Prairie planting at Wakáŋ Tipi/Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary [FULL]

Our work takes place on Dakota homelands. Learn more.

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Once a verdant grassland and marsh where Phalen Creek and Trout Brook met and joined the Mississippi River, the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary has been a sacred place for Dakota people for thousands of years. It's home to Wakáŋ Tipi cave, or Dwelling Place of the Sacred, and lies just below Dakota burial mounds on the bluffs of Indian Mounds Regional Park.

After decades of use as an industrial railroad site, the sanctuary became a city park in 2005, thanks to years of effort by community members and a host of partners led by Lower Phalen Creek Project. Its restored prairie, oak savanna and woodland once again became habitat for pollinators, migrating birds and more.

FMR is proud to work alongside a long list of partners in the restoration of this unique site. Saint Paul Parks and Recreation has worked for years with Lower Phalen Creek Project, Urban Roots and Mississippi Park Connection to improve habitat.

Join us for a summer worknight to plant native plants into the prairie at this important site. With their long roots, these plants will help hold soil in place and filter water before it runs into the Mississippi. And, they will help enhance habitat for pollinators and other wildlife that depend on a diverse prairie ecosystem.

Accessibility

A short walk is required to get to the worksite. Volunteers will then work on relatively level ground. Planting activities involve digging holes with trowels, carrying water, and placing mulch.

Ready to register?

While this event is full, you can still sign up for the waitlist. Please contact FMR Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey at volunteer@fmr.org, 651.222.2193 x27, or by selecting Sophie by name under "Category" via the FMR contact form. Please include the name of the event, your name, address and phone number and the number in your party. We will contact you if a spot opens up.

Can't make it?

To receive notices of future volunteer events, contact FMR Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey at volunteer@fmr.org. Or, visit our Events Calendar for our most up-to-date listing of upcoming events. To receive a twice-a-month e-newsletter including all FMR activities and news, sign up for Mississippi Messages.

What about COVID-19?

We're watching the CDC and Minnesota Department of Health guidelines closely. If plans change based on their recommendations, FMR Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey will email registrants with event updates. (Be sure to add volunteer@fmr.org to your contacts so updates don't land in spam.) And we'll update this page if anything changes. (You can read more about our policies here.)

We will offer gloves and hand sanitizer at the event. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own masks and wear them when in close proximity to others.