June 17, 2026 A Deep Dive into Rain Gardens Across the Twin Cities metro, communities like Minneapolis, White Bear Lake, and Plymouth have embraced large-scale rain garden projects to manage their stormwater in smarter, more sustainable ways. The most effective rain gardens use native plants, which yield the greatest benefits in capturing and filtering runoff, reducing flooding, and creating habitat for pollinators, all while… Read More
June 4, 2026 Unconventional Pollinators Everyone loves to see bumblebees buzzing, butterflies fluttering, and even hummingbirds darting between nectar-rich blossoms in their restoration area, but what about the less conventional pollinators? Pollination doesn’t just occur through these cute and friendly looking creatures, it also is provided by some of the more creepy-crawly insects and critters in our ecosystems. Beetles, flies,… Read More
April 15, 2026 Top Five Plant Species to Attract Rare Butterflies and Moths in Minnesota One of the greatest rewards of ecological restoration is seeing the wide variety of butterflies and moths fluttering about blooming native plants. In Minnesota, we are fortunate in that our diverse native ecosystems are home to over 1,200 species of Lepidoptera! (The order of insects that include butterflies and moths). Some are adaptable generalists, but… Read More
June 4, 2025 The Amazing Chemistry of Minnesota Native Plants Minnesota’s native flora is more than just looks—its plants showcase fascinating chemistry you’ve never considered! Individual plant species deploy specific chemicals that are essential to how they function in our ecosystems. From fending off hungry herbivores to wooing pollinators and outsmarting competitors, these plants demonstrate ingenuity that even rivals our use of chemicals to fight… Read More
April 21, 2025 The Rain Gardens on Grand Avenue We are thrilled to share the progress and success of the Grand Avenue Rain Garden Project, made possible through the collaboration between our Natural Shore Team and the Minneapolis Department of Public Works, Surface Waters, and Sewers. This green stormwater management initiative is working to reduce stormwater volume, improve water quality, provide essential habitat for… Read More
April 2, 2025 Out with Ornamentals in with Natives Ready to take on the most rewarding garden challenge ever? Imagine gradually planting beautiful, low maintenance native species to replace ornamentals. Transform your landscape into a haven for pollinators and wildlife, while reducing chemicals, water use, and maintenance. Minnesota’s native plants, from vibrant coneflowers to hardy prairie grasses, thrive in our climate and offer year-round… Read More
January 30, 2025 Leverage the Power of Native Plants Many people recognize the benefits of native plants but aren’t sure if they’re right for their space. The power of leveraging native plants is that there’s a perfect plant species for every unique situation! Evolved to thrive in Minnesota ecosystems, native plants help achieve various project objectives with specific plant communities. Here are a few… Read More
May 10, 2022 Top 10 Native Plants for Traditional Landscapes So why go native? The answer is pretty simple. While ornamental garden plants may look nice, they are really lacking when it comes to ecological benefits. Minnesota native plants provide traditional landscapes with high quality habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. On top of this, they also look great and are hardy; requiring no fertilizers… Read More
April 11, 2022 Transform Your Wetland with Invasive Cattail Removal! Did you know much of the cattail you see growing around ponds, wetlands, and lakes throughout Minnesota is actually non-native and invasive? In Minnesota, we have both a native broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia) and an invasive narrowleaf cattail (Typha angustifolia). Unfortunately, these tend to readily hybridize with one another, producing an aggressive hybrid (Typha x… Read More
February 25, 2022 Supporting the Monarch Butterfly: How Native Plants Can Make a Difference During the summer of 2021, our work crews commented on the noticeably low number of Monarchs in both larvaes and adults. For instance, we usually have hoards of monarchs in our greenhouses, munching on the young and succulent milkweed leaves. But last year, most of the milkweed leaving our greenhouses went to project sites without… Read More
November 15, 2021 Site Preparation: Setting Your Restoration Up for Success Site preparation for prairie and shoreline restoration projects is the most important and sometimes the most challenging component in achieving successful ecological restorations. Site conditions and restoration goals factor into the preparation methods that we employ. Our overall goals are to substantially reduce weed competition, repair areas impacted by erosion, and stabilize sites during vegetation… Read More
September 30, 2021 Maintenance Field Notes As the summer season quickly cascades into fall, our environmental restoration maintenance crews reflect on another season and what made it unique from past seasons. Every year is different and though these observations are anecdotal, collectively they help us understand the systems we create and manage at Natural Shore. Below are a few highlights that… Read More
