Updates and Articles

Mosquitoes, monarchs and memories: An FMR ecology intern's reflections

by Betsy Daub

October 10, 2019

Daurius Mikroberts, one of FMR's 2019 summer ecology interns, reflects on a summer monitoring birds, pollinators, turtles and native plants at FMR restoration sites. Despite the mosquitoes, Daurius says the internship was "one of the best ways I’ve ever spent a summer." >>

Spring Lake regional park master plan open house Oct. 14

by Irene Jones

October 9, 2019

What's next for this special place (and FMR restoration site) on our great river? You can help decide. >>

St. Paul solicits new development for RiverCentre Ramp site

by Colleen O'Connor Toberman

October 8, 2019

The city of St. Paul is struggling to repair or replace its crumbling riverfront parking ramp. The city's new approach seeks a private development partner to add buildings alongside or on top of the ramp. >>

'Land conservation key to bringing back Minnesota bird population'

by sue rich

October 8, 2019

We didn't pay MPR to write that headline, but it's exactly the message we want people to understand. >>

Collect them all: Invasive species identification cards

by Ellie Rogers

October 8, 2019

Download four invasive species plant ID guides. They feature all the specifics you need to identify the plant in the field, plus tips on how to stop its spread in your own yard. Read more

Thank you for making The River Connects a success!

October 7, 2019

If you want to relive our fall event (or in case you missed it), we made this collection for you. See all GIFs from our photo booth. Find a playlist of river songs that our keynote speaker Nick Spitzer from American Routes presented. Take a tour of our work from the eyes of a heron. Read stories of river connection from our members and friends. See photos of our 200+ attendees coming together to protect and restore our river. >>

Welcome Ashley, farewell Amy (and congrats Sophie)!

October 3, 2019

As summer shifted to fall, we welcomed a new administrative assistant Ashley O'Neill Prado. And Sophie Downey stepped into a new volunteer and outreach coordinator role as we bid farewell to our long-time volunteer coordinator Amy Kilgore. >>

Why Minnehaha Academy's new building blends in with the Mississippi Gorge

by Irene Jones

October 2, 2019

It's not often that a heated community debate about development along the Mississippi River Gorge leads to a building that fits well into this picturesque landscape, but the new addition to Minnehaha Academy does just that. It fits in so well that it's actually hard to see the new building from the parkway! This success story shows how river development can blend in with its surroundings, why it should, and why your voice is crucial in the process. >>

Northern Metals shuts down ... finally

by Colleen O'Connor Toberman

October 2, 2019

It may have taken years, but Northern Metals has finally shut down its polluting riverfront metal shredder. Even so, North and Northeast Minneapolis residents aren't seeing any reparations for the continued environmental and health damage. >>

The end of ethanol: Future-proofing Minnesota’s cropland

by Trevor Russell

October 1, 2019

The electric vehicle transition will happen, and it has huge implications for American farms (not to mention opportunities for water quality). In the electrified world of 2050, demand for corn ethanol will have plummeted, and the agricultural economy will be nothing like the one you know today. If we invest in innovative clean-water crops now, we can improve the long-term outlook for our state’s rural economic prosperity and for our river. >>