Plant native shrubs and wildflowers at Heritage Village Park [FULL - register for waitlist!]

Check out our video of the first big planting event at this former railyard to see what this site is like! 

Located just 15 minutes south of downtown St. Paul in Inver Grove Heights, Heritage Village Park is a 50-acre site along the banks of the Mississippi River. Now owned by the City of Inver Grove Heights, the site was a former rail yard until the mid-1980s. In 2005, FMR wrote a natural resource management plan to help guide restoration of the park. Today, the park has over 30 acres of restored, native prairie, as well as areas of floodplain forest along the Mississippi River.  

For this event, volunteers will be planting wildflowers and shrubs alongside FMR ecologists and stewardship staff. All are welcome however, space is limited. No experience is needed, all tools, gloves and training will be provided. Volunteers may also be asked to participate in other restoration tasks that are needed to help improve this site.

Ready to register?

While this event is full, you can still sign up for the waitlist. Please contact FMR Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey at volunteer@fmr.org, 651.222.2193 x27, or by selecting Sophie by name under "Category" via the FMR contact form. Please include the name of the event, your name, address and phone number and the number in your party. We will contact you if a spot opens up.

Can't make it?

To receive notices of future events, contact FMR Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey at volunteer@fmr.org. Or, visit our Events Calendar for our most up-to-date listing of upcoming events. To receive a twice-a-month e-newsletter including all FMR activities and news, sign up for Mississippi Messages.

What about COVID-19?

We've modified our events this year to be smaller, and allow for individuals to work while safely six feet apart. All tools will be sanitized between events, and all gloves provided are unused in 2020. Once registered, volunteers will receive a full list of safety precautions and guidelines. 

We're watching the CDC and Minnesota Department of Health guidelines closely. If plans change based on their recommendations, FMR Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey will email registrants with event updates. (Be sure to add volunteer@fmr.org to your contacts so updates don't land in spam.) And we'll update this page if anything changes.

We will offer gloves and hand sanitizer at the event. Volunteers are required to bring and wear their own mask.