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Sustainable Stillwater MN’s Natural Resources team's ongoing projects protect our river and lakes in three ways. Please consider helping!
Cigarette Disposal Units: Thanks to a grant to Sustainable Stillwater MN from the Keep America Beautiful Foundation, cigarette butt disposal boxes mounted on city light poles downtown are regularly being used by smokers and emptied by volunteers and store owners. Cigarette butts are unsightly litter but even worse -- the butts contain toxic ingredients that fall into the drains leading to the St. Croix River. Look for those cigarette containers if you are a smoker. Thanks to Bob Barratt for maintaining those containers! If you could use a container at your Stillwater business location, contact Louise at louise@sustainablestillwatermn.org
Storm Drain Adoption: Just grab a broom and sweep your curb gutter whenever you see dirt, leaves, or pine needles collecting. Then compost or bag it for Waste Management. Otherwise, it will wash into the nearest storm drain. Case in point: McKusick Lake’s north end is getting dredged this spring due to the accumulation of debris over the years coming in from storm drains at a budgeted cost of over $500,000. Save waterways and tax dollars by adopting your local storm drain. Orphan drains in need of adoption are everywhere; choose one closest to you at Adopt a drain here.
Rain Garden Adoption: Rain gardens installed along streets are an asset to both the landscape and the water bodies that receive stormwater runoff. Rain gardens are best planted with native plants that can withstand very wet conditions as well as long spells of dry weather. Rain garden maintenance volunteers are busy during the growing season. More volunteers are needed -- especially in the newer residential developments of Stillwater. Sign up through Washington Conservation District HERE and email Louise with Sustainable Stillwater MN for additional volunteer support at ssmn.nrwg@gmail.com. Hop onto our Stillwater Rain Garden Facebook Page for more.