Conservation

FMR works with landowners, government agencies and concerned residents — including hundreds 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

Field Ecology internship opening [CLOSED]

by Karen Schik

February 17, 2022

Join us as our field ecology intern. >>

Measuring success: recent pollinator surveys at FMR-restored prairies

by Karen Schik, by Alex Roth

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. >>

Where we work: Old Mill Park

January 27, 2022

At the William H. Houlton Conservation Area — one of the largest undeveloped riverfront properties in the metro — we're restoring 160 acres of soybean field and grazed grasslands into prairie and oak savanna. Read more

Where we work: Nicollet Island

January 14, 2022

The industrial uses that once dominated half of Nicollet Island have given way to a mix of homes, trails and a beloved park where we're restoring pockets of prairie and a forest of maples and climate-adapted tree species. Read more

A new conservation director for FMR

January 14, 2022

Fall intern helps map out FMR conservation strategy

January 7, 2022

FMR has permanently protected 45 sites in the greater metro area since 1993. Our fall 2021 Land Conservation intern, Nick Jacobson, created a tool to help us answer the question of where to focus next. Which lands can we most effectively protect, restore and enhance along the Mississippi River for its wildlife and human communities? >>

Where we work: River Oaks Park

December 17, 2021

A tiny 2-acre remnant bedrock bluff prairie in Cottage Grove holds mighty habitat diversity and offers stunning 180-degree views of the Mississippi River and its surroundings. >>

Climate change, climate justice and FMR's Land Conservation program

by Alex Roth

December 1, 2021

Land protection and restoration for ecological diversity can keep urban areas cooler and more resilient in the face of climate change. Learn more about how our Land Conservation program fights climate change and its impacts. >>

A short field guide to metro wildlife

by Casey Ek

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. >>