Minnesota wildlife

How we choose sites to protect and restore

update

September 1, 2022

Our Land Conservation program has protected and restored more than three dozen sites near the metro Mississippi River. Here's how we decide where to focus our efforts. Read more

Measuring success: recent pollinator surveys at FMR-restored prairies

by Alex Roth, by Karen Schik

update

February 7, 2022

Just as our breeding bird surveys have shown more birds and more species using FMR-restored prairies, our latest pollinator surveys further demonstrate the wildlife benefits of restored habitats. >>

A short field guide to metro wildlife

by Casey Ek

update

November 12, 2021

Whether it's the return of grassland birds to a once-homogenous cropland we've restored to prairie, or the adaptive behaviors of urban foxes and coyotes, the well-being of Minnesota's wildlife can serve as a window into our ecosystems as we strive to be better stewards of the land. Get to know a few of the critters who find habitat in FMR restoration sites. >>

FMR Intern Allie's favorite insect sightings

by Allie Carroll

update

July 13, 2021

Allie Carroll, our summer field ecology intern, has a great eye for insects. We're all looking a little closer now that she’s on our team. Here's a guest post from Allie in which she gives us a tour of some of the coolest finds from her fieldwork so far. >>

Landscape for the river

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May 11, 2021

Whether urban, suburban or rural, yards are part of the Mississippi watershed. The effects of how we landscape and route rain show up far beyond our property lines. Dig into these tips to help protect the river right from your own backyard. Read more

Monarch on liatris in an urban raingarden

Our favorite take-aways from this spring's Pollinator Summit

by Karen Schik

update

May 7, 2021

At the recent Pollinator Summit, our ecologists picked up a few new ideas about how to restore land with pollinators in mind, and learned more about how pollinators restore the land themselves. Read on for our take-aways on soil scouting, goat grazing, our tiniest SuperVolunteers, and the 5,000 invertebrates under your feet at every step. >>

Why insects matter and what you can do about their decline

by Karen Schik

update

January 29, 2021

In the past few years, news of the decline of insect populations has raised alarm bells. Experts say the world is losing around 1 to 2 percent of its insects each year. By now, most people know pollinators are vital to making about a third of our food supply. But what about all the other insects — does this overall population decrease matter? >>