6 minute read
Go green
Brush drop-off accepts yard waste from residents on weekends!
The city’s brush drop-off site, located at 2501 Edgewood Ave. S. (entrance at Cedar Lake Road and Colorado Avenue South), is open to residents to deliver brush, branches and logs. New in 2021, yard waste is also accepted during weekend hours. To learn more about what is and is not accepted, visit www.stlouispark.org/brush-drop-off or call 952.924.2562. DAYs TIME Tu 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (brush, branches and logs only) Sa 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. (brush, branches, logs and yard waste) Su Noon – 4 p.m. (brush, branches, logs and yard waste) FEE Free
Fall Cleanup Day
Municipal Service Center, 7305 Oxford St. The event is for St. Louis Park residents only and offers options for recycling and disposal of a range of items. Pricing is made available online and is subject to change. Visit www.stlouispark.org/cleanup or call Waste Management at 763.783.5423 for pricing. DAY DATE+TIME
Join the Home Energy Squad Challenge
The City of St. Louis Park has joined 20 other Minnesota communities to promote home energy efficiency, help residents lower their energy bills and increase home comfort. The Intercity Home Energy Squad® Challenge encourages residents to schedule a Home Energy Squad visit. You’ll learn how your home uses energy and identify energy-saving opportunities, which will lower utility bills. At in-home visits, energy experts can also install materials such as LED lightbulbs, door weather stripping and more. Visits are offered for only $35 or $50, depending on the age of the home. Free visits are also available for income-qualified residents. Awards will be given to cities with the highest participation rate per capita and the most air sealing and insulation rebates per capita. By making changes identified through the Home Energy Squad Challenge, residents can help move St. Louis Park closer to its Climate Action Plan goals. Visit www.stlouispark.org/hes-challenge to learn more and join the challenge.
Planting trees
Use Mother Nature to your advantage! Fall is a great time to plant trees. Lower temperatures and more precipitation provide the new tree a perfect opportunity to start establishing. Did you know roots will continue to grow even when trees lose their leaves and the soil begins to cool? On top of those great facts, nurseries often have great deals at the end of the season. So do your part and plant a tree!
Pruning your trees: timing is everything
The best time to prune your trees, especially elms and oaks, is during the dormant season – November through March. DO NOT prune elms or oaks April through September. During these months, the fungus of Dutch elm disease and oak wilt disease are persistent and present within the atmosphere, potentially infecting any tree with an open wound (branch pruning location) through wind dissemination or insect transport.
Use a licensed tree contractor
If you do decide to have any type of work done to your trees, use a tree contractor licensed by the City of St. Louis Park. The city license ensures that the company has liability and workers' compensation insurance to eliminate property owners' responsibility or liability of injury on or damage to your property from a misguided tree service. Don’t use a contractor that solicits door to door pressuring you to use their service. Tree contractors are required to be licensed by the city. For a current list of city licensed tree services, visit www.stlouispark.org/trees or call 952.924.2562.
Do your part: adopt a storm drain!
St. Louis Park residents are invited to adopt a storm drain by committing to keep it clear of leaves, trash and other debris. The simple act of sweeping and cleaning up around a storm drain protects creeks, wetlands and lakes by preventing pollution from entering our shared waterways. Visit www.adopt-a-drain.org/map to sign up!
To ensure your participation, register as soon as possible. All activities have maximum enrollment limits. Activities also have minimum enrollment requirements and can be canceled if registration is insufficient. If the registration deadline has passed, you may call the recreation office or Westwood Hills Nature Center to see if any openings remain.
Instructors can't accept registrations in class.
Resident benefits
Residents pay a lower fee for many activities. A resident is someone who lives or works full time in St. Louis Park. Non-residents who register as residents will forfeit their fee and their place in the activity.
Access to Fun
Access to fun
Partial fee assistance is available to those that live or work in St. Louis Park. Those who qualify should submit an Access to Fun application. Visit www.stlouispark.org/activities-programs for more information and the online form or call 952.924.2540.
How to register
Sorry, we can't accept registration over the phone.
1. Complete the enclosed registration form or register online at www.stlouispark.org/rec-registration. Be sure to write down the activity name and fee for each program you’re registering for. Missing information can delay your registration. Individuals with disabilities may request auxiliary aids for registration; call 952.924.2540 or email cvoss@stlouispark.org. 2. Payment must accompany registration. We accept
Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, cash and checks. Make checks payable to
“City of St. Louis Park.” 3. Mail, drop off or fax your registration form and payment.
Confirmations and cancelations
We do not send enrollment confirmations.
You will be contacted only if: • The program is full. • The program is canceled. • The date, time or location has changed.
Activities may be canceled due to poor weather. Call the weather line at 952.924.2567 if weather appears questionable.
Refund policy
Full refunds are given only when an activity is canceled by the parks and recreation division. When registration is withdrawn prior to the first day of the activity, a 20% administrative fee will be assessed. Partial credit will be considered if cancelation is due to injury or serious illness.
To better serve you, we have a new online registration site!
We have a new online registration software for parks and recreation programs! CivicRec is a new, mobile-friendly site that provides users with a more intuitive, easy-to-navigate system for browsing and registering for recreation activities, classes, sports and leagues. In the future, it will allow users to search for and reserve community facilities, such as picnic shelters, park buildings, courts and fields. You will need to create a new account online or next time you visit The Rec Center or Westwood Hills Nature Center.
Steps to creating a new account
To create a new account, visit www.stlouispark.org/rec-registration. On a desktop device, click on the "Log In/Create Account" button in the upper left-hand corner, then select "Create Your St. Louis Park Account." On mobile devices, select "Account" in the upper right corner and then select "Sign Up." Fall activity registration begins Monday, Aug. 23.
Send the registration form along with payment to:
The Rec Center 3700 Monterey Drive St. Louis Park, MN 55416
For Westwood Hills Nature Center programs, mail to:
Westwood Hills Nature Center 8300 W. Franklin Ave. St. Louis Park, MN 55426
Fax
Fax the registration form along with your Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express payment to: • The Rec Center – 952.925.5663 • Westwood Hills Nature Center – 952.797.9691 Visit our office
Drop off your registration form, along with payment, to either The Rec Center or Westwood Hills Nature Center.Forms can be dropped off at The Rec Center's front desk or in the secure lockbox located near the front desk.
September – November
The Rec Center’s service counter hours
Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday Saturday
8 a.m. – 9 p.m. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday Noon - 6 p.m. The Rec Center will close at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 and will be closed all day Sept. 4 – 6 and Nov. 25.
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday noon – 5 p.m. The interpretive center is closed Sept. 4 – 6, Nov. 11, 25 and 26. Westwood Hills Nature Center trails are open daily, sunrise to sunset. Vestibule restroom is available during this time.
