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will be willing to do their there part. As new technologies become available hopefully this will happen. The final component to sustainability is society. In order for everything to come together society must be convinced of the importance of reaching sustainability. Education would be the best way of achieving this. By teaching about the environment in school, children would grow up thinking about the environment. Hopefully these children would grow into adults who want to do the right thing for the environment. Is Sustainability In Sight? We will not reach sustainability overnight, but almost anything worth achieving will not happen that fast. We are moving in the right direction though. Some communities have started to incorporate sustainable design into their building plans. People more and more are starting to think about sustainability. As the word gets out there and more people understand it sustainability will _ catch on. ®TStRe~Ch ~rO,JeCt: Stewards ®f The La.ad e are very ~° -~"°`°-`°'~ ~"' excited about our new project to help us reach out to citizens in the Greater Blue Earth Watershed. This project has been given the name of "Stewards of the Land". The project has been in the planning stages for some time. We will be attending various events in the regions where the "Stewards of the Land" kits will be given out to families throughout the watershed. The majority of them will be given out at various county fairs. The kit contain a booklet with information that will help families practice conservation in their own lives. Along with the booklet there are several items to connect people with the land. Such items include a rain gauge and. a soil test kit. There are also items to promote the family as "Stewards of the L d" h beneficial to soils for many years. Earthy Benefits Earthworms can add so much to your soil. The tunnels that earthworms burrow through the soil create spaces for air and water. They also improve drainage and water infiltration. The waste that they leave behind is rich in nutrients that the soil needs. Worms are wonderful soil mixers. All the burrowing and passing through of soil leaves the organic and inorganic components of the soil mixed together. Earthworms are also valuable for carbon sequestering. They take organic matter underground which prevents it from entering the atmosphere. Contact Information: About oak savannas: Oak Savanna Landscape Project Community Coordinator DNR 8485 Rose St. Owatonna, MN 55060 About sustainability: Sustainable Communities Team MN Ol~ice of Envirorunental Assistance S20 Lafayette Rd., Second Floor St. Paul, MN 55155-4100 About water quality in the MN River: http://mrbdc.mankato.msus edu Contact us at: BERBI 923 N. State St_, Suite 140 Fairmont, MN 56031 Phone:507-238-5449 Fax:507-238-4002 meschkel@berbi.org Web: www.berbi.org Keeping The Worms With all the benefits to having worms in your soil you should consider giving them a hand. There are several things that you can do to help the earthworms in your soil. Reducing tilling and leaving as much surface residue as possible benefits earthworms. Using plenty of fertilizer, manures and sewage sludges are your best bet for the earthworms. Do not forget to check out your insecticide. Make sure that the one you are using will not harm the an suc as a pen and lapel pm. 1n order to receive a kit earthworms. the family would sign a stewardship pledge promising to start conserving and improving the land in their own Some research is being conducted on lives. Land also includes the water and the air. h~t' ` '~' ~~ N~- ~t~' ~ the benefits of actually planting ~n'~6 ~ - ~~ ~~~,~, earthworms in your fields and gardens. It is our sincere hope that this project will involve people So far it seems that the costs of in land stewardship that otherwise would not consider it. We bringing the worms in outweighs the benefits of having hope that you will be as excited with these kits as we are. them. It makes much more sense to practice worm friendly growing so that the worms will stay there.. When planning your soil management do not forget "nature's plow". EaY"1thwO : ~ er FI'Ye11d13' ave you ever wondered about the value of earthworms to your field or garden? If you have not considered them you may want to start now. Earthworms have been known to be -Page 5-