1. Michael Hassing learned that by paying attention, he can reduce his water use. “I timed my shower for 20 seconds; in 20 seconds my shower produces 1/2 gallon. Even better, I cut my shower run time to 90 seconds by wetting down, turning off shower while soaping up, and then rinsing. And further, I cut down on the number of showers; instead using wash cloth to clean up.”
   
   What action took most adjustment? Actually, the biggest adjustment was one that wasn’t even recorded in contest. Their basement dehumidifier (gallon & a half capacity) was emptied into garden rather than into basement sink. It all added up, especially since the dehumidifier filled twice a week.
   
   Michael’s tip for neighbors interested in water conservation: “Use water more efficiently. Two ways; set up a rain barrel and either do not water grass or use only water from rain barrel to water grass. In addition, I converted a 5X7 foot boulevard of grass into a flower garden. And I am in process of converting a 7X7 foot grass into a raspberry garden. I keep thinking of more ways. Get an Oral-B battery toothbrush; no running water except at end to flush mouth.”
2. Elizabeth Sundquist never realized how much water we waste daily. Keeping track of her household’s water usage really put into perspective how we all take advantage of our readily available water.
   
   For Elizabeth, the thing that required the most “effort” was in minimizing showering time and toothbrushing. “Making a conscious effort to not keep the water running while brushing required many reminders to my children daily as well as myself. Now it’s routine! Showers are 10 minutes or less and everyone comes out clean!”

Elizabeth’s tips for neighbors interested in water conservation? “Definitely buying a water saving head for the shower is a big step in the right direction! Another thing I do when soaking pots and pans prior to going in the dishwasher is I will fill one with hot water and soap, after its soaked enough to get stuck on gunk I dump the water into the next pot and scrub the first out with a brush and keep going until they are all ready to go in the dishwasher. Lastly always wash your clothes in cold water! The detergent cleans them, not the hot water: hot water only sets in stains and potentially shrinks fabric.”

3. Katie Halvorson learned that many of the ways to reduce her water usage are very simple and not at all time-consuming or difficult. The hardest part, really, is just being aware of what changes need to be made and then remembering and committing to making those changes. As she tells it, pretty soon most of her choices just became routine.
   
   What water contest action required the most effort? “Probably limiting the number of showers I took each week. Cutting my time down wasn’t too hard (I just turn the water off while I’m sudsing), but since I’m a very active/outdoorsy person (and this summer was particularly warm), I found it challenging to try showering less often than every day.

   Katie’s tips for a neighbor who wants to save more water? “Just try! Make the effort to start reducing, and soon enough it will just become a habit. And every little bit helps.” For inspiration, here are some of the changes she made:

   • My laundry settings– always cold water, no extra rinse, and large loads less frequently.
   • My rain barrel, which I used to water my lawn and flowerbeds during the drier parts of the summer (courtesy of Sustain Winona!)
   • My basement dehumidifier tank water, which I added to my rain barrel or used to water my indoor plants instead of sink water.
   • My reusable water bottle, which I take with me everywhere, so that I never have to buy disposable plastic bottles.
4. Through the water contest, Cathleen Faruque felt the challenge helped her learn, and believes that idea applies beyond water conservation. “It is important to think about where your water comes from and how water is not easily accessible for all people in our world. We need to conserve water and help our planet. Simple things like not running water when not in use, flushing when you need to, saving rain water to water your plants, washing clothes only when you have a full load and use cold. These are simple adjustments that everyone can do.
   
   Most difficult for Cathleen was turning down the hot water and remembering to turn it on vacation mode when gone. “I like a hot shower, but I found I spend less time in the shower if the water isn’t so hot – it is get down to business and get out! Other than that, I don’t feel anything I did was so hard to do – it is just being conscious.
   
   Cathleen implemented a wide array of water-saving techniques, like:
   • New low flush toilet (I had checked that the old toilet was leaking and wasting water – I did this by putting red food coloring in the tank and checking the bowl a few minutes later and the water was colored with the food dye). When I purchased a new toilet – I made sure to get the most water efficient I could find. Also, I do flush less – and save water!
   • We NEVER water our grass – we use a old fashioned watering can to water our tomatoes or rhubarb, flowers – so we only water what we need to water. Grass may turn yelllow but we are “mellow” with that! We use the rain water as much as we can – if it’s there – we use that first before going to the tap.
   • We have a rain barrel and we also built a new one with Parks and Rec this Spring – but the new one isn’t installed yet. It was a good thing we built the new one because our old store bought model has a crack in it now! I think the new one we built ourselves is a whole lot better.
   • Put the setting on LOW on the hot water heater – and keep it there! We put it on vacation when we are not home for more than a week. I know some people don’t like this – but we don’t shower every day around here! We shower 2 times a week (3 if it is really hot and muggy!) Showers are quick – under 5 minutes. I noticed when I stopped showering daily – skin dryness clears up and my hair is thicker. It is better for you not to shower every day.
   • Wash clothes on cold water. All clothes do fine on cold. There is no reason to do warm or hot. Make sure to select the right size load. In fact, I don’t ever do a small load – I always do a large or extra large and wash clothes 2 times a week no more. *Not related to this challenge – but I also don’t use the dryer all that much. I like to hang my clothes to dry! I set up a place to hang clothes in the basement so that I don’t have to worry about the weather outside!

Cathleen’s recommendations for where other neighbors should start are straightforward. “I would say the easiest is really a rain barrel. If Parks and Rec does the making a rain barrel thing again next year – I would HIGHLY recommend people do this – it was FUN and it is a great way to collect water so you can water your outdoor plants. Also, it is worth it to check your toilets to see if they are wasting water and even though it costs a few hundred dollars to replace a toilet – it is well worth it – you will save money in the long run and you save water. Flushing only when you need to – I know may be hard for some people – but even maybe trying to only flush if it’s yellow every second or third time. Imagine the water you would save if you only flushed half as much as you do right now!”

