2010 - Fall

Sustainable

Maplewood

The Greening of Maplewood

Maplewood Seasons Fall 2010 Parks & Preserves As Essential Services

recreational programs over the years and they continue to be a strong advocate in upholding the integrity of these essential services.

By DuWayne Konewko, Community Development and Parks Director

Maplewood has a rich history in parks and recreation dating back to the early 1960’s.

Since then Maplewood has acquired and maintains 35 parks (565 acres) and 14 neighborhood preserves (295 acres).

Maplewood’s recreational programming includes youth and adult soccer, softball, basketball, and volleyball. The city also collaborates with three recreational associations who offer baseball and hockey to our citizens. The Maplewood Nature Center is part of the park system where the city employs naturalists who offer youth and adult environmental programming. The city built the Maplewood Community Center in the early 1990’s and it houses a performing arts theatre, a banquet room, aquatic center, fitness facility, gymnasium, and racquetball courts. Maplewood’s Park and Recreation Commission have played a vital role in the creation of the city’s parks, preserves, and

It is a well-known fact that a city’s parkland and recreational programming help improve the health and wellness of its citizens. But did you know they also increase property values, attract new businesses and residents to the city, promote community, increase public safety, and protect our natural resources?

Neighborhood preserves offer natural areas in our urban environment where hiking, bird watching and enjoying nature take precedence. Parks serve as dual function offering recreational opportunities as well as pockets of natural areas. Maplewood’s parks program has improved the quality of life for all citizens and business owners. Maintaining that quality of life, however, can be complex and expensive.

Ninety-five percent of Maplewood’s parks and trails were acquired and developed with park access charges (PAC) over the last 30 years. PAC is a fee collected with building permits for all new construction in the city.

Due to the reduction in new construction the city has seen a decrease in this funding.

Another challenge is the age of the city’s park infrastructure which requires increased funding to maintain or replace. State statute prohibits PAC from being used for the ongoing maintenance of parks so this funding currently comes from the city’s general levy or tax dollars.

Like Maplewood’s park funding, the Park and Recreation Department has also experienced fluctuation over the last few years. To stabilize the organization and establish new direction, the City Council chose the re-establishment of a Parks and Recreation Department as one of their 2010 goals. This goal will involve city-wide park visioning to create a new philosophical approach that includes parks as one of Maplewood’s essential services. An essential service is what a city should offer to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. This philosophy will lend to the public support and political will needed to create new and innovative funding sources for parks and assist in rebuilding the Maplewood parks program. Visit www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/ parks for additional information.

Importance of Parks & Preserves

Health & Wellness

Increase Property Values

Promote Community & Increase Public Safety

Protect Natural Resources

A Bit Of Nature In Our Parks

By Ginny Gaynor, Natural Resources Coordinator One of my favorite images of Maplewood is the oak savanna

When you want to enjoy nature locally, you might think of visiting the Maplewood Nature Center or taking a hike at one of Maplewood’s 14 neighborhood preserves. Many of Maplewood’s parks also have a wild and natural side. These pockets of nature are a great place for a glimpse of nature in your neighborhood. Below are some wild and natural park highlights: Joy Park

Many residents have fond childhood memories of summer camp at Joy Park and Camp Silver Maple, located on the north side of Silver Lake. Joy Park Neighborhood Preserve, north of Joy Road, was farmed years ago and is very degraded ecologically. The active park on the south side of Joy Road, however, is one of Maplewood’s best natural areas. Its oak woodlands have one of Wooded wetland at Joy Park the best woodland wildflower displays in Maplewood (thanks to Mrs. Joy’s wildflower garden!).

