River Guardians made an impact in 2020
We're celebrating the successes of more than 1,500 River Guardians who took action in 2020 to hold polluters of a toxic riverfront waste site accountable, to invest in critical infrastructure to ensure safe drinking water, and to protect migrating birds along the metro Mississippi flyway. Thank you! Find out more about your impact and what we're up against in 2021. >>
FMR ecologist coauthors paper on the importance of replanting after buckthorn removal
When FMR volunteers remove buckthorn, we're making way for native plants to reestablish critical habitat. In a new research paper, following up by planting native plants seems to show another benefit: Buckthorn has a harder time making a comeback. >>
Choose the winners of the great FMR Kernza bake-off!
You know we're serious about clean-water crops like Kernza, but we're also pretty serious about baked goods. Check out the entries and cast your vote in our virtual bake-off by the end of October. >>
FMR's first-ever virtual gala a hit!
FMR staff and board members shared reasons why we do the work we do at this year's fall gala, Our Storied River. You can watch all the river stories, including the ones we told, below. (Photos by Tom Reiter)
At Our Storied River, we raised close to $170,000 for the river. Thank you! If you missed the livestream or you just want to see it again, check out this collection of our featured river stories, a tour from FMR staff of a few of our favorite places, and glimpses of the artwork created for the event. >>
A sneak preview of the lineup for Our Storied River, Oct. 1
Miss Shannan — local host of The Moth — will be our host for an evening of river stories from FMR and our community. Join us October 1!
Want a sneak preview of the stories you'll hear at our virtual fall gala on October 1? We'll hear from a musician who toured the Mississippi by canoe to discover not only his muddy roots, but his true love; a family who found a sense of place in the river, and a place to grieve the impossible; and two storytellers who know the layers of history at Bdote, the sacred confluence of rivers. >>
Your sightings critical for year two of coyote and fox research project
How are wild canids adapting to urban areas? Help researchers find out more this fall and winter, get a project update from the first field season, and learn how to identify and differentiate gray foxes, red foxes and coyotes with our guide, so you can record your sightings. >>
Become a community scientist
Scientists sometimes turn to the public to collect observations and data on flora and fauna. If you’re heading outside, why not take note of the wildlife and blooms you see? Here are a few of our favorite projects that call for community scientists. >>
FMR ecologist makes the cover of Science for earthworm research
FMR ecologist Alex Roth's earthworm research made it on the cover of the highly regarded professional journal Science at the end of October, the same journal that published the human genome for the first time. >>
Collect them all: Invasive species identification cards
At this field season's volunteer events, we handed out invasive species collector's cards as a guide (and a thank you) for our intrepid, invasive-busting volunteers. Now that the field season is drawing to a close, we're sharing them with everybody. >>
Candid camera at Spring Lake Islands
We've trained a wildlife camera's eye on our turtle nest protection area in the Spring Lake Islands Wildlife Management Area near Rosemount. The camera's shots will help us find out if the nest enclosure is working to protect hatchlings. But as we dig through our footage, we're turning up some fun shots of more than just turtles. >>