• Test Your Well Water Quality
• Winona County Rural Climate Dialogues
• Community Water Monitoring Project Launch
• Our Winona Woods Campaign Eradicating Oriental Bittersweet Infestation

Test Your Well Water Quality

In 2015 the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) conducted a major revision of the Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan and with that came the Township Testing Program to assess concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen in private wells at the township scale. The drinking water standard for nitrate is 10 parts per million and while nitrate-nitrogen can occur naturally in groundwater, it’s typically around levels of 0 to 3 ppm. Human activities like sewage disposal, livestock production, and crop fertilization can elevate levels which can have negative effects on human health. The MDA identified townships around the state that were vulnerable to groundwater contamination and had significant row crop production, prioritizing a list for scheduled testings.

Identified as a priority area, over 900 wells in townships of Winona County were tested as part of the Township Testing Program. Four Winona County townships had more than 10% of their wells over the Health Standard of 10 ppm with some ranging upwards of 40%. The data collected from this program helps the MDA focus any future work within the County and the more wells that get tested, the better the information to determine next steps. It’s suggested that owners of private wells test yearly for both coliform bacteria and all anions (nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, chloride, and sulfate) to ensure sanitary drinking water.

Winona County has test kits available for purchase at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility located at 225 West 2nd Street in Winona. Two test kits are available, one for coliform bacteria and the other for anions. Kits are $32 each or a combo kit is available for $54. The Household Hazardous Waste Facility is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm. See their website for more on test kits.

Winona County Rural Climate Dialogues

In March of 2016 eighteen Winona County residents, demographically reflective of Winona County, participated in the Winona County Climate Dialogue to decide how Winona County could best address extreme weather and a changing climate to remain a resilient community. The program, Rural Climate Dialogues, is run by the Institute for Agriculture and the Trade Policy and the Jefferson Center who seek to strengthen democracy by advancing informed, citizen-developed solutions to public issues. Over the course of three days participants prioritized challenges, opportunities for response, and both individual and community wide actions to address those challenges. Many of the recommendations related to water quality and energy issues with a pilot project continuing to implement many of the recommendations.

This weekend, the Dialogues continue with the Winona County Energy Dialogue. In this chapter of the Rural Dialogues program, 21 community members will gather to discuss the energy system, and what the future of Winona County’s energy system could look like. The group will hear from experts speaking on the topic of Energy Sources, Utility Perspectives, and Consumers Perspectives, in addition to a crash-course in how the energy system works and what it looks like in Winona County. Following the presentations, the participants will deliberate in small groups to prioritize challenges and opportunities, and create action plans to strengthen the energy system. We look forward to hearing what this group’s ultimate recommendations are, and encourage you to stop by for part of the event, which will be held at the Winona County Historical Society. For more information or to take a look at the event agenda, email Camille, Program Coordinator for the Jefferson Center.

Community Water Monitoring Project Launch

Winona County has several impaired rivers and streams, meaning the water quality of those waterbodies is not meeting the State’s standards. Agricultural practices to prevent erosion and sedimentation, monitoring by students at area colleges, and citizen engagement by community groups have certainly helped bring this important issue to light however. In an effort to build upon these initiatives Sustain Winona and partner Izaak Walton League of America offered “Save our Streams”, a workshop to train volunteers on water quality monitoring through the sampling of invertebrates. This conservation initiative already in place by the Izaak Walton League is helping obtain a clearer picture of water-quality across the country and now trained volunteers in Winona County can assist in data collection needed for restoration.

To continue to engage the community and new volunteer stream monitors after March’s workshop, Sustain Winona is hosting a water quality monitoring launch event. The event will take place in August at Farmer’s Park and will help build a group of people interested in learning more and becoming involved with water quality monitoring efforts while of course, having fun! The event will feature demonstrations on monitoring different data points such as physical, chemical, and invertebrates. It will also have food and some other surprises in store. Conservation as been a core part of the Izaak Walton League of America and together with Sustain Winona they hope to build a volunteer group for regular sampling of our local streams and continue raising awareness on what’s going on with our water, not just locally, but all over our region. Keep an eye out over the next month for more details on August’s Community Water Monitoring launch event and like Sustain Winona on Facebook to receive updates.

Our Winona Woods Campaign Eradicating Oriental Bittersweet Infestation

With the largest infestation of Oriental Bittersweet in the state of Minnesota, management efforts are greatly needed within Winona County as this invasive species continues to threaten our area woodlands. Funded by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Our Winona Woods campaign will kick off this summer running through the end of October to help landowners eradicate Oriental Bittersweet on their property. A group of local, Winona are residents have already been hard at work removing the species from various locations around the County but will now have additional help from a seasonal intern thanks to this grant. In addition to participating as team member in the Our Winona Woods campaign to help educate all County residents on the removal of invasive species, the intern will also work one-on-one with landowners.

If you think you have Oriental Bittersweet or other invasive species (Poison Hemlock, Japanese Knotweed, etc) on your property, reach out to the campaign and someone will stop by to confirm the infestation. From there, Our Winona Woods will work with you to remove the infestation from your property. Email ourwinonawoods@gmail.com or call 507-457-6468 for more information or have a member of the campaign visit your property.

• Winona County Water Contest Underway
• Collaboration to Train Local Contractors on Energy Efficiency Installations
• Downtown Winona Energy Efficiency Business Blitz
• Upcoming Teacher Workshop at Whitewater State Park

Winona County Water Contest Underway

This county-wide contest, open to all Winona County residents, supports residents in saving water and reducing their water costs. Residents can choose to participate individually or as team and may enter the contest at any time. The contest runs from April 1st to August 31st during which time participants can earn points by completing water saving actions such as fixing leaks, using a reusable water bottle instead of purchasing bottled water, installing energy efficient appliances, and much more! A full list of actions and point scores for each can be found on the Water Contest page under the Contest tab on Sustain Winona’s website.

Get started today: Install a rain barrel and earn 150 points! Collect rain water to re-use for watering your lawn or garden.Purchase a rain barrel from Sustain Winona for $25 or sign up for the DIY Rain Barrel Workshop on May 9th and make your own rain barrel for only $16.50.

