Stay current
Get river news, FMR updates and event calendars twice a month.
FMR works with public and private landowners, local government agencies and concerned community members — including thousands of volunteers — to protect and restore bluffs, prairies, forests and other lands important to our communities and the health of our metro Mississippi.
Here's what our conservation staff are currently working on and encountering in the field.
Learn more about all our protection and restoration sites at our conservation map, as well as more information about our approach and program.
Conservation updates are also shared on social media (Facebook and Instagram) and in our Mississippi Messages newsletter.
POSTS
September 19, 2022
Watch our new video to experience the stunning landscape of Pine Bend Bluffs Natural Area habitat corridor from a bird's-eye view and hear the story of its protection. Read more
May 14, 2022
A deep dive into the term "invasive species" — species that spread rapidly, or species out of place — plus how we can revise the value judgments we place on them. Read more
December 9, 2022
There are about 150 native and non-native lizard species in North America. Only these three manage to survive the harsh Minnesota climate. Read more
December 5, 2023
Our Land Conservation program has protected and restored more than three dozen sites near the metro Mississippi River. Here's how we decide where to focus our efforts. Read more
October 2, 2022
Don't blame the wrong plant for that runny nose and itchy eyes. Read more
July 1, 2022
Not all thistles are invasive in Minnesota. Here's how you can tell if you're looking at one of our few native thistle species.
Not all thistles are invasive in Minnesota. Here's how you can tell if you're looking at one of our five native thistle species and why you should leave those species in the ground. >>
Read more
June 24, 2022
Located along a newly re-meandered stretch of the South Branch of the Vermillion River, this 24-acre woodland-turned-savanna is now a showcase for successful savanna restoration. Read more
June 17, 2022
June 16, 2022
At the William H. Houlton Conservation Area — one of the largest undeveloped riverfront properties in the metro — we're restoring 160 acres of soybean field and grazed grasslands into prairie and oak savanna. Read more
April 29, 2022
Beside riverfront railroads and beneath blufftop Dakota burial mounds, this St. Paul natural area is a sacred place. We're partnering with Native-led Lower Phalen Creek Project to restore its habitat with culturally important practices and plants. Read more
