Special places

FMR maintains over three dozen habitat restoration and land protection sites in the metro area. Find out more about some of these special places below. 

You can also see a map of all of our protection and restoration sites and learn more about our approach and Land Conservation program.

Special places
Pine Bend Bluffs Natural Area

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August 4, 2010
Critical for wildlife, this 1,300-acre corridor of protected lands along dramatic western bluffs of the Mississippi River south of the metro includes Pine Bend Bluffs SNA, an award-winning restoration, and one of our favorite places to bird. Read more
Pine Bend Bluffs in the fall
Guiding community-led habitat restoration efforts

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June 8, 2026
A new stewardship model for parks beloved by committed neighbors: FMR provides technical guidance, but neighbors lead. Read more
Volunteers walk across bridge toward forested area and Minneapolis buildings
Gores Wildlife Management Area

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March 9, 2026
This 7,000-acre network of winding backwaters and lush green islands where the Vermillion meets the Mississippi is one of the largest expanses of floodplain native plant communities in southeast Minnesota. Read more
Weltands and confluence of rivers with Hastings bridge in background
Vermillion River Aquatic Management Area

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March 9, 2026
The cold water trout stream and wide floodplain wetlands at the 450-acre Vermillion River Aquatic Management Area (AMA) in Dakota County offer opportunities for angling, hunting, trapping and wildlife observation. Read more
Wetland area
Willow Brook

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February 12, 2026
Nestled between Warner Road and the Mississippi River just south of downtown St. Paul, 70-acre Willow Brook is home to the DNR's Central Region Headquarters and Minnesota’s first state-run fish hatchery. Read more
Shallow brook runs through grassy area and forest
Highlands of River Pointe Preserve

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October 23, 2025
Part of a former farmstead, this Otsego preserve lies along 2.5 miles of the Crow River and showcases massive cottonwood and oak trees, wide sandy floodplains, and grasslands that we're working to restore. Read more
Floodplain with river
Harmon Park Reserve and Salem Hills Park

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September 23, 2025
Four miles of trails wind through this pair of Inver Grove Heights parks that feature cropland turned prairie, acres of restored savanna, towering oak, maple and basswood trees and a pond that draws wildlife to its waters. Read more
Aerial view of trail, water, forest

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Upcoming Events

LGBTQIA2S+ Pride demonstration box tending on Nicollet Island
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Nicollet Island prairie, Minneapolis
Lop buckthorn brush and enjoy a supporter social hour at Vermillion Falls Park
Tuesday, July 7 - 4:30 p.m. social hour, 6:00 p.m. volunteer event
Vermillion Falls Park, Hastings
Tend a prairie at Hastings River Flats Park
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Near the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers, Hastings

See all Upcoming Events