Mark your calendar to make a green difference

Sick of snow? Me, too. It’s frustrating to be stuck inside yet again in what feels like an endless series of “final” winter storms. But these last slushy days give us time to get out the spring calendar and sort through the many ways we can work together to make our neighborhoods greener and healthier.
Want to make a green difference once spring gets here? Take your pick of the possibilities, depending on your preference and availability. More information about all these activities can also be found on the Frogtown Green website, www.frogtowngreen.com, or at the links listed below.

Hate all that litter revealed by melting snow?
That’s an easy one. St Paul’s annual City-Wide Parks and Neighborhood Clean-up happens again this Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Frogtown Green is hosting two sites this year: our traditional site at Frogtown Park & Farm, and a new site at Valley Park, on the east side of the neighborhood. The clean-up process couldn’t be simpler: show up, grab a bag and some gloves, and rid our streets and greenspaces of a winter’s worth of litter. It’s a great event for families, church groups and clubs.

Love native plants and pollinators?
You’re in luck. Frogtown Green sponsors a weekly volunteer session at Monarch City, our half-mile of pollinator-friendly gardens on the north side of West Minnehaha Park and Rec Center. These native gardens mostly take care of themselves, but they do need some weeding and mulching, as well as replanting in bare spots. And they are beautiful! You don’t need any experience to drop in to work with our Monarch City volunteer crew on Thursday mornings, from 9-11 a.m., starting May 15.

Really love native plants and pollinators?
If you would like a deeper immersion in the work of growing native plants, consider joining the Seedling Corps! This multi-neighborhood group of volunteers nurtures pollinator plants and bare root trees for The Bee Line (yet another big pollinator project, this one along Pierce Butler Route). The plants, containers, soil, and any other needed materials are provided. You provide the space and a bit of daily tending, like watering, scouting, and repotting. This is an easy way to get involved in the local movement to restore native plants and pollinators and make a significant impact on our local environment. Details on what’s involved and how to join at www.hamlinemidway.org/beeline

Worried about all those ash trees that have come down lately?
Emerald ash borer continues to take a grim toll on our boulevard trees. While the city’s forestry department works to restore the streetside tree canopy, residents can also help. Join a community tree planting group in Frogtown, Hamline-Midway or Summit-U and give free trees to your neighbors. These are small groups of dedicated resident volunteers who have an ingenious system for “growing shade.”
The oldest of these groups, Frogtown Green’s “Tree Frogs,” will be nurturing over 100 fruit and shade trees for fall giveaways. The Tree Frogs have been active since 2009 and have planted more than 500 free trees. To join them or to sign up for a free tree, call Frogtown Green at 651-757-5970.
• You can support the Hamline Midway urban tree canopy by helping to modify that neighborhood’s tree nursery gravel bed on Saturday, April 29. Volunteers will shovel gravel out of the gravel bed used to grow bare root trees for the HMEC Free Trees Project, so some modifications to the structure can be done. Gravel will then be put back into the bed. Email trees@hamlinemidway.org to register or ask questions.
• Volunteers with the Canopy Connectors, a group that serves the Summit-University community, are also growing trees for fall giveaway in their nursery gravel bed, at Unity Church-Unitarian. Connect with the Canopy Connectors at unityunitarian.org/canopy-connectors

Looking to pull really BIG weeds?
Sign up to bust some buckthorn.The Frogtown Park Stewards are partnering with Great River Greening on Saturday April 15, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Use a variety of tactics to clear away buckthorn, a shrub that has taken over the park’s wilder spaces, crowding out other more beneficial plants. This work will ready the space for native plantings later in the season. No previous knowledge or experience is necessary, tools and training provided. To register, contact Jessica at jdrummond@greatrivergreening.org

Ready to join a community garden?
Join Our Village gardeners. Frogtown Green has a half dozen spaces open at Our Village, a 40-bed community garden at Pierce Butler Route and Milton Street, a block north of Frogtown Park & Farm. The gardeners are a multinational mix, reflecting Frogtown’s recent immigrants as well as old-timers. Garden beds are 4 x 10, with mulch, water, and some tools provided. Call Frogtown Green if you are itching to grow food in community.
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.