To purchase a rain barrel contact Anne Morse at amorse@co.winona.mn.us or by phone at 507-457-6468.

To register for the DIY Rain Barrel Workshop follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/diy-rain-barrel-workshop-tickets-44915066172

Get started today: Install a rain garden and earn 200 points! Rain gardens require no watering once established, prevent stormwater runoff, and replenish your groundwater. The City of Winona and Winona County each have available rain garden cost-share grants for residents interested in installing a rain garden at their home. Resources are available on Sustain Winona’s website under the Take Action tab or by contacting Lauren at ljensen@co.winona.mn.us, 507-457-6574.

Partners Collaborate to Train Local Contractors on Energy Efficiency Installations

A 10% residential energy use reduction is one of the goals of Winona’s Energy Action Plan, but both the city and Xcel Energy realized that once the Home Energy Squad accomplished their energy audits, there would be a barrier to completing the proposed recommendations. The problem, it seems, is that there are too few contractors in the region with required certifications to complete needed installations. Under Xcel’s rebate program installers must maintain a Building Performance Institute (BPI) installation certificate, also known as the Air Leakage Control (ALC) certification to show proof of necessary skills to complete energy efficiency work. This barrier soon may be removed, thanks to a group of partners who arranged for free training and testing for four local contractors. Now, not only can homeowners save money with reduced energy costs, but the jobs will benefit our local economy.

To encourage contractors to take the training Xcel came forward with scholarships of $400 for each student and $600 in promotional support. Minnesota State College Southeast wrote and received a grant of $3500 from the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs). Finally, a local consulting company, Efficiency Detectives LLC , stepped in to cover the balance of the costs. During the first week of April all efforts came together and four contractors were trained and tested.

The training lasted a day while the rigorous testing for each individual lasted up to seven hours. The skills were assessed by a BPI qualified proctor and soon we’ll know which companies are qualified and now available for all those homes that had energy audits in 2017. One of the students, Jonathan Powell will be the new Construction Technology instructor at MSCS and plans to include these very same skills into the new program when it starts in the Fall.  “The training and testing were very eye opening, the amount of energy someone can save by taking these simple steps in air sealing is great knowledge to not only the installer but also to future students” says Jonathan Powell. “I am excited to introduce this into my program”.

Downtown Winona Energy Efficiency Business Blitz

After a snowstorm delayed plans, five staff from the City of Winona and Minnesota’s Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) set out on Wednesday, March 7th for the first Business Blitz in downtown Winona. The blitz involved walking door-to-door in downtown Winona to speak with small and medium businesses about reducing energy use and saving money on their energy bills. They achieved their goal of reaching 100 small and medium businesses, and signed 29 businesses up for free energy assessments with EnergySmart, a program offered by the State Chamber of Commerce.

Throughout the day, the Business Blitz team informed business owners about programs available to Xcel energy customers, rebates they may be eligible for from past or future energy efficient updates, and financing available including Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) – an innovative funding opportunity available in Winona County.

On March 19th and 20th, three EnergySmart energy efficiency specialists made a visit to Winona to conduct on-site energy assessments with the 29 local businesses. The assessments included a discussion of recent building updates, a tour of the business’ HVAC, lighting and appliances, and concluded with rebate paperwork where applicable.

The energy efficiency specialists took note of specific appliance and lighting models and gained permission to access businesses’ past energy bills in order to create specialized recommendation reports for each business. The reports include proposed project costs, estimated savings, available rebates and a return on investment spreadsheet.

To learn more contact the City of Winona’s Natural Resources Sustainability Coordinator John Howard at jhoward@ci.winona.mn.us or the Business Energy Efficiency Outreach Intern Sadie Neuman at sneuman@ci.winona.mn.us.

Upcoming Teacher Workshop at Whitewater State Park

This two-day workshop is for educators interested in gaining resources for using water as a context for learning—while meeting state education standards in science, social studies, technology, and language arts. The content of this workshop, developed with input from surveyed teachers in Olmstead, Winona, and Wabasha Counties, is catered specifically to Southeastern Minnesota and the Whitewater Watershed.

For a $35 registration free, participants will receive:

• Instruction and hands-on participation in water-based education activities,  indoors and in the field
• Sample lessons from MinnAqua, Project WET, Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, and River of Dreams curricula
• Introduction to ESRI Story Mapping and WHAF online technologies
• Tour of the Whitewater Watershed
• Two catered lunches from local farms and Q&A about farmers’ conservation practices
• Annual Minnesota State Parks Vehicle Permit valid through June, 2019 ($35 value)
• Collaborative curriculum planning time 
• 16 CEUs

Ten full scholarships are available upon request. Act quickly because registration is limited to 50 educators! Learn more and find the Registration Form at: https://friendsofwhitewater.weebly.com/teacher-workshop.html

Spurred by a group of passionate residents and representatives of local institutions, many of which are members of Sustain Winona and the Winona Energy Action Team, Winona County has increased community-wide adoption of energy efficiency and conservation by bringing together community partners across Winona County as part of the Moving Winona Forward Energy Collaboration.

The resulting connections and projects have continued to advance the state’s energy goals by growing the local capacity to serve stakeholders, residents, and the broader community. The project leveraged state, federal, and utility funding sources to perform energy audits and efficiency improvements for over 200 Winona County households, the majority of which were low-income. Furnace testing, a component of the home energy audits, resulted in the replacement of two furnaces by the federal Weatherization Assistance Program. Participation in these household energy efficiency improvement programs resulted in savings of 150,557 kWh and 15,789 therms in 2017.

The City of Winona, Winona County, and Winona Area Public Schools are also helping to meet the solar energy standard through a commitment to purchasing 40%, 100%, and 100% of their annual energy use, respectively, from a community solar garden slated to be operational in 2018; their purchasing agreements extend for 25 years and are projected to offer significant savings.

In late 2017, the City of Winona adopted an Energy Action Plan, developed in collaboration with Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy. The plan includes a bold goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Winona’s Energy Action Team members—which included elected officials, city staff, representatives from area educational institutions, and community volunteers with energy-related expertise—met to review energy use data, determine community priorities, and develop strategies to meet the identified goals. Implementation of this plan will reduce the city’s energy use by 10% by 2025.

