TREE DOWN AT NOKOMIS BEACH

During the storm on Aug. 3, the large Linden tree that shaded the small Nokomis beach was damaged. "The tree was huge and beautiful and had shaded the little beach on the north east side of Lake Nokonis. Many people swim there and will miss this tree," said Longfellow resident Christie Dauphin.

"I have received many inquiries about the loss of the beloved shade tree at the Nokomis 50th street beach," wrote District 5 Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Commissioner Steffanie Musich in her Aug. 13 newsletter. "I, too, mourn the loss of this mainstay in the little beach experience. Sadly, this tree sustained significant damage during the recent storms and after being assessed by a park arborist needed to come down for safety reasons. The park board plants new trees in the spring as research has shown that planting then produces healthier trees that have a higher survival rate than those planted in other times of the year, so there will be a replacement planted in the spring of 2023. Do you have suggestions of where a new tree or trees should be planted to provide future beach goers with some respite from the sun? Let me know, and I’ll share suggestions with the forestry team to help guide their spring planting in this area." Email Musich at Smusich@minneapolisparks.org.

She also reminded people: "In weeks where we have not received at least an inch of rain, please water young boulevard trees (and if you can reach them with your hose, park trees) once a week. Four five-gallon buckets slowly poured over the roots or a small trickle from your hose for a hour should be adequate. Trees absorb the most water in the evening, but if you only have time to water during other parts of the day, please do so then! If you have questions about watering please reach out to the forestry team. They can be reached at forestry@minneapolisparks.org or 612-313-7710.