Thank you for joining us at The River Provides

On September 28, over 250 attendees came together at Nicollet Island Pavilion for The River Provides and raised more than $175,000 to protect the river and the communities it sustains. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated in our river-themed auction, donated to support youth education or signed up to advocate and volunteer. Our work is possible because of you!

The River Provides commemorated FMR's 30th anniversary with a reflection on the significant accomplishments we've achieved together and a presentation on our latest initiatives to transform the river.

Our program this year featured the ways the river provides for our communities and the work we’re doing to try to reciprocate.

Here's a recap, in case you missed it.

The river provides ...

... a home for so many of us — for the animals and plants who live in the water and on its shores, and for people

Colleen and Maddie of our Land Use & Planning program talked about how the potential effects of invasive carp seriously threaten that home — and what FMR is doing to advocate for action.

... drinking water for millions of people

Trevor and Peter of our Water program gave a sneak preview of a first-of-its-kind report on the possibilities of clean-water crops. The report shows that we're right to think we can significantly increase the number of acres of clean-water crops in Minnesota and in turn drastically reduce water pollution.

... opportunities for human connection and lessons on what stewardship can accomplish

Every year, thousands of volunteers show up and work with so much care to create dramatic reductions in invasive plants at FMR restoration sites. Volunteer persistence has cleared space for native plants to flourish and wildlife to thrive. Leah, Julia, Sov and Carrie of our Land Conservation and Stewardship & Education teams spoke about transformation through community dedication.

... chances to learn about the communities that need the river (and learn that the river needs our communities)

Through our volunteer pollinator and monarch larva monitoring programs, volunteers learn insect and plant identification skills and pollinator biology. Together we contribute to local and national databases that help us track trends in pollinator diversity and abundance, and evolve our work to protect them in turn.

We are immensely grateful for our community's overwhelming support and kindness in making this evening an incredible success. This event wouldn't have been possible without your time, talent and generosity — many thanks to everyone who joined us in celebrating the river.