FILLING IN THE GAPS

Moving Winona Forward helped identify, and is currently working to overcome, a policy hurdle regarding the availability of qualified insulation installers in the Winona area. Xcel Energy currently requires installers to hold Building Performance Institute Air Leakage Control (ALC) certification in order to offer customers rebates on insulation work. Presently, the closest ALC certified installers are nearly 50 miles away from the City of Winona – making it difficult for Winona area businesses and residents to obtain the rebate. The Energy Action Team is addressing this challenge by using a CERTs SEED grant, Partners in Energy support, and in-kind support from both Minnesota State College Southeast and a local business called Energy Detectives to train local installers and incorporate the training into the local technical college’s curriculum. The first local installers should be certified by early Summer of 2018.

Prior to this project, Xcel Energy’s dedicated funding for low-income household energy conservation was largely inaccessible to residents of Winona County: the majority of low-income service providers are located in the Twin Cities Metro. As a result of Moving Winona Forward, and with support from Xcel Energy, the region’s Community Action Agency (Semcac) became qualified to conduct Home Energy Savings Program audits in low-income homes. This first-of-its-kind coordination between Xcel Energy and a Minnesotan Community Action Agency expanded local capacity for energy efficiency improvements while leveraging existing funds dedicated to energy conservation. There were 34 home energy audits conducted in Winona County by Semcac through this effort, all of which resulted in energy efficiency improvements.

MEETING COMMUNITY NEEDS

A key tenet of Moving Winona Forward is that there is great value in organizational collaboration to connect needs with resources across Winona County. This strategy proved successful in solving problems, such as addressing the lack of qualified insulation installers or availability of energy auditors for low-income households. Another notable example can be found in the B3 Benchmarking outreach to communities in Winona County. When meeting with the City of Altura, it became clear that an engineering study of the wastewater pumps would be most useful. The Southeast CERTs Coordinator, one of the partners conducting outreach, connected the City of Altura with MnTAP, which provided the city with an audit at no cost. The MnTAP study’s recommendation of shutting down up to 6 of 10 aeration pumps, to be conducted in phases over the next two years, is estimated to save the City about $14,000/year and reduce electricity use by about 173,000 kWh/year.

Moving Winona Forward’s partnership-focused strategy provided greater outcomes for Winona County’s low-income households than would have been possible alone. Members of the Energy Action Team and Sustain Winona reached out to the Winona Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) about offering household energy audits to the residents in their public housing units. At first, the plan was to offer audits to a few interested residents, but the HRA later decided to implement the energy audits in all 170 of their single family residential units. In a matter of three months, this project went from proposal to plan to completion, and resulted in a large investment in energy efficiency— valued at between $30,000-$102,000—for Winona’s low-income housing stock, at no cost to the residents.

BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER

Sustain Winona supported the Winona County Climate Dialogue in 2016, which helped provide a publicly-created agenda to guide the Moving Winona Forward work. Increased emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energy was highlighted as one of the community recommendations. In response, the Moving Winona Forward partners organized an energy conservation contest eligible to all residents of Winona County wherein individuals and teams earned points for completing energy-saving actions. The contest increased participation in energy-conservation programs and actions while also supporting ongoing community conversations about energy use in Winona County. Other outreach efforts include tabling at home expos, an Earth Day event, and two targeted education sessions on residential energy efficiency which reached over 150 individuals. Additionally, members of Winona’s Energy Action Team gathered survey responses from more than 250 residents on how best to engage them in energy conservation which will inform future outreach efforts and strategy.

MOVING WINONA COUNTY FORWARD

The Moving Winona Forward efforts to increase energy efficiency for Winona County residents had a two-pronged approach: to support a community-wide discussion on energy use, and to focus financial resources on vulnerable households. The funds used to provide energy audits and household improvements were dedicated to low- and fixed-income households. For these residents, energy bills tend to represent a higher percentage of monthly income and expensive energy efficiency improvements are unrealistic. To further the reach of Xcel Energy’s conservation programs, the City of Winona is incorporating program and rebate information into their own home rehabilitation efforts, allowing households to save more of their earned income. In 2017, 197 Winona County households received Low Income Home Energy Squad (LIHES) visits, up nearly 1,500% from the 12 conducted in 2016. Winona-area LIHES visits made up nearly 18% of Xcel Energy’s LIHES visits statewide, despite being less than 3% of the customer base. In total, including Low Income Home Energy Squad visits and Home Energy Savings Programs, the outreach and engagement efforts of Moving Winona Forward resulted in 224 homes served in Winona County. Low- and fixed- income households in Winona County continue to benefit from these energy efficiency improvements, with another wave of Winona County residents soon to join them—a second round of energy audits and Home Energy Squad visits are currently in development.

1. Barry Ring learned that he could reduce his energy usage by installing new energy-efficient products. When he updated appliances, he was sure to read the energy use when selecting the appliance of his energy-saving dreams.

   The conservation action that took the most effort? Installing the insulation took the most amount of time, and required significant clean-up!

   Barry’s tip for neighbors interested in energy conservation: Begin your efforts with an energy audit: start with the small things first, like changing lightbulbs from incandescent to LED, turning down the thermostat and turning down the hot water heater.

2. Michael Hassing taught himself to

   

   shut off the power strip on his computer every night and discovered that using less hot water reduced the energy use of his electric water heater.

   Michael’s tip for neighbors interested in energy conservation: Hang washed clothes out to dry, and in the winter when it’s not possible to do that, hang dry them inside — this serves a dual purpose because it you can give both your dryer and your humidifier a break as your clothes put moisture in the air!

3. Karen Vrchota learned a lot by making an energy efficiency plan for her business and is saving money each month with the installation of LED lightbulbs. Dr. Vrchota and her staff have built the habit of turning off their computers completely and leaving nothing plugged in overnight.

   The biggest adjustment for Dr. Vrchota’s business in participating in the Energy Contest? The new fuel-efficient “smart” water boiler, which was the most expensive energy efficiency upgrade but will return the business’ investment in 5 years.

