restoration

How our ecologists piece together a site’s past and plan for its future

update

April 23, 2024

What can the outstretched limbs of a bur oak reveal about the land? Here's how our ecologists find signs underfoot and overhead to understand a place before beginning to restore its habitat. Read more

How our warm winter affected habitat restoration progress

update

March 18, 2024

What will the warmest winter on record mean for wildlife? We won't know for awhile. We do know that it got in the way of our usual winter tasks for wildlife habitat restoration. Luckily, our ecologists like challenges. Read more

Can pockets of habitat tip the scales in degraded wetlands?

update

January 25, 2024

Invasive reed canary grass forms dense monocultures in many wetlands across the Upper Midwest, but we're experimenting with ways to give native wetland plants a better foothold. Read more

Vermillion River flows through reed canary grass

How a little leaf beetle keeps Canada goldenrod in check

update

August 21, 2023

Sometimes too much of a good thing can be ... too much. That's the case when Canada goldenrod spreads rapidly in our prairie restorations. But over time we've noticed something small making a big impact on plant diversity. Read more

Canada goldenrod on the left, more diverse prairie on the right

A new tool in our toolbox for buckthorn control: Critical period cutting

update

August 7, 2023

We're always looking for new and better ways to keep buckthorn from becoming dominant in our woodlands and forests. A new method we're trying in the Gorge shows promise and doesn't require power tools or herbicides. Read more

Volunteers work on buckthorn removal by the river

Got scat? The next phase of the coyote and fox project

by Alex Roth

update

March 19, 2023

How are wild canids adapting to urban areas? FMR supporters have been helping researchers find out. Hear about how to get involved in two new community science initiatives with the Twin Cities Coyote and Fox Project. Read more