May 2026 Meeting: Saturday 2nd May 2026, 10:30am. This will be an online meeting at bit.ly/climate-network. The MPL Community Room was already reserved for this date/time.
With agenda items, upcoming events, or more email wcmncn@googlegroups.com
Notes:
- Community Check-ins
- Captain (they/them) feeling pretty alright. Hanging out with friends, thinking about Riverview expansion. Cautious of the horrors.
- Vern is feeling a little numb, has some ideas that he wants to share later.
- Matthew has been sick and not sleeping well, except for last night, so now feeling great!
- Kim is thinking about all of the projects to do around her house, she will be painting later today. The horrors persist and she is using the projects to spend time thinking and processing about them.
- Garrett is glad to finally have some spring weather, he hates fake spring, and hates to be kept inside. The Wild are going to the second round of the playoffs and Garrett gets to chaperone for the 1st grade field trip with Julian.
- Barbara had a negative experience at SCMC because they had to go because Ted is ill. They also have a critter in a chimney and they are searching for for methods to get this critter out! Send help!
- Susan had a final week of classes and is finishing up her pieces, Nic is off at minibar (tech conference).
- Jeff is feeling alive, going for runs, sitting outside in the sun. He is getting ready to go to Alex and get plants and dirt for a raised garden bed. He is optimistic for the summer, and making some music happen at Eastside.
- Syd (she/they) had a wild week of being yelled at by a neighbor man, hanging out with her parents, and getting excited for her new griddle and having outside breakfast summer!
- Updates
- Container Farming Project
- Syd will reach out to Eric & Tina to ask for updates!
- We can maybe invite Tina to a future meeting to figure out what kinds of community outreach would be good. Us getting a tour and then being able to share about it at the Farmers Market would be good!
- Resilient Lawn/PdT Garden
- If you are interested in random garden starts come by PDT to check for them, Sheri Breen will share them there!
- Farmers Market
- We can table for Container Farming outreach, PDT garden things, and
- Container Farming Project
- May Discussion: farmers market, container farming outreach, money
- Susan can go to the Farmers Market meeting on May 28th at 4PM at the MPL and Vern will pay for the WCMNCN fee.
- Nic pays a fee for the WCMNCN website, we are thinking about paying Nic back for some of this. Sue and Nic don’t fully think we need to pay them back for this.
- What if Jeff designs us something for a banner for the Farmers Market and other events?
- Upcoming Events
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Arbor Month Community Tree Planting project will be May 20 (rain date May 26) at Kjenstad Park (see flyer attached). We need lots of people to help plant, but also volunteers who would like to do other things, or just cheer us on.
- Tree Planting 2026b.pdf
- Are there a group of Climate Network folks who want to go together? They will have hotdogs at the end.
- Syd, Captain, Tony, Jeff (maybe), Yeshy
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The City of Morris Tree Giveaway will be May 15-16 at the City Shops (see 2 items attached). The Tree Board’s goal is to get as many trees in the ground – and being cared for – as possible in preparation for the arrival of Emerald Ash Borer. Also, please remember as the season approaches – don’t bring any outside firewood into Morris. It may harbor tiny EAB larvae. We’re trying to delay the onset of EAB as long as possible.
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- Riverview MPCA Recap Chat
- Riverview MPCA meeting recap article - Wading into Hostile Waters - Land Stewardship Project
- Good things came out of the event even though Riverview worked to fill the room very early! Matthew connected with lots of people and LSP met their goals of community members attending.
- After the May 7th deadline, the MPCA has to respond to all the comments within 30 working days and make a decision on yes or no for requiring an EIS. After that the MPCA has 60 days to either give the permit or deny the permit. Once the comment period is done there is still stuff we can do as a community!
- Matthew is going to do an update meeting for folks over zoom next Tuesday at 6:30PM.
- LSP is sending around a petition addressed to Katrina Kessler.
- Thursday the 14th there will be another in person meeting.
- Next Meeting
- June 6th meeting, hybrid at the MPL and online
- Do we want to plan a prairie walk with Margaret? She suggested early June at Strandness Prairie north of Starbuck.
- June 13th Prairie Field Trip!