Sherburne Soil & Water Conservation District

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween 🎃
Our Fall edition of the SWCD Newsletter, Nature Talks is out!
Check it out or sign up to have it delivered to your email here:
https://www.sherburneswcd.org/swcd-news--events.html

10/27/2026

🍂 Leaves may be falling, but don’t rush to clear them away!

Burning or bagging and hauling away leaves means removing valuable nutrients that help keep soil healthy. It also removes important winter habitat for some bees, butterflies, moths and fireflies. 🐝🦋

Here are some tips for “leaving the leaves”:

✅ Keep them onsite: Rake as many leaves as possible into existing garden beds and around trees. Leaves can also be added to a compost pile for nutrient-rich soil in spring.

✅ Expand garden beds: If you still have leaves to spare, this is a great opportunity to expand your garden area! Thick piles of leaves can smother grass and leave you with garden beds to plant native plants next year.

✅ Mow mindfully: In areas you don’t want the lawn smothered, mulch-mow and leave shredded leaves in place for the winter to break down naturally and give your yard those beneficial nutrients.

✅ Create a leaf refuge: Avoid mowing your entire lawn at once. If possible, leave one-third to half of the area unmowed as habitat for overwintering pollinators and insects, or stagger mowing times to reduce habitat disruption.

These tips will help you maintain your yard to support backyard biodiversity while keeping leaves away from places we don’t want them - like storm drains and lakes. Pick the approach that works best for your yard!

10/23/2026

10/20/2026

One month away, reserve your spot today!

10/12/2026

What are the benefits of native aquatic plants? How can we support healthy ecosystems, protect shorelines, and promote cleaner water? Read how Minnesotans are bringing awareness to the importance of native vegetation.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/14/many-minnesotans-dont-value-aquatic-plants-the-states-lakes-are-paying-a-price

Want to learn more about lake ecosystems? Contact Dan Cibulka, [email protected]

10/09/2026

What are Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCD)?

SWCDs are the conservation experts in your community. As local government units, they provide technical assistance as well as funding and educational resources to meet the conservation needs of private landowners in their area. They work in both rural and urban settings to develop and implement voluntary programs that conserve and protect natural resources on private lands. SWCDs implement Minnesota's conservation programs via a statewide delivery system. Each district is governed by a board of elected Supervisors.

What are SWCD Supervisors?

SWCD Supervisors serve as locally elected leaders who help guide the mission, priorities and stewardship of their county's SWCD. Because Supervisors are locally elected, they bring citizen voice and local knowledge directly into the natural resource decision making. They advocate for local conservation, influence policy and approve conservation projects. They are actively involved in their community and may participate in district, state and regional events. Supervisors serve 4-year terms and are compensated for their time, expenses and travel.

Elections occur in November. After elections, Supervisors take an Oath of Office and begin their 4-year term in January.

Want to learn more? Watch this short video:

Conserving Minnesota's natural resources isn't an option. It's a re...

10/08/2026

Goldenrod – the Misunderstood Fall Gem

Each fall, the landscape lights up with bold yellow colors, some are the late season sunflowers, but the star of the show is the mighty goldenrod.

Goldenrod has an unfortunate reputation for causing allergies in the late summer/early fall – but the true culprit is not nearly as showy. Ragw**d, the inconspicuous, annual w**d blooms right around the time goldenrod is just starting to shine. The pollen grains of goldenrod are much too heavy and rely on pollinators to transport them to other flowers, while ragw**d has very lightweight pollen that can become windborne, finding the perfect resting spot in many unsuspecting noses. Ragw**d provides very little pollinator benefits, in contrast goldenrod is a pollinator powerhouse that supports a wide variety of pollinators late in the season when many other flowers have already gone dormant. Monarch butterflies, in particular rely on goldenrod as they fuel up for their long migration south, and many native bees crowd the blooms to collect the last resources before winter.

So next time you see a field of golden yellow and your nose starts to sniffle, remember goldenrod is not the enemy, but an important resource for all the pollinators we enjoy viewing during the summer.

Want to learn how to incorporate goldenrod and other native plants into your property? Contact Franny, [email protected]

10/07/2026

The October edition of Operator Opportunities is now available! Read here to learn more about upcoming events and assistance available in Sherburne County.

https://www.sherburneswcd.org/uploads/4/2/4/7/42475907/opporator_opportunities_oct2026_ff.pdf

10/06/2026

Come join us for 2026 Women in Ag! Register today for the free event, more details and final agenda coming soon!

https://www.sherburneswcd.org/womeninag.html