   Karen’s recommendation for business owners interested in reducing their energy bills: Do an energy audit: it will help you save on bills and save our living planet!

4. Jillian Blount was the randomly-drawn winner with 250+ points! Jillian learned that it was easier than she had thought it would be to save energy. Her family had been doing many of the energy-saving actions already, but as they updated their house they made sure their lights were LED and other fixtures were energy efficient/low-flow.

   Jillian’s insight for interested neighbors: Look at what you’re already doing. Can you replace lightbulbs with energy efficient ones? Can you turn power strips off when you’re not using them? Just start with the easy tasks and make those habits, and then work from there — you might find it easier than you had thought!

If you’re interested in winning money and saving water and are a Winona County resident, consider entering the Winona County Water Contest, which will run from April 2018-August 2018!

• Save Our Streams
• Make & Take Rain Barrel Workshop
• The River Starts Here – A Water Workshop for Educators

Upcoming Seminars

• How-To Design & Install Rain Gardens will feature Brenda Pohlman a Houston County Master Gardener and Becky Benson from Winona Nursery to share insight on plant selection, design and installation tactics, and maintenance tips. The seminar is on Tuesday, March 13th from 6:30-8pm in the choir room at Winona Middle School.
• Creating Landscapes for Pollinators will feature Beth Markhart from Prairie Restorations to discuss best practices for implementing a prairie or pollinator yard. These natural landscapes can be incorporated attractively into any yard and the native plants not only provide food and habitat for pollinators but help infiltrate water back into the ground. The seminar is on Monday, March 26th from 6:30-8pm in room 205 at Minnesota State College – Southeast here in Winona.
• Landscaping Approaches for Erosion will feature Todd Larson from Propex Geosolutions and Matt Gordon to discuss tactical approaches for managing erosion and landscaping on slopes. Concepts such as retaining walls, plant or boulder incorporation, and the importance of correct installation will be covered. The seminar will take place on Tuesday, April 3rd from 6:30-8pm in room 106 of Stark Hall on the Winona State University Campus.

Save Our Streams

You can become a Save Our Streams (SOS) certified monitor and help test water-quality in your local rivers and streams! This conservation initiative through the Izaak Walton League of America is focused on obtaining a clearer picture of water-quality across the country and working towards restoration. This full day workshop will teach participants how to test water quality by collecting and identifying underwater insects, or macroinvertebrates. Around 40% of Minnesota’s lakes and streams do not  meet water-quality standards due to pollution from excess sediment, nutrients, bacteria or mercury. These waters are considered “impaired.” Impaired waters local to Winona County include the Whitewater River, Rush Creek, Rollingstone Creek and Garvin Brook. Impairments include aquatic life, aquatic recreation, and turbidity. Many are also in need of macroinvertebrates bioassesments. By becoming a volunteer stream monitor you can help provide the data needed to return these rivers and streams back to a health.

The SOS workshop is being offered in Winona, MN on Sunday, March 25th from 9:30am to 5pm. Cost is free to attend, participants will need to bring a bag lunch. Find registration  here.

For those interested who cannot attend on March 25th, the workshop is also being offered in Rochester, MN on Saturday March 24th from 9:30am to 5pm. Cost is $10 and includes lunch, you can register here.

Make & Take Rain Barrel Workshop

The U.N. has declared March 22nd World Water Day in order to focus and bring attention to the importance of water. This year’s theme is “Nature to Water’ and explores nature-based solutions to water challenges. By increasing Green Infrastructure, or GI, in our communities we can help reduce floods and water pollution. Green Infrastructure includes a variety of approaches cities can take to allow water to infiltrate back into the ground such as rain gardens, green roofs, porous pavement, and even cisterns or rain barrels!

MN GreenCorps members Allison Bender, serving with Whitewater State Park and Lauren Jensen, serving with Winona County have co-organized a DIY rain barrel workshop to provide an opportunity for Winona area residents to get involved with water conservation. Support from Winona County and Healthy Lake Winona has allowed the workshop to be offered for free. Originally being capped at 20 participants, strong interest prompted the addition of 10 more spots allowing for a final total of 30 rain barrels to be created at the event.

Registration for this workshop is now closed but anyone still interested is encouraged to email Lauren at ljensen@co.winona.mn.us to be added to a waiting list. A second low-cost workshop will likely be offered later this summer.

The River Starts Here – A Water Workshop for Educators

On June 21st and 22nd Whitewater State Park will host a water workshop for educators of southeastern Minnesota. This collaborative workshop with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will feature resources from MinnAqua, Project WET, Project WILD, and River of Dreams curricula. Not only will participants receive hands-on water-based education activities for both indoors and in the field, they’ll also receive an Annual Minnesota State Parks Vehicle Permit valid through June 2019 (worth $35), and 16 CEUs. Lunch will also be provided each day of the workshop from local farms.

Registration is being capped at 50 participants and cost to attend is $35. Priority registration will be given to science educators in Winona, Wabasha, and Olmsted Counties. There are 10 full scholarships available.

Questions can be sent to Allison via email at whitewatersp.greencorp.dnr@state.mn.us. For more information or to register click here.

• Winona County Water Contest
• The Future of Farming: Lessons from the Tropics
• Lake Winona Shoreland Management Update

Winona County Water Contest

Open to all Winona County residents and small businesses alike, this contest is intended to support residents in saving water and reducing their water costs. Beginning in April and running through August, participants will work to complete water saving actions to earn points, either individually or as a team. A full list of point-earning actions as well as sign up for the contest can be found on our website under Contests, Water Contest. Not only can residents save money by joining in on the contest but they can win money too! The individual or team with the most points will win $750, followed by a second place prize of $300, a third place prize of $250, and a 4th place prize of $200. So spread the word (10 points for every friend you tell that ends up joining), use a reusable water bottle instead of bottled water (earn 50 points), and be sure to turn off that faucet while brushing your teeth (10 points for every time you take this action)!

