Angie Hong - MN Nature Awesomeness

Angie Hong - MN Nature Awesomeness Environmental educator & writer in Minnesota

08/30/2026

Only 21 acres in size, Lost Lake is little more than a dot on the map near the southern tip of White Bear Lake. It is a region with a storied past that features a legendary fight with a giant bear, steamships, gangsters, famous authors, legal battles, and even an amusement park.

Most recently, the City of Mahtomedi has been working with Washington Conservation Dist. and the Rice Creek Watershed District to reduce stormwater runoff, restore native habitat along the Lost Lake shoreline, and improve the health of community woodlands.

Last week, the East Metro Water Education Program and Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership announced their 2026 Natural Shoreline Award winners, and Lost Lake was one of two public projects to gain much deserved recognition.

Read more about this project and our natural shoreline awards at eastmetrowater.org.

08/26/2026

With nearly two miles of restored shoreline, statuesque oak woodlands, and multiple ways for the public to access and enjoy the lake, the Lake Phalen shoreline in St. Paul is a showcase example for any city in Minnesota to aspire to. It is also one of the largest and most successful shoreline restorations in the upper Midwest.

This week, the East Metro Water Education Program and Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership announce their 2026 Natural Shoreline Award winners, and Lake Phalen is one of two public projects to gain much deserved recognition.

I had the pleasure of joining staff from Ramsey-Washington Metro WD and City of St Paul on Monday to learn a bit more about the past 25 years of work. Shout out to Seth Kopf, Caitlin Patrick, Paul Erdmann, and Pat Williamson at RWMWD and Adam Robbins and Emily Dunlap at St Paul for all the work you do!

You can read the full story of Phalen and our other shoreline award winners at eastmetrowater.org.

And stay tuned for continued restoration on and around Lake Phalen, as Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi will continue implementing a long-term project to daylight Phalen Creek on the south end of the lake!

08/23/2026

Come “mothing” with me, but beware the poison sumac!

Moths are an important part of our ecosystem; they are major nighttime pollinators, essential food sources for bats and birds, and key indicators of environmental health.

And this nature experiment is super easy to try out at home with a white sheet, a light, and a guide book or iNaturalist app to help you identify what you find.

08/19/2026

It’s a beautiful day in Minnesota.

08/11/2026

The prairies are bright, beautiful, and literally buzzing with life this month! Grab your hiking shoes, a mountain bike, or even a horse and go see them now. You simply must!

This video shows just a few of the many native prairie flowers I saw in bloom at Lake Elmo Regional Park while out on an afternoon ride last week.

At 2165 acres, Lake Elmo Park Reserve is the largest in the Washington County Parks MN system; it offers more than 14 miles of hiking trails and 8 miles of multi-use hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking trails. Previously, the county restored 166 acres of prairie and oak savanna at the park with support from the Outdoor Heritage Fund. New this year, Washington County has received an additional $329,590 Metropolitan Conservation Partners Legacy grant to continue work on 70 additional acres. Additionally, they are collaborating with Great River Greening and Butler Family Foundation to establish 24.5 acres of prairie production plots.

At Pine Point Regional Park, Washington County Parks has collaborated with Pollinator Friendly Alliance for several years to transition old farm fields into high quality prairie. Currently, they are enhancing 11 acres of prairie with support from a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Pollinator Grant program. Pollinator Friendly Alliance is also helping to establish new prairie on the south end of Big Marine Regional Park.

Literally, go now and stop to smell the flowers!

08/05/2026

PSA: Healthy shallow lakes have plants.

07/19/2026

Native plants in a business park? Yes please!

07/16/2026

Are smoky summers our new normal? Unfortunately, probably yes.

Historic fire suppression has created a no-win situation, which is exacerbated by climate change.

Let’s hope the current haze lifts in a few days and that crews are able to minimize damage from the fires currently burning.

07/15/2026

Canoe vs kayak vs SUP - what’s your favorite?

Washington County Parks MN rents kayaks and standup paddle boards at Square Lake and Lake Elmo and also has an adaptive kayak launch at Lake Elmo. Adaptive launches can be found at most Minnesota State Parks as well.

MN law requires every paddler to have a life jacket and kids under 10 are required to wear them. They make life jackets for doggies too!

Canoes, kayaks, and SUPs are a fun way to explore lakes and rivers and allow you to get up close and personal with nature. There’s no place I’d rather be when the weather gets hot!

07/07/2026

That’s like, a lot of mayflies.

If you like fish, then you must love mayflies. They’re a critical ingredient of freshwater food webs and a favorite food of walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, trout, and panfish.

The only problem is that mayflies are super sensitive to chemical pollutants, suspended solids from erosion, and decreased oxygen levels. In fact, there was a stretch during the 50s-80s when many metro rivers and streams weren’t healthy enough to support an annual mayfly hatch.

Sad to say but these silly little bugs spend most their life underwater and get only a few days or hours with wings before it’s time to move on to the great river in the sky.

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455 Hayward Avenue N
Oakdale, MN
55128

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+16513308220

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