Thank you, River Stewards!
Thank you, River Stewards! Your hard work and dedication blew us away in 2019.
Despite our fair share of obstacles — most notably massive rains that flooded restoration sites well into spring and summer — your contributions really added up over the course of this habitat restoration season.
This year, 1,413 individuals volunteered with FMR at public community events, contributing over 4,000 hours of service (often while wet). That means you volunteered more hours than there are miles of the Mississippi River!
Whether you were able to join us for two hours — in the field restoring habitat, hand-collecting native seed or hauling brush — or earned FMR Super Volunteer status at 20+ hours, know your time and dedication doesn't go unnoticed.
Volunteers help stretch limited resources and expand our reach. Together, we make an even greater impact on the health of the river and our local communities at over three dozen restoration sites throughout the metro.
We're deeply grateful.
Looking back
Check out some of the best photos from the year and see how river stewards got their hands dirty in our thank-you video. And be sure to check out our Flickr album to see highlights from 2019!
Thanks to you and to youth
Over half of FMR's river volunteers are younger stewards who participate in events through their school, church or community organization. For a recap of our youth program's impressive 2019 accomplishments, check out "Another banner year for our young river stewards."
See you next season!
To stay in touch about volunteer events and stewardship programs, contact FMR Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey, volunteer@fmr.org. We look forward to working with you in 2020!