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NEWSLETTER / SEPTEMBER 2022
 Still frame from a video showing demolition of a silo at Upper Harbor Terminal. (Video link below.)
Progress continues on riverbank and habitat restoration work at the Upper Harbor site in North Minneapolis.
The City of Minneapolis’ demolition and grading project is underway. Crews demolished the three dome-shaped silos on the northern half of the site (watch video) and continued grading work on the southern half. The regraded shoreline will allow better access to the river and aid in the establishment of native vegetation.
We’re continuing to document the process via our Flickr album, which you can always find on our project page. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board posted an update on the project last week, as did the City of Minneapolis.
 The first day of fall officially arrived on September 22, and the leaves are already turning along the Mississippi Riverfront.
The Mississippi River Gorge is a perfect autumn leaf-peeping spot. (We can prove it with this video.) The river is low right now, which makes it easy to explore the shoreline on foot, but there’s an extensive network of hiking and biking trails on both sides of the gorge as well.
Trees play a vitally important role in protecting water quality, along with providing a host of other environmental and health benefits. Perhaps not surprisingly, disparities in the local tree canopy are associated with disparate health and economic outcomes, mostly for communities of color. Reducing these disparities could help fight racial inequity and climate change.
Persistent droughts, pests, and disease are taking their toll on local trees, but you can help. Check out this helpful list of suggestions on how you can help improve the local tree canopy.
 The MWMO Board of Commissioners voted Sept. 19 to approve the MWMO’s membership in the coalition backing the Twin Cities Climate Resiliency Initiative.
The initiative seeks to expand the urban tree canopy by identifying new funding sources for tree planting and maintenance. A recent advancement has been the establishment of an urban forestry carbon offset program. Businesses can purchase credits to offset their carbon footprint, with the resulting funds being used to plant and maintain new trees on public and private lands.
Local nonprofit Green Minneapolis created the initiative with the goal of implementing it across the seven-county Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. You can learn more on their website.
 As a civic leader, Jeff Dains helped push the City of Lauderdale to rebuild its infrastructure, establish two new parks, and adopt an environmentally friendly focus that earned Lauderdale GreenStep City status. He represents Lauderdale on the MWMO Board of Commissioners and is the subject of this month’s edition of Meet the Commissioners.
Dains found himself drawn into local politics by environmental issues after moving there with his family in 1986. He successfully ran for the city council in 1989 and has been a fixture in local politics ever since, first as a council member and then as mayor (from 1992 to 2016).
Read the full profile on our website.
Meet the Interns: Madison DelCastillo
Intern Madison DelCastillo graduated from Bemidji State University with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. She grew up on the east side of St. Paul and developed an interest in natural resources through hunting with her family and attending an aerospace middle school.
Madison says she feels privileged to live in a place with abundant clean, fresh water. She also feels a deep need and responsibility to be of service for the land and the humans that rely on this resource. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, backpacking, and spending time outdoors with her family.
Welcome, Madison!
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Job Openings
Community Outreach Specialist
We’re hiring! Join our team as a Community Outreach Specialist and help deliver programs that connect people with the Mississippi River and the surrounding watershed.
This position helps develop and implement community and youth outreach programs in partnership with cities, neighborhoods, schools, and other community and youth-serving organizations.
Hurry! Applications are due by October 9. Full details are available on our employment page.
Projects and Grant Specialist
The Projects and Grant Specialist works to implement MWMO capital improvement and stewardship projects, non-point pollution prevention, and integrated water resource capital planning.
This position consults with member community stakeholders and project partners to identify and understand their needs, proves technical support and input to regulatory agencies, and ensures all program implementation efforts achieve the goals, policies, and standards.
Applications are due by October 16. Full details are available on our employment page.
Smart Salting Training
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 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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Personal Watersheds Exhibit Extended
Artist and botanist Sarah Nassif’s Personal Watersheds exhibit has been extended through the end of December at the MWMO’s Stormwater Park and Learning Center.
Personal Watersheds features Nassif’s solo work in fiber and video, her Weaving Water community collaborations and a working indigo dye and fiber art studio. Throughout the gallery space, community-made fiber art works become chair backs, tuffets, wall hangings and decoration.
Learn more on our website.
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Voices from the Water Exhibit
Voices from the Water is a collaborative art exhibit that illustrates connections between stormwater runoff in Minneapolis, the health of the Mississippi River, and the ultimate impact pollution, such as plastic and trash on the sea creatures in the ocean.
The MWMO partnered with Plymouth Youth Center (PYC) Arts and Tech High School and local artist Susan J Sperl to develop the exhibit, which comprises Sperl’s felted wool sea creatures, PYC students’ comic art about water protection, and photographs documenting the process and collaboration.
Location: Westminster Gallery (map and directions)
Exhibit dates: September 18 – November 20, 2022
Reception: Sunday, October 16, 2 pm – 4:30 pm
Learn more on our website.
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