Highlights from FMR's 2024 summer youth program

By Naomi Nickel

September 12, 2024

ESI fellows and guests stand on the shoreline in the gorge with canoes

On weekly paddles and outings, our Environmental Stewardship Institute fellows got to know more about metro waters and the communities working to steward them.

Our summer youth fellows spent a lot of time on the water this year. Some had never been in a canoe or kayak, but quickly learned how to paddle on near-weekly outings, fostering deeper relationships and understandings of the rivers and lakes where we live.

Friends of the Mississippi River's Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) summer program is an eight-week session designed to teach high schoolers about the environment and environmental field through hands-on learning. Summer fellows spend time outdoors, hear from experts and undertake a capstone project. All of this provides opportunities to practice skills and gain tools fellows would need to pursue an environmental career.

Here are some of the highlights from 2024.

100+ hours, four paddles and countless connections

This year, 24 paid fellows and two assistants (Bella and Kaia, both members of last year’s ESI Council) joined us for more than 100 hours of programming. Last year we only met for six weeks, but this summer we extended our program to just over eight weeks of gatherings and outings.

This meant more time for fellows to get to know each other and build community, and more time for FMR staff to get to know the fellows. Many FMR staff spent time with this year's cohort on the water or in our office, sharing their career journeys and their work.

ESI facilitators led team-building and reflective activities throughout the program.

This also meant more time for paddling! We went on four paddles total, canoeing on Rice Creek, Bush Lake and, of course, the Mississippi River. Most of our fellows had never paddled before, so our first trip — an out-and-back trip on Rice Creek with heavy winds and a strong current — was quite the challenge. But they learned quickly and these trips became a highlight of the summer for many.

ESI fellow Amelie said, "I enjoyed paddling because not only was I able to spend time in and reconnect with nature, but I had the chance to hear from Travis Bush about his experience with the Mississippi as an Indigenous man. It gave me a different perspective on the river and made me want to care for our waters and environment even more."

Learning about different environmental pathways is a key part of our program. Experts, professionals and community members joined us to share their knowledge and experiences and offer perspectives about the places we walked and paddled through.

2024 outings

Watersheds at Rice Creek

Rice Creek Watershed District staff talked to us about watersheds and how we can protect ours from water quality issues like erosion and invasive plants.

Insect surveys at Trout Brook

We explored Trout Brook Nature Sanctuary in St. Paul and participated in a bioblitz, contributing community science observations about dragonflies and other macroinvertebrates.

Cottonwood research in North Mississippi Regional Park

Mississippi Park Connection staff led us on a nature walk and taught us about cottonwood tree growth research happening at North Mississippi Regional Park.

Infrastructure near the Mississippi River Gorge (paddling from Bohemian Flats to Hidden Falls)

In Voyageur canoes with FMR staff and U of M researchers, scientists and communicators, fellows learned about locks and dams and the prospect of their removal.

Indigenous connections to the Mississippi River (paddling from Hidden Falls to Harriet Island)

Staff from Wakáŋ Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi shared about Indigenous relationships with the river, Dakota history and connections, and the Dakota and Ojibwe languages.

Practicing and portaging at Bush Lake

Since the Minnesota River was flooded, we paddled Bush Lake and practiced portaging with Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge staff.

Environmental justice through Minneapolis' Northside

Because of rain, we bused to sites like Upper Harbor Terminal and heard from Community Members for Environmental Justice on issues in North Minneapolis. (Photo by Alexandra Jabbarpour for FMR)

2024 fellows' capstone projects

Capstone projects are a key component of our summer program. By working on a project, fellows learn to research online and by talking to experts, gain organizational skills and have the freedom to explore a subject they're curious or passionate about with support from FMR staff and each other. ESI projects provide valuable experience developing and bringing an idea to life, and can be a great addition to fellows’ resumes.

This year, topics ranged from water quality research, to videos about important environmental topics, to creating a living terrarium, to an issue familiar to FMR followers — invasive carp. We were impressed by the amount of research that went into this group of projects. All of the projects required lots of background information, and the fellows did not shy away from this challenge. We hope you enjoy looking through their projects as much as we did.

(Note: Opinions expressed in projects are those of the program participant and do not necessarily represent those of FMR.)

Video interviews on ways to help the environment

Salman, Kulmiye, Dre and Fuad interviewed environmental professionals and put together a video and presentation called "Protecting our planet: Simple steps to a greener future."

