosystem, Valley Creek has been able to continuously support brook trout while other area streams have needed years of restoration work to come back to good health.

Belwin also does school programming with St. Paul and Stillwater schools, has trails open to the public, and offers some truly special public programming. You should visit if you haven't already!

Address

455 Hayward Avenue N
Oakdale, MN
55128

Telephone

+16513308220

Website

http://www.eastmetrowater.org/

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