Monday Informer: Songs on the Lawn series starts Thursday
May 30—The Free Press
Mankato's popular Songs on the Lawn program returns 11 a.m. Thursday to Civic Center Plaza. The two-hour free summer event series features music, activities and local food vendors.
The music lineup is:
—June 2: Space Hug (indie pop rock).
—June 9: Holly Rocka Rollaz (rockabilly/early American).
—June 16: The Gentlemen's Anti-Temperance League (up-tempo/swing jazz).
—June 23: City Mouse (Americana).
—June 30: Stacy K (folk rock).
Watershed celebration slated
Le Sueur River Watershed neighbors and conservation partners will gather 5-7:30 p.m. June 6 at McGowan's Farm, 20001 Hawkeye Lane, to learn about the health of rivers and lakes in the Le Sueur River Watershed.
The free event is open to the public. Participants may spend time along the banks of the Le Sueur River to explore and learn about animals and plants that live within the watershed. Pie will be served.
Citizen leaders and conservation partners stationed along the route will provide attendees with information about the watershed. Participating agencies include Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fisheries staff and hydrologists. Blue Earth County Historical Society staff will share local history while county, state and federal staff will provide information about conservation programs, soil health and a watershed planning effort.
Sponsors of the event include Le Sueur River Watershed Network, a citizen-led group of farmers, recreational users, homeowners, and local conservation partners that focus on raising awareness and improving the health of the watershed.
Located in south central Minnesota, the Le Sueur River flows 111 miles from Freeborn County through parts of Waseca, Faribault and Blue Earth counties. Its major tributaries are the Cobb and Maple rivers.
For more information about the event, call the Water Resources Center 389-5492 or email a request to: kimberly.musser@mnsu.edu.
MPCA seeks volunteer water testers
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is seeking volunteers in the Mankato area to help track water quality.
Outdoor enthusiasts and those interested in helping protect our state's natural resources may sign up for several high-priority sites.
MPCA relies on Minnesota residents to help monitor Minnesota's 12,000-plus lakes and 92,000-plus miles of streams.
Volunteers measure water clarity in numerous lakes and streams and report back to the agency. Testers commit to performing water clarity test in a body of water twice a month during the summer.
Lake monitors boat or paddle to a designated spot in the lake to check the clarity, while stream monitors record data from the streambank or a bridge over it. The agency provide all the equipment and training, so no experience is needed.
The MPCA uses the data to help determine whether lakes and streams are meeting water quality standards designed to protect aquatic life and recreational activities like fishing and swimming. In some cases, the information gathered by volunteers is the only monitoring done on a particular lake or stream.
For more information on the program and how to sign up to volunteer, go to:
