Land Conservation

Land Conservation
What's the best way to control buckthorn and protect native plants? FMR investigates.

What pops to mind when you think of restoring a forest? Perhaps people planting trees? ...How about bobcat-like machines busily eating up small trees and spitting out the splinters?

If you'd visited Hampton Woods this spring, this is exactly the scene you would have come across. The machines were forestry mowers, consuming invasive European buckthorn.

Not only were the mowers benefiting the long-term health of the forest, but they're part of a new FMR research project to compare and contrast the effectiveness of different methods to both control buckthorn and support the growth of native plants and habitat. >>

Read more
A native ladyslipper plant, a mowed stretch of forest, a glossy buckthorn plant and a bobcat/forestry mower
Cheers to Flannery & her award-winning earthworm research with FMR!

In 11th grade, Flannery Enneking-Norton went on a field trip with her class and FMR staff to Crosby Farm Regional Park in St. Paul. Their task? To identify and count certain plant and insect species, including invasive earthworms. As they wriggled from the ground, Enneking-Norton was smitten. 

Since then, the St. Paul Academy high-schooler has been working hard to help FMR better understand the relationship between earthworms and their fellow invasive species, European buckthorn, at our habitat restoration sites.

The result? An interesting finding regarding an especially ecologically harmful invasive worm — the nightcrawler — and a first-place win for Enneking-Norton in the Twin Cities Regional Science Fair! Not to mention awards from the US Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Horticultural Society. >>

Read more
Flannery Enneking-Norton stands with her award-winning project at this month's Twin Cities Regional Science Fair.
Special Places: Minneapolis' riverfront Above the Falls

To celebrate our 25th year, each month in 2018 FMR staff will profile places along the metro Mississippi River that are near and dear to us, places that connect to FMR but that we also enjoy in our own downtime. By the end of our silver year, we'll have built a map of 25 special river places for you and yours to learn about, visit and enjoy.

This month: Minneapolis’s riverfront Above the Falls.

The Minneapolis riverfront north of St. Anthony Falls is an interesting juxtaposition of the natural, urban and industrial. Here you can enjoy bike and pedestrian trails, or rent a kayak to see a heron rookery, restored prairie, riverfront raingarden parks and sculptures, as well as industrial relics. You'll also want to visit often over the next decade to experience the changing riverfront, as more industrial sites are converted into public parklands.

Read more
View of downtown Mpls from the Lowry bridge
If you build it, will they come? Investigating whether restored habitat means more wildlife.

Since the creation of our land conservation program over 20 years ago, FMR has protected, restored or enhanced over a thousand acres of prairie, forest, wetland and other types of wildlife and pollinator habitat in the metro area. But does increasing native habitat result in the return of native animals?

Learn about bird surveys, wildlife cams and our work with local high schools to find out. >>

Read more
A red fox ventures into an open, grassy area.
Beautiful berries 'ecological traps' for birds
Each fall, two common invasive plants produce starkly colored berries. Both have little-known consequences for birds. Read more
A photo of a northern cardinal next to a close-up of honeysuckle berries.
How Minnesota almost lost its wild turkeys
Once on the brink of extinction in Minnesota and beyond, wild turkeys are now a common sight for Twin Cities and greater Minnesota residents alike. Read more
Wild turkey in the snow

Pages

Upcoming Events

This school year
In your classroom or outside
Thursday, January 16, 2025 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Virtual
Saturday, January 18, 2025 - 10:00am to 12:00pm
Rosemount Wildlife Preserve and North 20 Brewing, Rosemount