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NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2024
Spring is Here (Never Mind the Snow)
 Bloodroot, a spring ephemeral, in the Mississippi River Gorge.
Excited for spring? So are we! Look for our updated annual spring guide next month, featuring a list of upcoming native plant sales, Earth Day volunteer opportunities, sustainable yard care workshops, and more.
In the meantime, here are a few early spring reminders:
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Help out pollinators by holding off on your garden cleanup until temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit — usually late April/early May. Learn more >
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Clean your gutters and redirect your downspouts to help protect the Mississippi River — and your basement!
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Grab a discounted rainbarrel or compost bin from the Recycling Association of Minnesota’s annual sale.
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Looking to plant a tree? Minneapolis residents should check out the city’s annual tree sale. Green zone residents may even qualify for a free tree. Apply by March 31.
Introducing River of Ideas, the MWMO Podcast
We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new podcast! 🚀
River of Ideas is a podcast about greener cities and cleaner water. We aim to create a space for in-depth conversations about water quality, urban planning, green infrastructure, and environmental equity.
For our debut episode, MWMO Outreach Program Manager Abby Moore sat down with MWMO Artist-in-Residence Sarah Nassif for a conversation about using art to connect people with nature.
You can watch the video version now on YouTube or find the audio version on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. Don’t forget to subscribe!
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2024: A Big Year for Green Infrastructure
 It's shaping up to be a big year for green stormwater infrastructure projects in our watershed.
Earlier this month, the MWMO awarded $2.1 million in grants for 14 new projects, including a $1.5 million stormwater treatment system at Sylvan Hills Park in Fridley. They Sylvan Hills system will provide regional stormwater treatment, capturing and cleaning runoff from a 77-acre area that drains through the park.
Here are four more projects to keep an eye on this year:
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Graco Park — Construction is already underway at Minneapolis’ newest riverfront park. MWMO contributions include enhanced habitat and various green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) features.
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Northrop King Campus — The long-awaited renovation of this historic arts campus is set to begin this year, with the MWMO funding a “stormwater street,” prairie habitat, and under- and above-ground GSI.
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Ole Olson Park — The MWMO is funding shoreline restoration and native prairie habitat at this riverfront park, which is being upgraded with a new trail connection.
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Upper Harbor Terminal — The massive redevelopment at Upper Harbor includes MWMO-funded shoreline restoration, GSI, habitat improvements, and a regional stormwater treatment and reuse system. Look for more details in the near future.
Kasota Ponds Community Cleanup
 🗓 Saturday, April 13 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (Rain Date: Sunday, April 28)
Volunteers are needed for the annual cleanup of the Kasota Ponds in St. Paul! These small but beloved and habitat-rich wetlands — the only wetlands in the MWMO watershed — face a number of challenges due to illegal dumping and road runoff.
Join the St. Anthony Park Community Council in cleaning up trash from the ponds. MWMO staff will also be on hand to answer questions about water quality in the ponds.Â
Learn More >
Photo of the Month
 A group of great blue herons — known as a “siege” — rests on the ground at the heron rookery near Marshall Terrace Park in northeast Minneapolis on March 27, 2024. The return of the herons to their rookery signals the arrival of spring and the beginning of the annual migration of bird species northward along the Mississippi River Flyway.
Keep an eye out in the coming month as more migratory bird species move through the area on their way back north. We’ll update our spring migration Flickr album as we spot new species making their way upriver.
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