Conservation

FMR works with public and private landowners, local government agencies and concerned community members — including thousands of volunteers — to protect and restore bluffs, prairies, forests and other lands important to our communities and the health of our metro Mississippi.

Here's what our conservation staff are currently working on and encountering in the field. 

Learn more about all our protection and restoration sites at our conservation map, as well as more information about our approach and program.

Conservation updates are also shared on social media (Facebook and Twitter) and in our Mississippi Messages newsletter.

POSTS

Share your thoughts, hopes for Dakota County parks, greenways and natural areas
Is there a park-related topic that you’re passionate about? Or something you'd like to see emphasized in Dakota County's parks and natural areas over the next few decades? If so, this is your chance to have your voice heard. Read more
A guide to local prairie wonderlands
Our favorite metro prairies — some restored, some native remnants, but all prairies FMR supporters can be proud of. Plus, what colorful blooms you can find where and when. Read more
Liatris and goldenrod blooming in prairie
Wild, weird and wonderful: The peculiarities of Minnesota's native bees
From nectar robbers and buzz pollinators, get to know some of the traits and behaviors that make our native bees stand out. Read more
Bumble bee on sunflower
This election season, join us to support the lottery-backed environment fund
Thousands of environmental projects throughout Minnesota depend on our vote this fall. As we approach the 2024 general election, here's how you can support this critical fund as an organization or individual. Read more
A loon on the Mississippi River
FMR becoming a powerhouse for pollinator protection
Two new FMR initiatives are big wins for pollinator protection and research. With good questions and better data to answer them, we can find out what more we can do to make the best possible habitat for pollinators and wildlife. Read more
Rusty-patched bumble bee on liatris
How (and when) to use the critical period cutting method to remove invasive buckthorn
Step-by-step instructions for removing large buckthorn using this new, herbicide-free method. Read more
Person lops branches off of buckthorn stump
Where we work: Seidl's Lake Park
A former orchard, sheep and dairy farm, and swimming hole tucked into a corner of both South Saint Paul and Inver Grove Heights, this city park's wooded hillsides are now transforming into a pocket of much-needed habitat within the urban landscape. Read more
Seidl's Lake, blue surrounded by green forest
Spring intern creates strategic land protection database
Our land conservation spring intern Sam Vanspriell spent four months conducting complex analysis to help us identify land near the river that, if protected, could be key for habitat and water quality. Read more
Sam and Alex at poster session
Spring ephemerals: 9 Minnesota wildflowers you can find between snow-melt and leaf-out
A whole guild of native woodland plants bloom and fruit before trees turn green and fully shade the ground. Read more
Closed bloodroot flowers in brown woods
How our ecologists piece together a site’s past and plan for its future
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
Bur oak in savanna

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Upcoming Events

Tuesday, August 13 OR Thursday, September 12, 2024 - 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Dual Citizen Brewing, St. Paul
Flexible! Now through mid-October
St. Paul
Three options: August 15, September 17, October 5, 2024
Hidden Falls Regional Park, St. Paul