(gentle music) - [Narrator] Minnesota's natural resources are our most important asset.

Water and land sustain our lives and need protection from pollutants, erosion, and invasive species.

It's not only up to government agencies to protect our natural world.

We can all be environmental stewards.

In Minnesota, it's simple and fun to become a volunteer citizen scientist.

Every January, the National Eagle Center in Wabasha hosts a Golden Eagle Survey to better understand the migrating raptors.

Volunteers spread out over parts of southeast Minnesota and adjoining states to count golden eagles that are on their way to Northern Canada.

- What we're trained to do is look in these areas, just spend time, maybe a half hour in one spot, watching the bluff, the top third of the bluff, slowly scanning the bluff and looking for clusters that almost look like squirrel nests and really zooming in and focusing on those because golden eagles tend to tuck into the tree more.

They wanna be stealth, they wanna be hidden from their prey.

The squirrels, the rabbits, the wild turkeys they're hunting.

- [Narrator] Bald eagles will perch on open branches over waters to look for fish.

The goldens camouflage themselves, so they're more difficult to spot.

- Even if I don't see anything, it's just good to get out in the outdoors.

(bright music) - [Narrator] In the summer, there are citizen scientist opportunities to collect data on lakes and streams so the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency knows which waters need special attention.

- Volunteers monitor water clarity, which is a good indication of lake or stream health.

It looks at sediment levels or algae levels in the water.

And if those levels are too high, it can impact recreation and fish and wildlife communities.

Anybody can be a volunteer in the program.

It doesn't require any prior training or equipment.

- [Narrator] Aquatic invasive species can impact water quality, and they need to be located and monitored to stop their spread.

In August, volunteer groups around the state participate in Starry Trek, a one day event organized by the University of Minnesota and DNR to search Minnesota Lakes for Starry Stonewart and other invasive species.

Minnesotans who recreate in lakes and streams can stop the spread of aquatic invasive species by cleaning up everything that we pull out of the water, including boats, recreational toys, and waders.

Throw aquatic plants and unused bait in the trash and remove drain plugs.

If you've been in infested waters, spray down your boat with high pressure water.

Clean waders with hot water, and let everything dry for at least five days.

Earth-friendly practices can start with simple things like using less salt on your sidewalks in the winter.

When sodium chloride enters our waterways, it harms aquatic life and cannot be removed.

We can all use less plastic that can break down on the environment and cause microplastic pollution.

- Plastics are so ubiquitous, they're everywhere.

And so it's not terribly shocking to find that they're getting into our food and beverages.

If you compare tap water to bottled water, the ingestion annually, if you just drink tap water alone, something like 4,000 particles.

But if you drink bottled water, it could be 90,000.

So it's like a 22 fold increase.

So we looked at 12 brands of beer that draw their water from all five of the Great Lakes, and we also looked at 12 brands of salt that were just purchased here in the Twin Cities, but they're globally sourced.

All of them had it.

Whenever I hear something like, oh, it'll take 400 years for the polystyrene to break down, what does that even mean?

Don't truly know what happens to it.

What we do know is that when it's left in the environment, depending on the conditions, it just breaks into smaller and smaller parts.

They're gonna be around for a long time.

So if we wanna do something about that future, then we need to start making changes now.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Lead can also be toxic to wildlife as well as people.

Many hunters are replacing their lead shot with non-toxic copper shot.

And the Minnesota PCA is encouraging anglers to get the lead out of sinkers and other fishing tackle.

- Our campaign is centered on the common loon, which is our state bird.

It's a waterbird and they have a gizzard.

They pick up rocks and they use that to aid in their digestion process to grind up small minnows and fish.

And oftentimes they will mistaken a piece of lost fishing tackle as one of the rocks they use for eating and digestion.

And that of course results in either illness or death.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] We can help protect birds, bees, and butterflies by providing them habitat in our own backyards.

Consider setting up a bird feeding station.

It should be in the open and at least 10 feet from shrubs or places where predators like cats can hide.

The most successful stations are set up in clusters of three or four feeders that each contain a different food to attract a wide variety of birds.

Or create a monarch waystation in your yard.

- A lot of people say, okay, what's a waystation?

I know what that is when I'm on the highway, means you can stop and go to the bathroom and get some rest.

Well that is exactly what it is for Monarchs.

So because most milkweed from Minnesota all the way to Mexico has been mowed on our highway systems and our farm systems, there's nothing for them to eat as they migrate.

By having these little island waystations of nectar and especially milkweed to kind of get them to where they need to go to complete what it is their DNA is written for.

It's just amazing to be part of that.

- [Narrator] Woodbury homeowner Dana Boyle has converted her entire manicured turf grass lawn into a bug hotel.

- This isn't for everyone.

I get that.

What I am offering here is an alternative vision for people to be able to say when the time is right, if they want to, here's a way to do it.

- [Narrator] Dana received a $350 cost share grant and help from coaches through Minnesota's Lawns to Legumes program.

- And that's not just limited to homeowners.

Renters who have their landlord's permission can also apply for the program.

Whether that means putting in a traditional garden or putting in potted plants or raised bed gardens on balconies, for example.

- These projects can be really rich sources of pollen and nectar.

We have around 450 species of native bees, but there's butterflies and moths and beetles and hummingbirds, lots of different pollinators that can be benefited.

The more of these projects we have across different areas, the more insects we can benefit.

- The program Lawns to Legumes provided me with was a $350 grant, which was a very small portion of what I spent to convert my yard from basically sod to native Pennsylvania sedge.

But the educational value was really a treasure.

- [Narrator] Dana is also a certified Master Naturalist Volunteer.

- Master Naturalists are people who are interested in the environment, interested in connecting people to the environment, educating children and adults about the importance of maintaining our connection to nature.

- I became a Master Naturalist because I really enjoy the out of doors and nature.

I love to botanize, look at plants and identify them.

I am a birder, so I like to see birds and figure out what they're doing.

- [Narrator] 2,500 Master Naturalists are working across the state to restore habitats, lead nature hikes, gather research data, and educate the public on environmental stewardship.

The program was launched in 2005 by the University of Minnesota extension and DNR and includes 40 hours of classroom education.

Master Naturalists are then asked to volunteer 40 hours annually.

To learn how to become a Master Naturalist and explore many other nature-related citizen science opportunities, go to citizen science.umn.edu.

Whether it's volunteering, reusing, or planting, we can all help protect our natural resources.

Environmental stewardship starts at home.