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
Wic̣aḣapi

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June 13, 2025
Wic̣aḣapi is a cemetery built by the ancestors of living Indigenous people, home to the only known remaining burial mounds within the Twin Cities core. FMR has helped restore dry prairie and oak savanna at this sacred blufftop place in St. Paul. Read more
Aerial view of Wic̣aḣapi, river, and downtown St. Paul
Southwest Park Ponding Basin

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May 28, 2025
At a neighborhood park in Hastings, FMR is working with the city to turn a former landfill into a thriving prairie with multiple pollinator gardens. Read more
Southwest Park Ponding Basin greenspace
Camp Cozy Park

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April 22, 2025
Located on a peninsula along the Elk River, this former summer resort turned 48-acre city park is home to diverse habitats including two remnant prairies, woodlands and river floodplains. Read more
Prairie at Camp Cozy
Rosemount Wildlife Preserve

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April 1, 2025
Restoration at this dedicated wildlife sanctuary has turned an old hay field into a thriving prairie and a thicket of buckthorn into diverse woodland habitat. Read more
Green prairie surrounded by forest
River Heights Park

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March 20, 2025
A beloved community park near the river in Inver Grove Heights was saved from development in 2018 and now features a loop trail for walking and a thriving demonstration pollinator garden. Read more
Aerial view of forest and river
Father Hennepin Bluff Park

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September 13, 2024
This 6-acre natural area nestled under the bluffs below St. Anthony Falls provides a riverside respite for both people and wildlife near downtown Minneapolis. We're working with dedicated community volunteers to restore habitat here. Read more
Father Hennepin Bluff Park bridge below buildings

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Upcoming Events

Our River fall event: Meander on the Mississippi [WAITLIST]
Saturday, September 27, 2025 - 10:30am to 1:00pm OR 2:30pm to 5:00pm
Magnolia Blossom Paddle Boat, St. Paul
Lop sumac at Grey Cloud Dunes SNA [WAITLIST]
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Grey Cloud Dunes Scientific and Natural Area, Cottage Grove
Pine Bend Bluffs brush haul + lunch
Saturday, October 4, 2025 - 9:00am to 12:00pm
Pine Bend Bluffs Natural Area at the Flint Hills Resources property, Inver Grove Heights

See all Upcoming Events