From the ESI fellows (via Kulmiye):

"We can’t solve pollution and global warming with a snap of a finger, but we can help slow them down. We wanted to teach others and learn ourselves ways we can help the environment. Even small contributions can lead to big change in the grand scheme of things."

See their full final project.

Water quality testing Roseville lakes (and why it matters)

Amelie Nickel conducted water quality sampling in three favorite bodies of water near her home, measuring pH, ammonia, nitrite and phosphate levels.

From the ESI fellow:

"I chose this project as I spent a lot of time in nature and around bodies of water growing up, so it's very important to me that I see my local community healthy and thriving."

"Even though lakes and ponds by your house and in your neighborhood may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, they most likely drain into the Mississippi River and eventually the ocean. You can start taking small steps like using less salt on your driveway and minimizing use of lawn and garden chemicals."

Read her research.

A closed terrarium as ecosystem model

Christopher Crutchfield created a closed terrarium using local species to act as a model of the local ecosystem.

From the ESI fellow:

"I have always thought that terrariums and similar things were very cool, and I have also always been interested in the interactions in ecosystems. Being able to create my own mini-ecosystem and keep it indoors was amazing."

"Balance is one of the most important things in keeping ecosystems healthy. Without proper balance in nutrients, air, etc. an ecosystem will have trouble surviving, let alone thriving. Human activities often disrupt this balance."

Water quality testing and outreach at metro lakes

Dahlia, Fynn and Annika researched the health of three metro lakes, then presented their project and poster at Lake Harriet.

From the ESI fellows (via Fynn):

"I live by Lake Harriet and have a shared cabin on the St. Croix. I love lakes and care for their health and safety. I also wanted to find out why the less wealthy areas have more unappealing lakes. We came to the conclusion that lakes near underserved communities often lack the infrastructure to adequately absorb phosphate, nitrate and other water pollutants."

"Something you can do is try to use less fertilizer, be careful about what you put down the sewers (no grass clippings!) and help plant more plants, especially in underserved communities."

Research on invasive carp and an artful poster

Sumaya, Roselynn, Paw Eh Soe and Eli were inspired to create a 3D model board to simulate a carp jumping out of the water.

From the ESI fellows (via Eli):

"We chose to focus on carp because we all wanted to learn more about our local streams, lakes and rivers. Invasive carp are found in almost every water reservoir in the U.S. They eat up all the vegetation in the ponds and make it hard for native species to live there."

"In real life, carp actually do jump out of the water and onto people's boats. We all worked together to show that. We combined our communication skills, from researching to creating the fish to painting them."

Brochure on decreasing freshwater supply

Alexis researched fresh water and the problems with its overuse. She made a brochure to share as a quick overview of issue.

From the ESI fellow:

"Only 1% of water on earth is available for humans and ecosystems. I wanted to do this project because it's such an important issue."

"Our freshwater supply is decreasing rapidly due to overconsumption. We can try to help out by reducing our water usage or recycling, but it’s mainly industry that needs to cut down use. I also learned about new technologies that try to combat the decreasing freshwater supply."

Check out the brochure.

Video exploring the harms caused by oil spills

Ker Yang, Angela Chang and Nkauj Kia Yang created a video with a demonstration on how oil spills harm wildlife.

From the ESI fellows (via Angela):

"The topic of water pollution popped up in my mind when Naomi was talking about the project early on. One of my teammates suggested that we should focus on oil spills, as they still happen today."

"Oil spills affect marine life by poisoning them. Oil spills trap any kind of wildlife that has fur. They can trap birds and cause them to digest the oil which can harm them. Oil spills can affect fish and cause them to deform."

Watch a clip from their video.

Join us

We created the Environmental Stewardship Institute to help close the opportunity gap for BIPOC and underrepresented communities in the environmental field. Youth leadership is a key part of our approach to equity and long-term approach to diversifying the environmental sector. We hold a summer intensive program and a school-year youth advisory council. Learn more about the institute.

FMR's ESI programs are part of our larger Stewardship & Education program. We create many opportunities for youth and community members of all ages to get involved with FMR.

Thank you to American Beverage Foundation, Cargill Foundation, City of St. Paul, George Family Foundation, HB Fuller, Minnesota Beverage Association, Right Track, Trillium Family Foundation, Xcel Energy Foundation and donors like you for making our ESI program possible.

Reconnecting with the river: FMR's 2024 summer youth program