LATEST UPDATES

June, 30 6-8PM, Advisory Meeting and Draft Site Plan Review
Location: To be announced (most likely the Streetcar Station). We reviewed 3 draft plans at our last meeting and gave feedback. (Those drafts should be available at www.comowoodland.org for your viewing, but get your comments in to Bryan, the City Landscape Architect, asap if you want your ideas reflected in the the June 30th draft.) All Advisors and stakeholders are encouraged to attend this meeting as we get close to finalizing our Comprehensive Site Plan, and move into the funding and restoration phases of our project. At this meeting we will also address: 1) Summer Project: working with environmental educator, Jonna Bjelland, and the Youth Job Corps kids in the Como Woodland this July, 2) Nominating and recruiting a few new Advisors, and 3) Debrief Events: the May Field Day and Garlic Mustard Pull.

May 28, 2:30 - 4:30PM, Garlic Mustard Pull.
Where: Como Woodland, Como Pool Parking Lot to start.
This notorious woodland invasive plant goes to seed in early summer. Bags, some gloves, water, and light snacks will be provided. Wear long pants and closed shoes.

May 23, 7:30AM to 1:30PM, May Field Day with Como Park Senior High School and B2REU (Bridge to Research Experience for Undergraduates) at the Como Woodland site. Josh said that he needs a few volunteers for this event. Como Pool Parking lot on Horton Ave, west of Lexington Pkwy. Email: Josh or Sehoya to volunteer as a mentor, or email: Deb to volunteer for general help (equipment check-in, craft service, ect.).

May 15, 6-7PM, Mentor Training Meeting
In order to best prepare mentors there will be a mentor training
Where: Como Park Senior High School, Room 1223 (740 W Rose Ave, St. Paul, MN 55117) Who: Please RSVP Any mentors that are able to volunteer for Field Day (May 23) What: To review field equipment and skills - it's worth it! make sure to come if you are planning on being a field mentor. Again, please RSVP so I can prepare for you: Josh Leonard, 612-986-8594

May 14, 6-8PM, Advisory Meeting and Draft Site Plan Review
Where: Como Streetcar Station in District 10 office. Como Park at the corner of Lexington Parkway and Horton Ave. This will be our third meeting with St. Paul City Landscape Architects. We will be reviewing the landscape architects' drafts for our Comprehensive Site Plan. This is a good opportunity for all Advisors to give input on the plan. If time allows, we will address: 1) upcoming events, 2) summer goals, working with the 3) Youth Group assigned half-time to the Como Woodland site.


April 30, 2008 6-8PM, CWOC Project Draft Site Plan Review meeting.
Meeting location will be at the District 10 office in the Como Streetcar Station in Como Park at the corner of Lexington Parkway and Horton Ave.This will be our third meeting with St. Paul City Architects. They have told us that our project is a priority, and they will have our final Comprehensive Site Plan done within two months. We will have drafts plans to comment on at this meeting, so this would be a good opportunity for any Advisor to attend to give input. Hopefully, we will have time to address other business as well.

April 12, 9-11AM, Spring Cleanup at Como Woodland
Meet us at: Como Park Pool parking lot at 9AM. Feel free to come late or leave early, and bring your kids - this is very light duty work. I’m not expecting a large group; Let’s get reacquainted with our project site and each other. Deb will have trash bags and cloth gloves, a pot of coffee, and a few treats available 10 minutes before we start. (If you like, drop-in at the Como Lakeside Pavilion for the City’s Kickoff Event at 8:30AM for a free bagel - then join us at the woodland.)

February 6, 2008, 6PM - 8PM. Quarterly Advisory Committee meeting. Location: TBA. Topics:Prof. Joan McKearnan and project Advisor has finished the Bird Habitat Analysis study, and we will have the full report by this meeting. Also up for discussion is the upcoming spring activities with the Como Woodland Educational Project being done by the Como Park High School students.

