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NEWSLETTER / AUGUST 2022
 The 2022 Mississippi River Green Team members (in green) and supervisors (in yellow).
The 11 members of this year’s Mississippi River Green Team said goodbye this month after a productive summer removing invasive species in Minneapolis parks and helping maintain the city’s green infrastructure.
Now in its 15th year, the Green Team program introduces Minneapolis teens to environmental careers by providing a mentored summer job experience. The MWMO co-created the program with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB).
Some highlights for the team included a Weaving Water workshop with Sarah Nassif, conducting a macroinvertebrate survey at North Mississippi Regional Park, and canoeing on Cedar Lake. This year’s team members reportedly worked well together, developing strong friendships and demonstrating blossoming leadership skills.
Many thanks are owed to the team’s dedicated and talented supervisors, Kristin Sako and Brooks Nelson, as well as the tireless work of Youth and Family Liaison Ruth Murphy. Many partners also helped enrich the green teamers’ learning this summer, including Landbridge Ecological, Metro Blooms, and MPRB and MWMO staff.
 Lots of earth is being moved at Upper Harbor Terminal, as a major riverbank and habitat restoration effort begins at the site. As reported in July, the MWMO is contributing $2.6 million for the project.
We’ll be documenting the construction progress from the air using our drone (with permission from our city partners, of course). We’ll post updated photos and videos to our Flickr album, which you can always find via our project page.
 Fall is rapidly approaching (officially arriving on September 22), and it’s not too early to start thinking about adding new plants to your yard or garden.
Planting in late summer or fall helps new plants develop robust root systems in preparation for overwintering. For this reason, fall is generally seen as the best time to plant shrubs and trees.
Fall also tends to be less stressful on new plantings, as the cool weather keeps soil temperatures lower and can help retain moisture.
Check out our blog post (with embedded video tutorial) to learn more.
 The MWMO partnered with the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council (NRRC) and Mississippi River Paddle Share to guide a group of kayakers from North Mississippi Regional Park to Boom Island.
NRRC recruited 10 paddlers who joined two MWMO staff for a lovely paddle on a perfect summer evening. Everyone had a great time and after the paddle most people lingered and continued to chat over dinner provided by NRRC at Boom Island
The event was part of the MWMO’s ongoing “Meet the Mississippi” campaign, designed to provide opportunities for people to connect with the river through a variety of activities.
If you haven’t experienced Paddle Share for yourself, we highly encourage you to do so. The Twin Cities’ unique kayak-sharing program (think Nice Ride, but for kayaks) is now in its sixth year and still going strong.
MWMO Commissioner and Columbia Heights City Council Member Connie Buesgens is a lifelong environmentalist and the subject of this month’s “Meet the Commissioners” series.
Buesgens represents Columbia Heights as well as Hilltop, the landlocked “Little City with a Big Heart” that comprises 16 city blocks within Columbia Heights. She’s resided in Columbia Heights for nearly 20 years and co-founded the local advocacy group HeightsNEXT.
She has been all over the world: Panama, Peru, China, Germany, England, Italy, and Alaska, to name a few places. She’s lived in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Minneapolis, and has had a diverse career that included stints in social services, retail, real estate, and teaching.
You can read her full profile on our blog.
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MWMO Bids Farewell to Alicia Beattie
The MWMO will say goodbye to Capital Projects and Stewardship Specialist Alicia Beattie at the end of this month. She’ll be leaving her position at the MWMO to begin her new role as Environmental Planning Lead at SRF Consulting.
Alicia joined the MWMO in May 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and served as the lead on many of our major capital projects and Stewardship Fund grants. She impressed her coworkers with her intelligence, strong work ethic, and her encyclopedic knowledge of plants (which you can see on display briefly in this video clip).
We wish her the best of luck in her new job!
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Meet the Interns: Eva Hanson
Summer interns play an important role at the MWMO, helping perform the day-to-day work of water quality monitoring while learning on the job. One by one, we're introducing readers to our interns each month here in our newsletter.
Intern Eva Hanson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (with a Water Science Minor). She’s fascinated by the interplay between different environmental factors and especially how land use impacts water quality. At the MWMO, she took a particular interest in monitoring past MWMO projects like the Edison High School Green Campus.
Eva hopes to continue pursing a career in green infrastructure and water resource management. In her free time, you might find her gardening, cross-country and downhill skiing, or visiting local state parks.
Welcome, Eva!
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Smart Salting Trainings
Earn your Smart Salting Certification by learning best practices for managing snow and ice. The MWMO sponsors several different types of smart salting professional training workshops with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
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Smart Salting for Roads — September 20, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. (Register)
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Smart Salting for Parking Lots and Sidewalks — October 19, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. (Register)
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Smart Salting for Property Managers — November 16, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. (Register)
Additional training opportunities may be available through other organizations. Check the MPCA’s training calendar.
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Stewardship Fund Grants Information Session
Monday, September 12, 6 p.m.–6:45 p.m. (Online)
Learn how to apply for a grant from the MWMO’s Stewardship Fund and determine which grant type (Community, Planning, or Action) best fits your project ideas.
Join us for this free, virtual information session, where you can find out more about the grant program, network with others and ask questions.
Please register here.
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