Feeling the urge to get outside? FMR has heaps of spring events and activities for individuals and groups alike. Read on or visit our Events Calendar to choose the best fit for you.
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Come one, come all! Individuals, families and groups of all sizes are invited to get outside and help the Mississippi River with FMR. We host roughly 200 outings and events annually with over 5,000 participants from throughout the metro area. (Photo by Amy Kilgore)
March 2017
According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the neighborhood surrounding Northern Metals, which is located along the North Minneapolis riverfront, has the highest levels of lead poisoning and asthma hospitalizations in the city.
Friends of the Mississippi River was pleased to learn today that a settlement has been reached between the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the City of Minneapolis and Northern Metals Recycling. Northern Metals has been operating a metal shredder along the Mississippi riverfront in North Minneapolis for several years and part of their operation was temporarily shut down recently when they were caught failing to meet air quality standards required by their state permit.
March 2017
An unexpected amendment to the state's buffer law undermines Gov. Mark Dayton’s landmark buffer initiative by removing 50-foot buffers from as many as 48,000 miles of Minnesota streams.
March 2017
A hearty welcome to Daurius Mikroberts! With so much energy, enthusiasm and experience, Daurius is sure to be a great addition to both the FMR office and our outdoor volunteer and education events.
February 2017
As dusk approaches on a cold winter night, Twin Cities residents may notice an unusual number of crows flying overhead. Each winter, they show up by the thousands to roost in metro neighborhoods. While the gatherings may seem ominous to some, they serve an important purpose for these intelligent birds.
February 2017
"Morning Color" by Tom Reiter, taken February 15, 2017 at Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area, a beloved natural area that FMR helped to permanently protect several years ago and which we continue to restore and manage for ecological health. This expansive view features a partially frozen, meandering Mississippi River reflecting vivid hues of the daybreak sky. Leafless shrubs extend their branches from the riverbank.
Have you ever felt inspired by the Mississippi? You're not alone. America's River has shaped the metro area both physically and culturally, inciting creative works for as long as us humans have been around.
Now FMR wants to know: What does the Mississippi River mean to you? Sharpen your creative writing pencils, we're launching 'Write to the River,' a new project to feature "Mississippi Messages" readers' works inspired by our great river.
We're kicking off this new project with a call for prose or poetry inspired by the photo above, "Morning Color" over Pine Bend Scientific & Natural Area by Tom Reiter.
February 2017
Under H.F. 551, the MPCA and DNR would no longer have any rulemaking authority and all their existing rules would expire by 2022 unless the Minnesota legislature chose to enact them. The bill likely precedes others that will seek to give the legislature veto power over agency rulemaking, a move that will deny the public a voice in regulatory decisions.
February 2017
In 2011, the last Ford Ranger rolled off the line at Ford's manufacturing campus in St. Paul. With buildings demolished and environmental remediation in the works, the 135-acre site along the Mississippi River will be transformed into a modern riverfront community. (All images courtesy of St. Paul and Goff Public)
Recently, the city of St. Paul unveiled draft plans to redevelop the Ford Plant site along the Mississippi River. Pictured above in its truck-making days, the 135-acre campus is now clear of structures with plans for a new 21st-century riverfront community in the works.
January 2017
Mist rises from the Mississippi just east of downtown St. Paul on a cold December dawn.
Ever wonder why there's a wintry mist on the water in the morning, but not later in the day? Even when it's still quite cold?
January 2017
This massive ragweed plant is no match for Clare Tipler, the senior from St. Paul Academy who contributed the article below about her experience with FMR field trips. Clare and her class removed invasives from Crosby Park in St. Paul (above), educated their neighbors about river pollution and became citizen scientists for the Mississippi River.
High school senior Clare Tipler shares her adventures working with FMR and her environmental studies class and the surprising lessons learned along the way.
January 2017