Updates and Articles

'Don't worry, I come in peace!' Meet the one-of-a-kind pelecinid wasp

Of the 18,000 species of ants, bees and wasps in North America, the pelecinid wasp is among the most interesting. This insect is so unusual it shares its family (Pelecinidae) with just three other species in the world, with no others in North America. But don't worry, that 'stinger' isn't what it looks like. >>

Read more
Evaluating the final Clean Water Fund bill

HF 707 betrays the expectations of Minnesota voters by raiding $22 million in Clean Water Fund money for administrative costs for local governments, while failing to heed the recmmendations of Minnesota's Clean Water Council.

Read more
FMR calls for more open space at St. Paul Ford site

Plans for this 135-acre redevelopment go to the planning commission Friday, June 30. While we're in favor of the overall vision for the site — which calls for a higher-density, transit-friendly and mixed-use neighborhood with an emphasis on sustainability — FMR is pushing the city to add more open space and working with city staff to address possible impacts on scenic river gorge views.

Read more
The massive Ford site along the Mississippi River in St. Paul. Photo used with the permission of the Metropolitan Design Center. ©Regents of the University of Minnesota
Learn about a huge N Mpls riverfront redevelopment and weigh in

Affordable housing. Parks and trails. A 10,000-seat riverfront amphitheater. A business incubator. All have been suggested as part of the redevelopment of the long-closed port of Minneapolis, the 48-acre Upper Harbor Terminal site in North Minneapolis. Come learn about the options and weigh in on what you'd like to see at a series of community meetings late-June through September. 

Read more
The massive Upper Harbor Terminal site along the Mississippi River in North Minneapolis.
Get that beaver a Super Volunteer T-shirt!

With the second phase of native prairie restoration set to begin at Ole Olson Park along the North Minneapolis riverfront, FMR is grateful for the help of an unlikely partner.

Read more
Thank you, beaver!
Nature Notes: It's a sign! Giant stonefly found in downtown St. Paul

This surprise visitor to the Robert Street lift bridge is commonly found in trout streams and is considered an indicator of good water quality.

Read more
giant stonefly 1.6 inches long
FMR Executive Director Whitney Clark named transformational leader

FMR is proud to announce that our very own executive director, Whitney Clark, won the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits' 2017 Transformational Leader Award. 

Whitney has often expressed that he strongly relates to E.B. White’s comment, “I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.” But to his friends and colleagues, these appear to be one and the same. 

Our metro Mississippi River and its communities would not be what they are today without your leadership. Congrats, Whitney! 

Read more
Whitney Clark
How water fared in the legislative session + a happy hour invitation

While the 2017 Minnesota legislative session didn’t go as well as we hoped — we failed to make any meaningful progress on water quality — we can say for certain that the final bills were a great improvement over those originally vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton. 

Thank you FMR River Guardians, Water Action Day participants and everyone who joined in our efforts to stand up for clean water this session! 

Learn more from our Legislative Updates blog and join us for happy hour, Tuesday, June 27 to recap the session with the FMR Capitol Crew and discuss what's next.

Read more

Pages

Upcoming Events

December 5 - 19, 2025
F-O-K Studios in St. Paul
This school year
In your classroom or outside
Now through December 31, 2025
Mississippi River National River and Recreation Area, Twin Cities metro

Our River Campaign:
It all starts here

At the heart of this new campaign is the vision of a healthy Mississippi River.