Land Conservation

Land Conservation
Candid camera at Spring Lake Islands

We've trained a wildlife camera's eye on our turtle nest protection area in the Spring Lake Islands Wildlife Management Area near Rosemount. The camera's shots will help us find out if the nest enclosure is working to protect hatchlings. But as we dig through our footage, we're turning up some fun shots of more than just turtles.  >>

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Check out our conservation blog!

Endangered species, fishers, fields of monarchs — FMR ecologists encounter them all at our 37 habitat restoration sites.  

On our new conservation blog, learn more about what our ecologists see in the field, the special places we're working to protect and how we restore habitat. >>

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Endangered speces at FMR sites
The rusty patched bumblebee: What’s all the buzz about?

A lone male rusty patched bumblebee found in August at an FMR-restored savanna represents 0.2 percent of the known population worldwide. Necessary not only for native wildflower reproduction, but also for creating seeds and fruits that feed wildlife as diverse as songbirds and bears, our state bee could use your help. >>

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It's monarch migration season!

Fall brings chances to spot monarch roosts — dozens of butterflies gathering together on their migration south. FMR ecologist Karen Schik found hundreds earlier this week and sent these videos back from a visit to our prairie restoration at Flint Hills Resources in Inver Grove Heights. >>

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FMR's ecologists investigate how to suppress buckthorn

As anyone who's joined FMR at a restoration volunteer event knows, buckthorn is particularly difficult to eradicate. This invasive plant often thwarts restoration efforts by returning to sites where it's been pulled and hauled away. What if we could find a way to suppress its regrowth?  >>

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Meet the loggerhead shrike, the rare butcher bird of FMR-restored prairies
This small, striking songbird is a fearsome prairie predator. Sadly, it's considered endangered in Minnesota. Read more
A loggerhead shrike perched on the tip of a bare branch, with a grassy field in the background.
Ecological restoration: A practice in patience

In the world of ecological restoration, changes don't happen overnight. And sometimes, to create a thriving and diverse habitat for wildlife and for water quality, things get a little messier (or even uglier) before they get better. Take the long view with us and check out these before, during and after photos of a few of our restoration projects. >>

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Upcoming Events

Applications due Friday, May 3 by 5 p.m.
Virtual and in-person
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Hampton Woods Wildlife Management Area
Thursday, May 9, 2024 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Hastings Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area