Daniel Choma • July 26, 2021 “If it keeps on rainin’, levee’s goin’ to breakIf it keeps on rainin’, levee’s goin’ to breakWhen the levee breaks, I’ll have no place to stay.” -Excerpt from “When the Levee Breaks,” a traditional country blues song first recorded by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie “Warmer air also can hold more moisture, leading to […]
Pat Thompson • July 8, 2021 As an avid miniature gardener, I try to keep an eye out for other miniature gardens when I see them in public places. I’ve toyed with the idea of trying to organize a miniature garden tour, but I don’t think I will ever get it together since I’m too shy to go knock on strangers’ […]
Pat Thompson • April 14, 2021 As the ground thaws each spring, edible perennial plants wake up and are there for the taking if you know where and how to look. Follow a few rules so you’re safe and there’s enough for everyone.
Alicia Valenti • September 4, 2020 Meet Pat Thompson, one of the many stellar volunteers who keeps streets.mn moving.
This is a follow-up to my March 20, 2019 post, “The New Neighbors,” about the pair of bald eagles that moved into a big cottonwood tree two doors down from me in the middle of my south Minneapolis neighborhood. They actually have a street address. Last year, the eagles built a nest, although it looked […]
Much has changed since initiating Stepping Up MN, a virtual cleanup launched at the end of April to mobilize eager volunteers for community betterment. COVID-19 had us cloistered and adhering pretty religiously to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines against viral transmission. Litter accumulated in the streets, with city workers reassigned or […]
During this era of isolation due to COVID-19, I’ve found myself walking, biking, and generally spending more time outside. I’ve had a lot of time to notice the natural world more than I used to and I’ve been able to experience the landscape and soundscape of my yard and neighborhood with a more profound appreciation. […]
My longtime home and beloved Silver City is beginning to change. Though St. Paul has often been maligned as “old-timey” by some of the more unsavory residents across the river in Minneapolis, I am proud to have seen St. Paul take tangible steps into the future by passage of the massively important Climate Action & […]
What day is it? It’s hard to know anymore, in the face of the pandemic response and seemingly austere regimen. Did you know that this week marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day celebration? It officially began with the coordination of a nationwide environmental forum by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson, in response […]
On the first Earth Day, I was 10 years old. I don’t think I knew it had been declared Earth Day because I wasn’t even reading the newspaper yet. I was nearing the end of fifth grade, a pivotal year in my life when I began to form an anti-authoritarian attitude because I had what […]