Groups wanted: Get your hands dirty for the river!

It has been scientifically proven that volunteering together increases group camaraderie, especially when it's benefitting the Mississippi River.

Whether you’ve got a group of five or fifty, FMR has a fall event for you and yours. Join us to haul buckthorn and restore habitat in the beautiful river bluffs, or let us know if you'd like to set up your own St. Paul service outing.


Buckthorn Blast
Saturday, October 17, 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., followed by lunch
Cottage Grove, above the river

Thanks to the support of local volunteers and a long-term partnership with 3M, FMR has had the privilege of helping to preserve and restore a rare prairie and oak woodland area at 3M's Cottage Grove facility near the Mississippi River. Former invasive species thickets are now home to wildflowers and wildlife, and connect to adjacent natural areas to form a green corridor in southern Washington County.

Join us to help celebrate our success and continue this important restoration project! Volunteers will help remove pre-cut invasive species, such as European Buckthorn, and then enjoy a hot, catered lunch. Individuals, families and groups of up to 20 are welcome at this large-scale event. Individuals and families are also welcome to sign up for the hayride immediately preceding the volunteer activity. Learn more and sign up via the event page!


Help Restore Pine Bend Bluffs
Saturday, October 24, 9 a.m.-noon, followed by lunch
Pine Bend, Rosemount

Join FMR, Flint Hills Resources and Great River Greening as we return to the Flint Hills property within the Pine Bend Bluffs Natural Area along the Mississippi River — one of the largest and most diverse native ecosystems left in the metro area. The site is only accessible to the public for special occasions such as this annual restoration and celebration event.

Individuals, families and groups of up to 20 are welcome. (For this particular event, participants must be 15 and up.) Learn more and sign up via the event page!

Allina Health stencil outing 2014, they got a ton of drains marked!Schedule your stenciling outing

Update: Thanks to everyone who answered the call for fall stenciling groups! We are now taking reservations for 2016! 

If you have a neighborhood, church, corporate, college, youth or any other group of 15 or more, consider stenciling St. Paul storm drains with FMR! We are now taking reservations for 2016.  We stencil any St. Paul streets mid-April through mid-October; at times that work best for you and our stenciling corrdinator.

If you have fewer than 15 in your group, we can bring supplies and instructions to you. If you're self-motivated, trustworthy and can commit to marking a certain number of St. Paul drains working independently, contact Kate Clayton at education@fmr.org

Upcoming Events

Saturday, April 20, 2024 - 9:30am to 12:00pm
West River Parkway and 36th Street/44th Street, Minneapolis
Applications due Friday, May 3 by 5 p.m.
Virtual and in-person
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Hampton Woods Wildlife Management Area