Wooded wetlands at the park are noisy in spring with the calling of frogs. Wildlife at the park and preserve is diverse, including nesting wood ducks and fox. Last fall I was fortunate to watch a flock of bluebirds migrating through, fattening up on seeds and berries.

at Wakefield Park. At the time of settlement, the Maplewood landscape was primarily oak savanna. This view of Wakefield is a classic oak savanna landscape – scattered oaks or a grove of oaks with a groundcover of prairie grasses and flowers. Visit in September or October to wade through the big bluestem grass gracing the hillside. Some years it reaches 7’ high! Prescribed burns have been conducted at the savanna a few times in the past 12 years to encourage the prairie flora. More intensive management – especially removing spotted knapweed and tansy – is needed to help the savanna reach its full potential. Many visitors come for the amenities—the playground, softball fields, and trail. The trail winds around part of the lake through manicured parkland and natural areas, and passes by a butterfly garden and rain gardens along the way.

This past summer a picnic shelter and fishing dock were installed at the park and have been very welcome additions.

Lion’s Park berry thicket creek crawl stone creekbed bench, typ.

bench and binoculars

hideout, log seating 24’x24’ shelter, with tables and grills butterfly plantings in raingarden boardwalk vegetated swale entry monument and kiosk bicycle loops

berm topped by shrub mass

8’ bituminous trail

boardwalk

tee ball field

playground, with game table & bench

The oak savanna at Wakefield Park.

mowed turf inside trail vegetated swale Farrell st.

Wakefield Park

litter receptacle, typ.

existing tree to preserve, typ.

stone slab bench, typ.

When the master plan was created for Joy Park, residents and Park Commissioners agreed that the natural resources in the park should be protected. The plan places future park facilities in formerly developed areas of the park. In 2008-2009, the Lake Links Trail and a new boat launch were installed.

This year the city begins shoreline restoration and will install a fishing pier. In future years we hope to complete a trail system for the park and preserve, and install picnic and play areas.

ornamental flowering trees

half court basketball overstory tree, typ.

0

15 30 FT

Concept Plan For Lion’s Park

Earlier this year the City Council approved the Lion’s Park master plan. One of the primary concerns in the master plan was improving stormwater management on the site to alleviate occasional flooding in the area. The Park Commission also wanted to incorporate sustainable landscaping concepts and a nature play area. The design team has created a plan that beautifully integrates natural areas into an active park. In addition to a ball field, tot lot, and picnic shelter, the park features a “creek crawl”, raspberry and blueberry patches, no-mow lawn areas, trees, shrubs, and an extensive system of rain gardens planted with native shrubs and prairie plants. Park renovations are schedule to begin in fall 2010.

When you want to enjoy a bit of nature, don’t forget about Maplewood’s vast park system with its pockets of wild and natural areas. Nature is calling you from your own neighborhood park.

Maplewood Seasons 2

Illustrat

Lion’

Lawn Care at Maplewood Parks

By Jim Taylor, Recreation Supervisor and Ginny Gaynor, Natural Resources Coordinator

In April 2010, the City Council reviewed a turf management plan for cityowned properties. The purpose of the plan is to reduce the environmental impacts of turf, while maintaining healthy turf where it is needed for play or aesthetics. Turf has many benefits, but maintenance practices can be detrimental Mowing Pleasantview Park to the environment including fertilizers running off and polluting lakes and streams, pesticides harming plants and animals, and mowing emissions causing air pollution.

Maplewood’s turf management plan has four main goals: 1. Consider the following in turf management decisions:

a) intended use of turf;

b) environmental impacts;

c) economic impacts;

d) aesthetics; and

e) operations.

2. Reduce the number of acres of turf grass at parks and on public lands.

3. Vary the levels of maintenance based on turf use and classification.

4. Minimize the environmental impacts of turf maintenance.

Changes in turf management are often difficult for staff and residents.

In the late 1990’s the city stopped treating dandelions at its parks due to concerns about herbicide use and application costs. The Parks Department received many complaints including concerns about safety of athletic fields, aesthetics, seeds blowing onto private property, and a perceived neglect of the city’s parks. Learning from that experience we want to ensure major changes in the city’s turf management are carefully evaluated and tested to determine efficiency, acceptance by the community, and operational logistics.

