Signs of spring

Spring has definitely sprung! This year, Frogtowners are busier than ever, working to enhance our neighborhood’s natural environment. Check out this spring roundup of happenings:

Making our parks sparkle
On a frigid Earth Day, Frogtown Green welcomed 48 hardy volunteers to the annual Frogtown Park & Farm trash pickup. Despite a raw chill, these volunteers gathered up 50+ bags of recyclables and assorted trash, including liquor bottles, a microwave, a bicycle, car keys and three giant knives. Many thanks to these helpers, including members of Revontulet, the Minnesota Aurora fan club, and firefighters from Frogtown’s Station 18.

Getting ready to grow
Gardening season has started! Frogtown Green carpenter extraordinaire Chris Stevens been rebuilding our community garden beds at Our Village (a 40-bed community space at Pierce Butler and Milton), using a special technique for hardening the new wooden boards to prevent rot. Our Village Garden beds are all spoken for by by neighborhood residents, many of them Somali speakers. This year we will also get welcome help from a rotating crew of volunteer Ramsey County master gardeners.

Tending the trees
A new batch of giveaway trees will be growing roots in Frogtown Green’s gravel bed nursery. Frogtown Green cultivates 50+ trees each summer, which our volunteer Tree Frogs plant in fall. This year we will be partnering with residents at Mt Airy homes, to increase tree canopy along Jackson Street. We’ve got shade and fruit trees available this year. For information on how to sign up for a free tree, check the Frogtown Green website, frogtowngreen.com

Calling urban birders
Join veteran birder and volunteer Kiki Sonnen for a guided bird walk at Frogtown Park & Farm. The Park’s native plantings and shrubs are a magnet for migrating birds of all kinds, while the presence of small mammals attracts raptors, including hawks and eagles. See what you can spot! Bring binoculars if you have them. Family friendly, but please note that birdwatching requires quiet concentration.

Busting buckthorn
Frogtown Parks’ Stewardship crew members take up their work tools again starting May 6, meeting every first and third Saturday of the month from 9 to 11 a.m. Last year, this hardworking bunch managed to win funds to install solar lights at the Park, while renovating some neglected raingardens. They also partnered with our pals at Great River Greening to eradicate buckthorn, and on June 3, will be co-hosting a native plants installation, to which all are invited.
Frogtown Green is a volunteer-powered initiative to build green beauty in the Frogtown neighborhood. We plant trees, cultivate gardens and work toward a healthier environment. If you’d like to know more, our website is frogtowngreen.com and our phone is 651-757-5970.