Lake Harriet Environment Council Fall Newsletter
LHEC Fall Newsletter
Photo Credit: Steven Mosborg, mosborgexposures.com
Fall brings changing colors, quieter trails, and continued opportunities to care for Lake Harriet. This season, we’re celebrating gratitude to our volunteers, sharing updates on projects around the lake, and inviting you to support the work that keeps this special place thriving.
In this issue:
Give to the Max Day — November 19
Buckthorn Removal Update
Opportunities to Get Involved - Next Member Meeting January 21, 2027
MPRB Lake Harriet Improvements
Thank you for being part of our community’s effort to keep Lake Harriet thriving through every season!
Give To The Max for Lake Harriet
Give to the Max Day is Thursday, November 19!
This year, we’re aiming to raise $3,000 to support the Lake Harriet Environment Council’s ongoing work—and our board members will match donations dollar for dollar, up to a total of $350.
Last year, our community contributed $970 to purchase native seeds for planting around Lake Harriet. Volunteers have already spread most of those seeds, with the remainder ready to sow when weather conditions are right. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!
This year’s fundraiser supports our work throughout the year, including tools and supplies for volunteer projects, habitat restoration, cleanups, and community education. As an entirely volunteer-run nonprofit, we depend on neighbors like you to help keep these efforts going.
Please consider a gift of $25, $50, or whatever works for you—and share our fundraiser with someone who loves Lake Harriet. While matching funds remain, your $25 gift becomes $50 to support this work.
Photo Credit: Steven Mosborg, mosborgexposures.com
Buckthorn Removal Update
Our dedicated buckthorn removal crew continues to make its way around Lake Harriet. This summer, we cleared areas at the north end of the lake’s west side, near the Lakewood Cemetery property, and around the west entrance to Roberts Bird Sanctuary. We are now working from west to east along the north side of Lake Harriet, between the fence on the south side of Roberts Bird Sanctuary and Lake Harriet Parkway.
Removing buckthorn is only part of the restoration process. The crew is also preparing for seasonal seeding, using seed purchased through a Fulton Neighborhood Association grant and native grass seed supplied by the Park Board for approximately two acres. Establishing native ground cover is another step toward restoring cleared areas and limiting opportunities for invasive plants to return.
Behind every restored natural area are many hours of work: removing invasive plants, supporting native vegetation, and returning to care for the site over time. For a perspective on the effort and resources involved in this work at another Minneapolis natural area, read “A Small Army, a Big Challenge” a post from our neighbors at the Cedar Lake ecological restoration blog.
A big thank you to Jim and the entire crew of volunteers for the many hours they devote to caring for Lake Harriet's natural areas!
Join Our Weekly Crew: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1–3 p.m. (weather permitting)
Enjoy some outdoor exercise, meet neighbors, and help restore Lake Harriet’s natural areas. For the current meeting location, contact Paul Ragozzino at pragozzino@gmail.com or 612-310-7868. Please wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and bring a full water bottle.
Opportunities to Get Involved
Save the Date for the next LHEC Member Meeting Interested in getting more involved? Join us for our next member meeting on January 21, 2027 from 7:00 - 8:30 PM on Zoom. We’d love to see you there!
Do you have any ideas of how we can improve Lake Harriet or any skills you'd like to contribute to our entirely volunteer-run organization (photography, social media, etc.)? Please reach out to our President, Paul Ragozzino at pragozzino@gmail.com or 612-310-7868. We are always open to ideas of how we can grow!
Fall Buckthorn Busts at Roberts Bird Sanctuary
Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary will host four buckthorn busts this month from 10 AM - 12 PM on the following dates:
Thursday, November 12
Saturday, November 14
Thursday, November 19
Saturday, November 21
Volunteers will meet at the Roberts visitor shelter near the Peace Garden parking lot. Parking passes are available. Reach out to contact@friendsofroberts.org or check out their website for further info.
Adopt Your Local Storm Drain
As leaves collect along neighborhood streets, keeping them out of storm drains helps reduce the nutrients and other pollution reaching our lakes and streams. Consider adopting a nearby drain through Minnesota’s Adopt-a-Drain program. Signing up is free, and regularly clearing leaves, litter, and debris from the surface is a simple way to care for local water and keep drains flowing. For safety, leave the grate in place and clear only debris you can reach safely from the surface.
MPRB Lake Harriet Improvements
Thank you to District 6 Park Commissioner Cathy Abene for joining our recent meeting to discuss projects around Lake Harriet and answer members’ questions.
Parkway Paving Is Underway
The northern parkway segment is closed to vehicles during construction, while pedestrian and bicycle trails remain open. A coordinated detour also accommodates Park Board construction at the William Berry Parkway intersection, directing traffic from Roseway Road back to Lake Harriet Parkway at W 42nd Street.
Work at the William Berry Parkway intersection is progressing, with concrete curb and gutter now in place. Lighting, trail upgrades, and paving are expected to be completed before Thanksgiving, when the intersection is scheduled to reopen to traffic.
The remaining parkway sections are scheduled for resurfacing in 2027. Follow parkway project updates here.
North Beach Improvements
The preferred concept for North Beach includes accessible beach access, retaining walls, native trees, terraced seating, and a relocated restroom. The project aims to improve access and address aging infrastructure while creating a more welcoming beach area. The North Beach is a separate, smaller project from the master plan’s three focus areas. Learn more about the North Beach project here.
Historic Shoreline Wall
Planning is underway for replacement of the historic shoreline wall along the lake’s northwest side. At our recent meeting, members raised the possibility of preserving and reusing stones from the existing wall, and Commissioner Abene agreed to discuss the idea with the project manager. Follow the shoreline repair project here.
The Longer-Term Vision for Lake Harriet
The master plan identifies three focus areas: the Bandshell, Lyndale Park, and the Lower Road. Recommendations include:
Bandshell: Improve pedestrian and bicycle circulation, accessibility, gathering spaces, shoreline vegetation, and stormwater management.
Lyndale Park: Improve accessible garden paths and connections, restore historic garden features, and expand native plantings and shoreline buffers.
Lower Road: Convert the lower road to a two-way bicycle trail, restore native vegetation and oak woodlands, improve lake access, and incorporate stormwater treatment.
Focus-area drawings and additional information on the longer-term vision can be found here.
Fresh Paint at the Bandshell
If you’ve been by the Bandshell recently, you may have noticed that the kiosk has been repainted to match the surrounding structures. Thank you to the Park Board for completing this improvement!
Welcome to Our New Readers!
We enjoyed connecting with neighbors at this season’s community festivals and welcoming 136 new readers. If this is your first newsletter, welcome! We’re glad you’re here!
The Lake Harriet Environment Council works to protect and enhance the natural and built environment around Lake Harriet. Whether you join a cleanup, pull buckthorn, attend a meeting, contribute a donation, or share our work with a neighbor, you help make these efforts possible.
Thank you for caring for Lake Harriet through every season. We look forward to seeing you around the lake!
Photo Credit: Steven Mosborg, mosborgexposures.com
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