The Future of Farming: Lessons from the Tropics

On Thursday, February 22^nd Minnesota State College Southeast will be hosting special guest Christopher Nesbitt to share his experience on creating an economically and ecologically sustainable food forest in Belize. After moving to Belize in 1985 Christopher became on organic farmer in 1988 and established the Maya Mountain Research Farm. As one of the oldest Central American permaculture projects it offers opportunities to be a part of ongoing experiments in agroforestry, permaculture, and renewable energy. Christopher is also involved with The Farm Ecovillage Training Center, a whole systems immersion experience of ecovillage living with classes and instruction, tools and resources, and outreach experiences. The presentation will be begin at 6pm with an included dinner beforehand at 5:30pm and a dessert auction after from 6:45-7pm. Registration is $25 per person, dinner included, or $15 per person to attend only the presentation. Those interested in joining can register online at www.southeastmn.edu/training or email customtraining3@southeastmn.edu or call 507-453-2740.

Event Poster and Registration Information

Lake Winona Shoreland Management Update

The City of Winona, with the help of a number of local partners (St. Mary’s University, WSU, Healthy Lake Winona, and the Winona Area Pollinators), won a Conservation Partners Legacy grant from the State of Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund. The grant is funded through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment as appropriated by the State Legislature. In Winona, the grant will fund efforts to restore the shoreland habitat on the south side of East (Big) Lake Winona and some aquatic zones on the north side of East Lake. A major component of the work will be removing Invasive species and replacing them with native vegetation including many species ideal for pollinators. The ultimate goal is to increase the habitat value of the Lake Park area for wildlife, while also improving the natural beauty of the shore and parkland.

The new project will utilize many of the same techniques and strategies that were piloted last summer as part of the restoration efforts on the north shore of East Lake Winona within the Healthy Lake Winona demonstration area. The project will be a multi-year effort with grant funds being used over a course of three years.

In the coming months, city staff will be putting forward requests for contractors to provide materials and execute the work requiring heavy labor. Volunteer help will still be a crucial part of the success of the project, so anyone interested with helping should contact John Howard at the City of Winona (Jhoward@ci.winona.mn.us or 507-457-8273).

Upcoming Events

Creating Landscape for Pollinators – Join us on Tuesday, February 20th from 6:30pm to 8pm at the St. Charles Elementary School Auditorium to hear from Prairie Restorations on how to establish a prairie or pollinator yard. Plant species as well as design and installation tactics will be discussed to help residents in creating attractive, natural landscapes. Help reduce erosion by infiltrating water back into the ground AND provide habitat for pollinators! To RSVP email ljensen@co.winona.mn.us.

WSU Water Quality Workshops – Learn how environmental regulations and policies are created and explore how water resources are important to us all. Beginning with a local focus on Winona and southeastern MN the workshops will expand each week to cover both state and global water quality.  All workshops will begin at 4pm in Kryzsko Commons 203/204 at Winona State University, dates include February 20th, 27th and March 13th, 20th. RSVP with Allie Eischens, AEischens15@winona.edu or Natalie Tank, NTank13@winona.edu

We know this, because our fair state changed our constitution in 2008 to provide for additional protections. Whether it’s safe drinking water, trout stream fishing, swimming in a pond or industrial or agricultural uses, water is critical to our public health and the environment that supports us.

At the same time, the wastewater treatment systems that provide us with clean water also use large amounts of energy—almost 2% of total U.S. consumption. While wastewater treatment usually accounts for 20 to 35% of a municipality’s total energy costs, in many communities the cost can rise to a whopping 60%! Thus, wastewater facilities offer great potential for savings, since the majority are typically neither designed nor operated with energy efficiency as a priority. This presents a dual challenge, because reducing energy use for water treatment must not compromise our clean water supply. With recent help of the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Rural Water Association, the City of Altura is on track to save an estimated $4,680 per year and potentially as much as $14,000 per year, while being assured that the city’s water quality is maintained.

In 2017 the City of Altura was selected to be part of a project to reduce energy use in Minnesota waste water treatment plants funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and executed by the University of Minnesota, along withseveral other state agencies. As a result of Altura’s participation in this project, the City received an engineering assessment, free of charge, from MnTAP (Minnesota Technical Assistance Program).  Worth several thousand dollars, the assessment showed there was a potential for significant cost and energy savings to the city. Through cautious implementation and testing, these energy-saving measures are proceeding slowly in order to ensure the area’s surface water quality.

The whole process began in February of 2017 when a Winona County intern, accompanied by the Southeast CERTS (Clean Energy Resource Teams) staff member, stopped by to visit Dan Horvat, Altura’s Maintenance Engineer. Winona County and CERTs were partnering on a grant, received by the Sustain Winona Partnership, to promote the use of free energy benchmarking software for public buildings as an energy saving tool. As Horvat listened to their presentation, he noted that what he really wished he could obtain was an engineering study for the city’s waste water aeration system. He suspected that his plant had more capacity than what was currently needed and that newer pumps used significantly less energy, but knew the city couldn’t afford thousands of dollars to hire an engineering firm.

Luckily, Chris Meyer, Coordinator for Southeast CERT’s which is located at the University of Minnesota Extension, was aware of a University resource called the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MNTAP). Through MnTAP, the University shares its engineering expertise by providing free assistance to communities and businesses across the state to reduce their energy and water use.  What Meyer didn’t know was that MnTAP had put out a call that week to find ten Minnesota waste water treatment facilities interested in implementing cost-effective changes to reduce energy costs, the work for which would be funded by a DOE grant. Altura became one of the participants, and engineers John Vanyo and A J. Van den Berghe from the University of Minnesota were on-site just weeks later. The team toured the aeration ponds, pumps, and power supply, and spent several hours sorting through files to locate the original design and recommissioning documents for the waste water treatment plant.

Several months later the MNTAP engineers came back with a recommendation: the closure of the Altura turkey plant had left the wastewater treatment facility with excess capacity, which MNTAP felt could allow Altura to shut down 6 of the 10 aeration pumps at the facility’s ponds. These pumps run constantly and consume lots of energy; shutting them down has the potential to save $14,000 annually and reduce electricity use by 173,000 Kw/hr a year.  But, these pumps are essential to the plant’s cleanup processes, putting oxygen in the water and maintaining a fairly complex balance of elements to keep sewage eating microorganisms alive.

