Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO)

09/03/2026

Want to learn how to take care of a native garden? Join us on Tuesday, September 15 from 6-7:30pm for an in-person Blue Thumb - Planting for Clean Water workshop at the White Bear Town Hall.

Metro Blooms landcare experts will lead this hands-on workshop covering:

• Practices for keeping your native gardens thriving
• Tips for identifying native plants
• Advice for managing weeds

Registration is required, but this workshop is free for VLAWMO residents. Learn more and save your spot on the Blue Thumb website: https://bluethumb.org/event/caring-for-a-native-garden-vlawmo/

Photo: Metro Blooms staff demonstrating plant ID at a native garden maintenance workshop hosted by VLAWMO, fall 2025

08/26/2026

Happy ! If you have a dog in your life, make sure you don’t skip today’s clean water tip: picking up pet waste.

What’s the stink about pet waste?

Dog droppings are potent, and that strength goes beyond bad smells. Thanks to modern pet food, pet waste has concentrated bacteria and nutrients. Pet waste pollutes local waters and can threaten human health.

What can you do as a dog owner?

Three easy steps help protect water and community health on your next walk:
1. Bring a bag.
2. Pick up pet waste.
3. Make sure that pet waste makes it into the trash.

08/25/2026

Do you have native plants at home? Are you curious about how to take care of them?

We’re happy to share that VLAWMO will be hosting a highly requested learning opportunity in the watershed this fall.

Join VLAWMO and Blue Thumb on September 15th for a hands-on workshop about caring for native gardens. You’ll gain practical tips and resources for how to keep your plants thriving through the seasons.

Learn more and register on the Blue Thumb website: https://bluethumb.org/caring-for-a-native-garden-vlawmo/

Learn how to take care of a native garden! 🌿 Join Blue Thumb and Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO) on Tuesday, September 15 from 6-7:30pm for an in-person workshop located at White Bear Town Hall.

This hands-on workshop led by Metro Blooms landcare experts will cover practices for keeping your native gardens thriving. 🌼 Together, we’ll talk about identifying native plants, managing weeds, maintenance tasks for different times of year, and more. We’ll also jump into the garden to practice all of these things together!

Registration fees for residents of VLAWMO will be waived! Learn more and secure your spot on the Blue Thumb website: https://bluethumb.org/event/caring-for-a-native-garden-vlawmo/

08/20/2026

August is National Water Quality Month.💧 Did you know that VLAWMO staff head out bimonthly from May to September to collect lake and creek samples throughout the watershed? These samples are then sent to a lab for testing.

We call this sampling "water quality monitoring." Why do we conduct water quality monitoring?

• Regular testing helps us understand how healthy a waterbody is and what changes have occurred over time.
• This data informs water quality improvement projects.

Head to vlawmo.org/water-quality to learn more about this program, sampling parameters, and data from past years.

08/13/2026

Don't skip this clean water tip! This summer action is simple but essential: keeping grass clippings off the street, sidewalk, and driveway.

What’s the big idea with grass clippings?
• Storm drains send water—and anything in water’s path—straight to local lakes, streams, ponds, or wetlands.
• When grass clippings get swept away after a rain event, they pollute local waters.
• Grass clippings left on hard surfaces can clog storm drains, and they’re high in phosphorus and nitrogen that fuel algae growth.

How can you help?
• Sweep or blow grass clippings back on the lawn for bonus moisture retention and free fertilizer.
• You can mix grass clippings into your backyard compost or bring them to a county yard waste facility.
• Spread the word on the importance of sweeping up grass clippings!

Find more yard care tips at vlawmo.org/yard-tips
Photo courtesy of Clean Water MN

08/07/2026

Happy ! Staff recently got to meet with youth interns from Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa to share about VLAWMO's work, water quality monitoring, and projects taking place throughout the watershed. Interns asked great questions and got to see staff in action.

Thanks for having us, Tamarack Nature Center! We wish all the best to the interns as they continue exploring the conservation field.

08/04/2026

Do you enjoy community connections, learning, and time outside? If so, you might like VLAWMO’s Neighborhood Garden Tours!

Join watershed neighbors on Tuesday, August 25th as we visit three gardens throughout the VLAWMO watershed. Learn how your plants can help pollinators and protect water, get inspired, meet neighbors, and learn about local grant opportunities.

This event will feature a variety of clean water projects throughout the watershed, all of which have received VLAWMO grant funding. Learn about planting practices that can beautify outdoor spaces while protecting local lakes, streams, and wetlands.

The tours will be held on August 25th from 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Learn more and register at vlawmo.org/events.

07/23/2026

Neighborhood garden tours are back! Earlier this summer, community members, volunteers, and staff discovered native plant projects throughout the watershed. Thanks to all the tour hosts who generously shared their blooming projects with the group!

Signups are now open for our next round of tours, which will take place on August 25th. What happens at this event?

• Attendees visit three clean water project sites in the Vadnais Lake watershed. Each site has gone through VLAWMO’s grant programs.
• Volunteer tour hosts share their projects with the group, offering native plant tips and tools along the way.
• There’s Q&A time at each stop and a chance to marvel at plants, pollinators, and occasionally, pets.

Head to vlawmo.org/events for more info and a registration link. We hope to see you there!

07/10/2026

Summer is in full swing, and so is water quality monitoring! Check out this video for a peek at what VLAWMO's creek monitoring involves.

What do we mean by “water quality monitoring”? Staff head out biweekly from May to September to collect samples from lakes and creeks throughout the watershed. This sampling is a lot like a regular checkup with a doctor.

Samples from lake and creek locations are sent to a lab for testing on parameters including phosphorus and total suspended solids. Regular testing helps us understand how healthy a waterbody is and what changes occur over time. This data also informs water quality improvement projects.

Learn more about water quality monitoring at vlawmo.org/water-quality.

06/23/2026

Happy Pollinator Week! 🐝🦋 One of the easiest ways to support pollinators also benefits water quality: incorporating native plants into your landscape. Native plants provide habitat and food for pollinators while helping filter pollutants out of water.

Looking for plant inspiration and tips? There's still time to sign up for our June neighborhood garden tours! Join us on Tuesday, June 30th from 6-7:30 pm. We’ll visit three pollinator-friendly clean water projects throughout the Vadnais Lake watershed. Learn more and sign up at vlawmo.org/events/june2026tour.

Curious about native plants and local funding opportunities? Head to vlawmo.org/grants.