Updates and Articles

ESI guest post: Blue jay appreciation poem

August 24, 2023

Amarii wrote a poem including facts about the beloved blue jay. Read more

August 23, 2023

Join us for An Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River: The River Provides at Nicollet Island Pavilion on Sept. 28. Read more

River flowing from hands with canoe, heron, hikers

Where we work: Settler's Island

August 22, 2023

In the Grey Cloud channel on a 3-acre island once thick with buckthorn, we're planting climate-adapted trees and native understory plants, increasing habitat resilience amidst climate change. You can visit via kayak or canoe! Read more

Volunteers stand by canoes on Settler's Island

How a little leaf beetle keeps Canada goldenrod in check

August 21, 2023

Sometimes too much of a good thing can be ... too much. That's the case when Canada goldenrod spreads rapidly in our prairie restorations. But over time we've noticed something small making a big impact on plant diversity. Read more

Canada goldenrod on the left, more diverse prairie on the right

FMR tapped to help craft clean transportation recommendations

August 18, 2023

The newly announced working group will deliver Clean Transportation Standard recommendations to legislators early next year. Read more

A driver at a hydrogen fueling station, filling up her fuel cell vehicle. She is holding a pump that appears similar to a traditional gas station.

What the Mississippi River needs from the new Farm Bill

August 14, 2023

The Farm Bill accounts for hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of spending on programs that address nutrition, commodity crop production, farmland conservation, research and more. Read more

A pair of hands examining the roots of a small, green plant that has been pulled from an agricultural field.

A new tool in our toolbox for buckthorn control: Critical period cutting

August 7, 2023

We're always looking for new and better ways to keep buckthorn from becoming dominant in our woodlands and forests. A new method we're trying in the Gorge shows promise and doesn't require power tools or herbicides. Read more

Volunteers work on buckthorn removal by the river

What the research says about how to stop invasive carp

August 4, 2023

Where and how are invasive carp moving? Why do we need a bioacoustic fish fence? What about native fish? We tagged along with Dr. Peter Sorensen to the Driftless Area to get firsthand experience of the latest research. Read more