Upcoming events

  • Join the free workshop, "Putting Down Roots: Raingardens in Residential Settings", Wednesday, August 26, 6:30-8:30 pm, at the Rice Street Recreation Center in St. Paul.

    Many people don't realize that some standard lawncare practices can cause serious damage to nearby lakes, streams and rivers. However, homeowners interested in preserving local water quality can start right in their own backyards. Learn how to create an attractive, watershed-friendly raingarden in this free, how-to workshop.

    Read more...

  • Tour the Oak Savanna in the Minneapolis River Gorge with ecologist Carolyn Carr, Thursday, September 10, 3-5 pm or 6-7:30 pm, in the Longfellow neighborhood.

    Enjoy a guided tour of a former buckthorn thicket undergoing restoration to a mesic prairie and a remnant oak brushland/woodland, thanks to hundreds of FMR Gorge Stewards volunteers. Tour-leader Carolyn Carr, an ecologist with Ecological Strategies, has years' experience conducting educational and outreach programs to protect open space and restore natural areas, particularly in urban areas, and has been an integral part of the work in this section of the Mississippi River Gorge.

    Read more or sign up now, for the afternoon tour...
    Read more or sign up now, for the evening tour...

    Can't make the tour? Or want to to attend both the tour and to help restore this important area? Sign up for the September 26th oak savanna seeding here.

  • Tour the Ruins of the Mississippi River's first Lock and Dam with Dr. John Anfinson of the National Park Service, Saturday, September 19, 10 am-noon or 1-3 p.m.

    Do you know about the first lock and dam on the Mighty Mississippi? Or why it was destroyed after just five years by the Army Corps of Engineers? Learn the story and see and touch the remains of the Meeker Dam on this special interpretive tour with Dr. John O. Anfinson. A historian with the National Park Service and FMR board member, John is also the author of "A River of History" and "The River We Have Wrought: A History of the Upper Mississippi River".

    Read more or sign up now, for the morning tour...
    Read more or sign up now, for the afternoon tour...

  • Sneak peek: A Bird's Eye View of History, Mounds Park Walk and Talk, Saturday, October 10, 10 am-noon or 1-3 pm.

    Join National Park Service historian Dr. John Anfinson and towboat pilot Hokan Miller for a walk and talk along the bluffs overlooking the river and downtown St. Paul. The area surrounding Mounds Park is as rich in history as it is beautiful. From this vantage point, much of the river's history can be visualized — powerful geologic forces, Native American burial mounds, tales of early explorers, the historic harbor and today's busy working river.

    This event will be posted on the online events calendar August 20, 5 p.m.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, April 20, 2024 - 9:30am to 12:00pm
West River Parkway and 36th Street/44th Street, Minneapolis
Applications due Friday, May 3 by 5 p.m.
Virtual and in-person
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Hampton Woods Wildlife Management Area