This past summer Maplewood began implementing the turf management plan. The city parks crew now uses the turf classification chart, which spells out different levels of management for athletic fields vs. other types of turf areas. At Maplewood Heights Park we began a pilot project to reduce mowing and restore the wetland buffer. The first step in that project was to stop mowing a portion of the buffer. Over the next few years the buffer will be used as a demonstration site where people can compare the aesthetics, ecological functioning, and maintenance of several types of vegetation including un-mown turf grass, no-mow fescue lawn, prairie plantings, shrub masses, and trees and shrubs.

Volunteers: A Key Ingredient For Successful Recreation Programs

By Jim Taylor and Audra Robbins, Recreation Program Supervisors

Summer Girls Sofball

Volunteers are the lifeblood of communities, and nowhere is their contribution more valuable than as coaches of our youth sports teams. We are 100% dependant on our volunteer coaches. The City of Maplewood is fortunate to have over 400 volunteer coaches in our summer, fall, and winter sports programs. These coaches volunteer countless hours to run the city’s t-ball, softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball or floor hockey programs. Volunteer coaches teach our children to play fair, play safe, and play well.

While it may seem obvious that sports are fun; scientific studies show that sports make kids healthier, smarter, stronger, and more compassionate people - for the rest of their lives! As a community, we salute your dedication and hard work. Three cheers for all our coaches!

Spring Co-rec Soccer

This fall and winter staff will be evaluating the use of chemicals at our parks and we hope to test some alternative products and strategies in 2011. We will also continue work begun by University of Minnesota students as part of Sustainable Maplewood 2050 to identify areas of parks that are not needed for active play, which could be converted from turf to other types of vegetation.

Fall is perhaps the most important season for turf care, whether at home or at our parks. Visit the Sustainable Landscaping webpage for information on low-impact lawn care for homeowners at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/landscaping.

Maplewood Seasons 3

Take A Hike In Maplewood Parks

By Ann Hutchinson, Lead Naturalist

“Let’s go for a hike!” Hiking is one of the best exercises we can do for ourselves, and the city is committed to providing trail connections that encourage you to bike, walk, and stay active.

Many of Maplewood’s 35 parks have trails and trail links of all kinds – from narrow footpaths to 10-foot wide bikeways. The existing hard surface trails in Maplewood total 49.3 miles, including connector trails, park trails and regional trails (www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/parks). One way to make your hike in the park more fun is through an activity known as GeoCaching.

Tyler Schaller, Aspiring Eagle Scout

Tyler Schaller, an aspiring Eagle Scout, has created Geocaches in 25 of the city’s parks, plus the Maplewood Nature Center. Geocache locations are posted on the city’s website at www. ci.maplewood.mn.us/geocache. To participate in geocaching you will need a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, available at local retail and sports stores for reasonable prices. GeoCaches are hidden on or close to many of the trails.

Your mission is to hunt down each cache in the parks. Collect a sticker from each cache for your passport book (available at the Nature Center or the Parks and Recreation counter at City Hall). Once your passport is full, bring it to either the Maplewood Nature Center or the Parks and Recreation counter to claim your prize!

What else will you find in the parks this fall as you search for the man-made caches? A huge oak, a chipmunk sleeping in a hollow log, or maybe the storage cache of acorns will be your find.

Woodpeckers, squirrels and chipmunks are notorious acorn cachers! Blue Jays fly up to one or two miles away and hammer the acorn into the ground. And of course the acorns that don’t get found and eaten–sprout!

Global Positioning System (GPS)

As your feet crunch on leaves and nuts when you are Geocaching in the parks this fall, watch for white-tail deer and wild turkey – they munch on acorns too. Out of respect to our fellow animal cachers and to the trees and plants they need to survive, please remember to tread lightly when off trail and to securely close and return the cache to its proper place!

Geocaching

Squirrel

These animals hide nuts for later. This is called “caching.”

Blue Jay

By Oakley Biesanz, Naturalist

Chipmunk

Red Oak

Answer: 12 acorns

White Oak

Color these animals & count how many acorns are on this page! Find two more acorns on each page of this Seasons edition, and find oak trees and acorns in your local parks or neighborhood!

Maplewood Seasons 4

Printed on 30% post-consumer waste paper

NUTS ABOUT CACHING