The next part of Altura’s story comes back to the importance of clean water. Two of the pumps have been shut down, with an estimated annual savings of $4,680—but the rest will be removed from service only if testing indicates that the changes will not hinder the plant’s ability to effectively clean the wastewater. Altura is a member of the non-profit Minnesota Rural Water Association (MRWA), which provides training and technical assistance related to water and waste water systems for hundreds of Minnesota municipalities. An MRWA technician is scheduled for a free testing visit to Altura in February of 2018. As Dan describes it, MWRA staff will drill into the frozen aeration pools to take samples of the sludge from the bottom of the ponds. If these tests indicate that the ponds are still properly cleaning the water, then a couple more aerators will be shut down in the spring. The process will be repeated the following February, phasing in the pump shutdowns only if testing results are satisfactory.

It may take a few years for the city to realize all potential cost savings, but Altura’s residents can feel secure that these changes won’t have adverse effects on the local surface waters. For communities or businesses interested in energy and cost reductions while promoting stewardship of clean water, both MNTAP and CERTs have a wealth of no-cost and low-cost of resources at their disposal. The Waste Water DOE grant program is now closed but MnTAP can share what was learned and still provide free assistance for other types of assessments.

Chris Meyer is the SE Regional Coordinator for the Clean Energy Resource Teams, which is a partner of the University of Minnesota Extension, holds an MS in Renewable Energy and Sustainability Policy, is a resident of Winona, and is a member of the Winona Energy Action Team. As a guest columnist, comments provided here are hers alone.

How Can Winona Residents Reduce Energy Use?

Between 2014 and 2016, about one in seven Winona households participated in an Xcel Energy conservation program, and the Energy Action Team hopes to double that level of participation. The group suggested scheduling a visit from the Home Energy Squad® as a good first step for homeowners and renters to find ways to save energy. Home visits cost between $70 and $100, a notable value for the measures and services offered. The squad will install a variety of items, from LED lights to a programmable thermostat, weather stripping for doors and attic hatches, or high-efficiency shower heads and aerators, as well as insulating and adjusting the water heater. They will also inspect insulation levels, perform a carbon monoxide test, and execute a blower-door test if requested.

Winona resident Nick Larson calculated that he received nearly $230 worth of materials during his Home Energy Squad visit, a value far greater than the $100 cost. “It was definitely worth the time and money,” said Larson’s wife Alyssa. “The installed items actually cost less than if we had purchased them on our own, and now we can look forward to increased energy savings every month.”

Home Energy Squad visits culminate in a tailored report of recommendations for home improvements such as better insulation, along with referrals to get the work done. Area residents are encouraged to sign up for a visit by calling 866-222-4595 or visiting HomeEnergySquad.net.

Additional Information Shared at the Workshop

At the January workshop, presenters shared energy-saving tips that included lowering the thermostat by up to eight degrees when away from home eight hours or more, replacing old-fashioned light bulbs with LEDs, reducing hot water use, adding attic insulation, buying ENERGY STAR® appliances, and undertaking various strategies to reduce “phantom loads” — meaning electricity used by plug-in electronics in standby mode.

The Energy Action Team also hopes to increase the amount of renewable electricity used by Winona residents. Most folks can’t install rooftop solar because home ownership is a prerequisite, plus only about 25 percent of homes have a shade-free and correctly oriented site. And despite falling prices, the initial cost of a solar electric system remains beyond the reach of most homeowners’ budgets. As a result of these difficulties, the Energy Action Team has identified an approach to double the number of subscribers and double the average subscription size to Xcel Energy’s Windsource® and Renewable*Connect® renewable programs. Any Xcel Energy electric customer can sign up for the programs, and the customer retains the Renewable Energy Credits. Both programs add renewable energy to the electrical grid in excess of Minnesota’s renewable energy mandate. For just over $6 per month, the average Xcel customer in Winona can buy 100 percent of their electricity from Minnesota wind farms with no contract. Renewable*Connect has a similar price, but the subscriber buys a blend of Minnesota wind and solar, with an option to lock in prices for 5 or 10-year periods.

To advance Winona’s energy goals, the citizens that make up the Energy Action team are looking for opportunities to share this presentation. Any interested groups should contact John Howard at JHoward@ci.winona.mn.us or at (507) 457-8273.

If you’re interested in learning more about Renewable Energy Credits, take a look at this article by the Clean Energy Resource Team.

• Invasive Plants – Our Biggest Challenges & What to Do About Them
• A More Sustainable Mode of Transportation
• How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse with Seeds
• Winona Area Pollinators

January 23rd: Winona’s Energy Action Plan and You: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Options for Your Home

Don’t let your home’s heat (and your money) fly out the window! Attend a free educational session to learn about Winona’s Energy Action Plan, and how you can cost effectively reduce your energy bills. Presenters will describe multiple ways to save energy fitting even small budgets including options for utility rebates and incentives. Renewable energy options like solar and wind will also be discussed.

The event is free to attend, but those who are interested should register with the Friendship Center (507-454-5212 or lhoberg@ci.winona.mn.us) or John Howard (Jhoward@ci.winona.mn.us).

Invasive Plants – Our Biggest Challenges & What to Do About Them

After a successful Landscape Resiliency Seminar hosted by Winona County in October 2017, attendees requested the opportunity to explore four of seminar’s topics in greater depth.  The first of these in-depth seminars has been set for Tuesday, January 16th, at 6:30 pm at Minnesota State College – Southeast, 1250 Homer Road, Winona.  The topic for the January 16 seminar is Invasive Plants – Our Biggest Challenges and What to Do About Them.  Attendees will hear from two excellent presenters who are deeply involved in invasive plant management efforts in southeast Minnesota and across the state.

