Updates and Articles

Annual park rankings highlight racial and economic disparities
by Colleen O'Connor Toberman
June 7, 2021

St. Paul and Minneapolis are known to have some of the country's best urban park systems. But how well do they deliver equitable park access to all residents?  >>

Read more
Beat the heat with a paddle to Settler's Island
June 7, 2021

Looking to get out on the river? Pair your paddle with a visit to FMR's Settler's Island restoration and enjoy a respite in the shade of the island's canopy as you take in the quietude of the Mississippi River's back channels.  >>

Read more
Special Session Action Alert: Support conservation & our environmental agencies [CLOSED]
June 3, 2021

The fate of this year's omnibus Environment Bill will be decided in the upcoming special session. Please send a quick message to your legislators to support the ENRTF, fully fund our environmental state agencies, and say no to unnecessary changes to the Public Waters Inventory process. >>

Read more
Write to the River's last chapter
by Ellie Rogers
June 2, 2021

After four years and 17 editions, we're wrapping up Write to the River, FMR's community creative writing project run by our dedicated volunteer Leslie Thomas.  >>

Read more
Write to the River prompt photos of the river through the seasons
Something's rotten in the state of Minnesota
June 1, 2021

The latest act in the "Pinelands to Potatoes" saga is a blow to environmental protection.  >>

Read more
Flood data needed at Ford Area C
by Colleen O'Connor Toberman
May 27, 2021

Area C, Ford Motor Company's hazardous waste dump on the Mississippi River floodplain in St. Paul, hasn't been in the news lately. The site is being better monitored than in the past, but we're waiting for flood data to give us a fuller picture about what risks the pile may pose.  >>

Read more
Special Session Action Alert: Support clean water bonding [CLOSED]
May 27, 2021

Next up for this special session: the bonding bill. Join us in calling on legislators to support two important water infrastructure projects: #FixthePipes and CREP. >>

Read more
Special Session Action Alert: Support clean water & oppose raids to the Clean Water Fund [CLOSED]
May 26, 2021

The Minnesota Legislature is coming back for a special session! We're asking River Guardians and others to weigh in on three priority environmental bills to make sure lawmakers get this right. First up: the Omnibus Legacy Bill. >>

Read more
The clock runs out on the Minnesota Legislature
by Trevor Russell
May 19, 2021

On the final day of the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers agreed to a $52 billion two-year state budget, but the clock ran out before they could pass any meaningful legislation. Here’s where major water-related environmental bills stand as we prepare for a special session.  >>

Read more
Who farms in MN? What the ag census tells us about MN agriculture
by Trevor Russell
May 19, 2021

As we work to transition our croplands toward more water-friendly systems, it’s important to examine how the ag sector reinforces systematic inequities that disproportionally impact low-income farmers and people of color — so we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.  >>

Read more

Pages

Upcoming Events

"Our River: Mississippi Muse": FMR's river-inspired, juried art exhibition
December 5 - 19, 2025
F-O-K Studios in St. Paul
Educators: Bring FMR to your students
This school year
In your classroom or outside
Help track trash with the 2025 Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz project
Now through December 31, 2025
Mississippi River National River and Recreation Area, Twin Cities metro

See all Upcoming Events

Our River Campaign:
It all starts here

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

Support the Our River Campaign