November 17, 2007 Advisory Committee Meeting. Project Advisors elected new leadership at our November meeting: New Advisory Committee Chair: Jennifer Otremba; Educational Projects Chair: Josh Leonard; and Committee Secretary: Deb Robinson. The Advisory Committee will start meeting on a quarterly basis in 2008. Interest Groups will meet independently and will be expected to report their progress at quarterly Advisory Committee meetings. Interest Group members and Committee members can come together to work on special projects as needed. If any Advisors want Deb Robinson to arrange a meeting between Advisors or project stakeholder, do not hesitate to email or call her (dmrobinson@bitstream.net). And Advisors will all be contacted when they are needed for Como Woodland events and projects.

November 7, 2007, 5:30 pm. CIB public hearing. City Hall.

October 27, 2007. 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. BUCKTHORN BUST!!! Como Woodland.

October 10, 2007, 6:00-8:00 pm October Advisory Meeting. Park and Rec Maintenance Bldg.

October 4, 2007, 8:00 am - 1:30 pm. Field Day with Como High School students. Meet at parking lot.

September 5, 2007. 6-8 pm. Se[tember Advisory Mtg. Park and Rec Maintenance Bldg.

August 14, 2007 6:00 to 8:00pm. August Advisory Meeting. Location TBD. Lots of news to report. *Our CIB proposal for planning funds has survived the committee process and moves on to the Mayor and City Council. *The BEIM Grant has been submitted, and Josh is recruiting mentors for a long-range research project related to that grant. *Joan's Bird Habitat Analysis is nearly complete. *Our concept site plan, done by the Metropolitan Design Center, is done. *Our birding kit (bought with COPP funding) is getting lots of use with the Special Ed tours. *Several other grants are being researched. *And, at the Public Hearing the St.Paul City Council voted unanimously to uphold the No-net-loss-of-parkland provision in the City Charter

August 8, 2007 6:00 to 8:00pm. EcoPartners is holding a shoreline maintenance event on Wednesday evening, Volunteers will meet at the information kiosk behind the Como Lakeside Pavilion. Bring work gloves and small hand weeding tools if you have them – some will be provided. For more information, contact Susan Jane Cheney at cheneysj@msn.com / 651-489-6452.

July 18, 2007. The City Council voted unanimously to maintain the "no net loss" of park land in the charter. This will prevent areas of the woodland from being diverted to non-park use.

June 12, 2007. June Advisory Meeting. Randee Edmundson, District Science Specialist for SPPS, will talk with project Advisors (and guests) about her experiences in building sustainable partnerships, and the Ames Lake Restoration. (For a summary of the Ames Lake project: www.cleveland.spps.org/watersheds.html ).

May 22, 2007. Woodland Site Garlic Mustard Pull. We'll be pulling and bagging this invasive annual weed before it goes to seed. It will be light duty work, and youngsters can pick up trash.

April 21, 2007.9:00-10:30. Location: Black Bear Café – Como Lakeside Pavilion, mezzanine level (no reserved meeting rooms were available). *If the weather is nice, let’s meet right outside at the picnic tables near cafe entrance. Any questions, call or email Deb (651-488-5802)

March 24. 2007. 9am to 10:30am. We will be meeting again at: St. Paul Park and Rec Maintenance Office Building located at: 1100 Hamline Ave. North, St. Paul, 55108 (on the corner of Hamline and Jessamine Avenues just south of McMurray Fields). 10:30am to 2:00pm - Sample Tree Inventory

March 19, 2007. Presentation to CIB board for funding

January 20, 2007.9:00 am Advisory Committee meeting at the Streetcar Station

November 8, 2006. Will present woodland project proposal to St. Paul Park Commission, ask for input and permission to seek funding for first stage project activities: bio survey, habitat analysis, ect.

November 18, 2006. Como Woodland Restoration and Outdoor Classroom’s Advisory Committee meeting at Dist. 10 offices in Streetcar Station Museum.

If you are interested in joining the Advisory Committee please contact Deb Robinson at dmrobinson@bitstream.net