Angie Gupta, University of Minnesota Extension, will open the seminar with information on cutting edge technologies and effective strategies for identifying areas of infestation and how to successfully eradicate them.  Jaimie Edwards of the Minnesota DNR will follow Ms. Gupta, and will identify the top plant threats for the Winona area, and how homeowners can manage them on their land.

Winona County has some serious infestations of invasive plants, and we need to do something about it.  So if you’ve ever wondered how to be good stewards of your landscape, whether in a back yard or rural woodlands, this is the seminar for you!  Please join us, and register in advance by email to  ljensen@co.winona.mn.us or call 507-457-6574.

A More Sustainable Mode of Transportation

As one of the top-five most “bicycle friendly” states, Minnesota is graded on aspects such as our efforts to seek federal and state funding, adoption of complete streets policies, and a greater than 1% average of residents commuting by bike. Named a Bike Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists with around 14% of residents commuting by bike, Winona has done its part in helping Minnesota reach such a status. Flat topography in town, compact development, ease of reaching destinations, and recreational opportunities expanding from the Mississippi river to the bluffs have really given our city excellent bikeability. In fact we are featured in the inaugural issue of the Have Fun Biking National Guide on page 39 for the “Mississippi River Trail; a bike adventure of a lifetime in Minnesota” highlighting Winona for these points and our several attractions. The guide includes other best places to ride, access to the latest information on bicycling, and tips for maintenance, gear, and safety.

        With the goal of being a premiere biking destination for the region and aiming to capitalize on the features already mentioned above, Winona City has adopted its first-ever Complete Streets Policy and Pedestrian Bicycle Plan requiring the city to consider the plan’s goals when rebuilding streets. According to the plan developing a bicycle network will connect bicyclists to destinations, improve safety, increase ridership, and provide greater livability and social equity. In addition, one of the most important benefits this will bring to Winona is significant economic development. Biking trails impact local economies creating access to small businesses, restaurants, and hotels, they increase property values, create more jobs per dollar, and are a more sustainable mode of transportation.

           Being that the transportation industry is one of the leading causes of global warming – contributing to carbon emissions, noise pollution, traffic, and unsafe streets – creating opportunities that invite more people to bike helps lessen our impacts environmentally. This pollution-free mode of transportation can save over 3000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions a year per person just by biking to and from work. Bikes use less energy and natural resources to make compared to cars, keep more land free for green space (cars need wider roads, larger parking spots, parking ramps, etc), and save you money.

Have Fun Biking National Guide

2017 Complete Streets and Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan

10 Ways Riding a Bike Can Save the World

How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse with Seeds

By Alison Bettin

In 2017, I began creating the WSU Seed Bank and Library as a capstone to my biology degree, under the guidance of Dr. Robin Devinney.  I think many of you reading this know the economic, social, cultural, and environmental reasons why a project like this is vital.  Preservation of seeds is essential, but so is preservation of the knowledge and awareness of how food is grown, cultivated, and delivered to our tables – something many of us are generations removed from.  The knowledge has not been passed on, and this is something that must be revived for basic human survival.

Many of my conversations with WSU students and Winona community members started from the joking perspective of “what will you do when the zombie apocalypse comes – how are your cross-bow skills?”  People get the joke, but after a few minutes of thought they begin to recognize how very little control they have over their food. Then their interest in seed saving, and food growing, is piqued.

With support of funding and resources from the American Association of University Women, WSU’s Green Fee Fund, WSU Student Senate, Seed Saver’s Exchange, the Ohm Family, and a WSU Foundation Food Equity Campaign, this project has successfully engaged WSU community and beyond.  We have worked to partner with a variety of groups, most notably the City of Winona at the East End Rec Center, which will be the main check-out location for the Seed Library.  Overall, the project strives to educate, exchange, and preserve seeds for the Winona community while inspiring awareness and action on food equity, insecurity, and biodiversity.

Over the course of the coming months, we will continue to expand our work, including the opening of the Seed Library on Saturday, February 10 at the East End Rec Center after the Winter Carnival.  We will have hands-on fun for all ages, in addition to allowing individuals to get seeds for the 2018 growing season.

Other events for 2018 include a workshop for high school students through the Youth Energy Summit organization in Mankato, MN (January 15), presentations at the Winona Friendship Center in conjunction with the Frozen River Film Festival (February 9), the Winona Public Library (March 22), and on campus for the WSU Earth Talks series (March 26).  On the first day of Spring, March 20, we will host a spring expo and screening of the award-winning documentary, SEED: The Untold Story, in the Science Laboratory Center on the WSU campus.  Throughout March and April, we hope to be giving away seedlings, as well as hosting more workshops, and providing a hands-on experience at the East End Rec Center on Earth Day (April 21).

If you are interested in learning more, please check us out on Facebook, or email me, Alison Bettin, at abettin12@winona.edu.

Winona Area Pollinators

Since 2014 Winona Area Pollinators has been a group focused on promoting a more pollinator-friendly city. Flower-hopping insects are crucial to the lifecycle of many crops and native plants but decreasing habitat, available food, and use of insecticides has led to dwindling numbers – however the Winona Area Pollinators aims to target each. They have worked with the city of Winona to draft legislation that will increase habitat for pollinator species and are currently at work advocating for the restoration of habitat for the Rusty Patched Bumblebee. Cutting back on mowing and spraying are a few of the pollinator-friendly policies being adopted, making Winona the first Minnesota city south of the metro to do so. Actions like these not only protect the environment but can save money too.

In addition to their work with the city, the group hosts an annual “Pollinator Party” in March, during which they disseminate helpful information about pollinators and pollinator gardens, sell buttons and yard signs, sing “bee songs” and recite poetry. They also sponsor an annual pollinator garden tour in the summer. Locations on last summer’s tour included Winona State Integrated Wellness Complex, Minnesota Marine Art Museum, and two residential gardens – Debbie Vonarx at 527 E. Fourth St and a well-established garden including two active bee hives at Fred and Laurie Krouse’s at 713 Main Street.

The Winona Area Pollinators typically meets twice a month and would welcome any new members. Check out their Facebook page for more information and get added to their mailing lists by contacting winona-area-pollinators@googlegroups.com.