An Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River
Join us to celebrate the Mississippi in the midst of its fall splendor, Thursday, September 28. From our beautiful venue on the river, we'll toast to you and the recent successes you made possible.
Guests will hear from keynote speaker, Dr. Dorceta Taylor, one of the country's preeminent environmental justice scholars. Dr. Taylor, who says her work is about opening doors for other people by making the environmental movement more diverse, will talk about the intersection of environmental history, politics and justice, and what we can all do to make our special, natural places more inclusive.
Additionally, the evening will feature an entertaining river-themed live auction, the renown Davu Seru Trio, and hearty local fare and refreshments — including a just-for-FMR signature cocktail.
Meet our elusive, big brown trout
The Twin Cities is home to a rare trophy trout stream known for these not-so-brown trout. (Photo by Latham Jenkins, Circumerro Stock.)
In a cold prairie river just 20 or so minutes south of St. Paul, large brown trout gather in the shadow of red-twig dogwoods, willows and other stream-side plants. Learn more about these wily and beautiful reminders of the importance of protecting our local waters, and how you can help protect them. (Hint: Volunteer at our Vermillion watershed events on 5/23 and 6/22!) >>
Bite Back: An edible invasives potluck
It’s garlic mustard season, so we’re throwing a potluck to bite back at the spread of invasive species. >>
Annual River Gorge Earth Day cleanup 2019
Update: Clean Water Fund bills pit key water programs against one another
In recent weeks, committees in the House and Senate have laid out how they think Minnesota should spend its Legacy Amendment funding for clean water programs. Unfortunately, both bills call for use of these special, voter-created funds for programs normally supported through more routine channels. Now, three broadly-supported programs have been essentially pitted against one another during a time of a billion-dollar surplus. >>
Senate proposes major environmental rollback
The Minnesota Senate’s proposed environmental budget bill (SF 2314) makes crippling cuts to general fund spending for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (86% cut), Department of Natural Resources (17%) and Board of Water and Soil Resources (39%). And that’s not all. >>
Water Action Day 2019 a success! ...Despite the snowstorm
Despite the sudden spring blizzard, over 450 Minnesotans from across the state joined us at the Capitol for a day of action and advocacy. Together, they attended trainings on a range of issues, met individually with almost a quarter of the Minnesota Legislature, participated in the first Water Town Hall and rallied for clean water. >>
River planning is wrapping up for most corridor cities
View from Schaar's Bluff at Spring Lake Park Reserve in Hastings, part of the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area.
Most Twin Cities communities have completed their draft plans for land use and development along their local riverfront, but a few are still seeking public comments in the coming weeks or months. Learn where your community is in the process and weigh in while there is still time. >>
Riverfront regional park plan roundup
Students participate in a water sampling project at Crosby Farm, a beloved St. Paul park. The draft master plan for this park proposes to improve access while maintaining its undeveloped feel.
FMR has been participating in the master planning processes for Above the Falls, Mississippi Gorge and Hidden Falls Crosby Farm regional parks in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Here's a roundup of the draft plans, FMR's comments on these plans and opportunities for future public participation. >>
Garlic mustard May!
Pull garlic mustard with us! We've got plenty of opportunities to help restore river habitat this May.
'Tis the season for garlic mustard removals. If you've skimmed the FMR events calendar recently, you may have noticed a reoccurring theme: garlic mustard pulls. Prime pulling season typically runs from late-April through May. Learn more about this pesky invader and how you can help. >>