Riverside Park Restoration and Tending [FULL]

This event is full. No additional registrations will be accepted.

Help restore one of the first parks in Minneapolis!

At first glance, Riverside Park (located on the west-bank bluffs of the Mississippi River just north of I-94) appears to be a quiet, typical neighborhood park. Given a closer look, though, Riverside reveals complex layers of historical and natural interest. The 40-acre park is actually one of the oldest in the city. It is also a sort of split-level park, with a steep, wooded river bluff and WPA-era stone stairs and walls separating the upper and lower areas.

In 2010, FMR partnered with the West Bank Community Coalition and Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board to begin restoring and naturalizing special places within the park as part of the River Gorge Stewards program. Since, we've held 20 public and group restoration events at the site and over 300 people from the neighborhood and from throughout the Mississippi River Gorge have contributed their time and talents to help restore this community gem.

Working alongside FMR ecologist Alex Roth and Stewardship Coordinator Adam Flett, volunteers will tend native plantings by removing invasive species and assisting with other ecological restoration tasks. The native grasses, flowers and small shrubs offer much-needed urban wildlife habitat in the river corridor while helping reduce erosion. Although this event is just two hours in length, volunteers can rest assured their work is part of a larger, long-term restoration and will continue to be built upon.

The range of activities will be suitable for adults and youth, and everyone is encouraged to work at their own pace and ability level.

Photos from last year's invasive species removal are available here (and from October 2011, May 2011 and May 2010).

Ready to register?

To ensure a high-quality experience, capacity is limited and preregistration required. Minors are welcome to participate with a parent or guardian. Teens 15 and up are welcome to participate without a guardian, however we'll need your guardian to complete this online minor permission form before we can officially register you.

To make sure that individuals and families have a chance to participate, group registration is not available for this event.

To sign up, contact FMR Event Registrar Amy Kilgore via the contact form (please select "Volunteering" under "Category") or akilgore@fmr.org, 651-222-2193 x31. Please include: the name of the event, your name, address and phone number and the number in your party.

You will receive a confirmation email and additional details, such as directions and what to wear, from Amy within, at most, a week. If you have earthlink or an active SPAM filter, please add her email address to your contacts to ensure receipt.

Can't make it?

If you'd like to be notified of future Riverside Park and other restoration and education events in the Mississippi River Gorge in Minneapolis and St. Paul, contact FMR Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator sue rich at srich@fmr.org, or sign up for our twice-a-month e-newsletter, Mississippi Messages, by entering your email in the box at right.