Pine Bend Bluffs, where volunteers work alongside FMR staff, is known for not only its stunning views of the Mississippi River but its choruses of courting frogs and toads. This little one seems oddly at home in a young volunteer's hands.

Located in Rosemount and Inver Grove Heights, the Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area is a true hidden gem. The SNA was established in 2002 and greatly expanded in January 2011 thanks to years of work by FMR, the Trust for Public Land, the Minnesota DNR, local landowners and a regional coalition of open space advocates. Additional information is available on the FMR Pine Bend page and in this FMR article about the expansion of protected lands in this important area — a significant conservation victory! Basic directions, a bird list and plant list for the site are available from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.