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NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2026
 As spring returns and the snow (mostly) melts, our shared environment is waking up again, and it’s calling us to take action.
This month, we celebrated World Water Day on March 22, a global reminder that water is not just a resource, but a shared responsibility. The 2026 theme, Water and Gender, highlights how access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene affects people differently around the world. In many communities, women and girls carry the greatest burden when water systems fail, spending hours collecting water or caring for loved ones made sick by unsafe sources. When more people, especially those most affected, are included in water decisions, we build stronger, more resilient systems for everyone.
So as Earth Day approaches, let’s keep that momentum going. There are so many ways to get involved right here in the Mississippi River watershed this spring, and we’ve made it easy to find them.
Our Annual Spring Guide brings together plant sales, community cleanups, workshops, and other opportunities happening across the watershed. Whether you’re looking to volunteer, learn something new, or simply spend more time outdoors, the guide is a great place to start.
 What does the Mississippi River mean to you? At MWMO this spring, you can tell that story.
The Elm Tree Story Booth is an 11-foot-tall, tree-shaped mobile storytelling installation created by artist Jessica Turtle. Currently on display at the MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center, the booth invites visitors to pause, step inside, and share a memory connected to the Mississippi River.
Inside, you’ll find something unexpected: an old pay phone. Pick it up, and you’ll be prompted to record a story about a moment you’ve experienced near the River, or even a story you’ve heard about it. Maybe it’s the sound of water moving past a bridge, the smell of spring flooding, or a quiet moment watching the current move downstream.
These recordings become part of a collaborative art project that captures the many ways people experience and connect with the Mississippi River. You can share your name or remain anonymous; it’s entirely up to you.
The Elm Tree Story Booth will be at MWMO through May 31. You can stop by during one of our upcoming events, or visit during public gallery hours on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 4–6 p.m.
Come share your story, because the Mississippi River isn’t just a landscape. It’s a collection of memories.
 In summer 2023, members of the Mississippi River Green Team helped contribute to a study exploring how bumble bees interact with native plants.
Working in the field over two days, students collected and identified bumble bees visiting wild bergamot, a native plant that pollinators love. From 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the team carefully captured bees, identified them, and marked each one with a small colored dot before releasing them. This allowed them to track whether the same bees returned to the same plants throughout the day.
By recording their observations and working together to analyze the results, Green Team youth helped researchers better understand how and why bumble bees repeatedly visit certain plants.
Their work has now contributed to a published study, highlighting the important role community science and youth engagement can play in advancing environmental research.
Welcoming Grace Polverari
The MWMO is pleased to welcome Grace Polverari (she/her) to the team as our Watershed Systems Coordinator.
Grace brings both technical expertise and a clear sense of purpose to her work in watershed stewardship. With a background in hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, she spends a lot of time answering a deceptively simple question: Where does the water go, and what happens when it gets there? By managing models that simulate how water moves across landscapes, through pipes, and into rivers and wetlands, Grace helps communities understand how stormwater behaves and how smart design decisions can reduce flooding, improve water quality, and protect local ecosystems.
In other words, she’s the kind of person who likes turning complex water systems into solutions that work with people and the environment.
That curiosity about water doesn’t stop at the office door. Grace is the type of person who notices river levels while crossing a bridge, clears debris from neighborhood storm drains after a storm, and enthusiastically points out stormwater best management practices to anyone willing to listen.
Outside of work, Grace enjoys embracing Minnesota’s seasons. During the warmer months she’s often cycling, camping, or wandering through a farmers' market. When winter arrives, you’ll likely find her rolling dice at a Dungeons & Dragons table or spending quality time with her three cats.
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Kasota Ponds Community Cleanup
 📅 Saturday, April 11 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
📍 NAPA Auto Parts, 2530 Kasota Ave, St Paul, MN 55108
Hidden in the industrial corridor of St. Anthony Park, the Kasota Ponds may be small, but they play an outsized role in protecting local water and wildlife.
As the only wetlands in the MWMO watershed, these ponds help filter runoff and support important habitat, but they also face ongoing threats from road pollution and illegal dumping.
Volunteers are invited to help remove debris and restore habitat health during this annual community cleanup hosted by the St. Anthony Park Community Council. Staff from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization will also be on hand to answer questions about stormwater, wetlands, and local water quality.
It’s a great way to spend a spring morning outdoors while making a real difference.
Mississippi Musings Workshop: Restoration, Conservation, and Mending
 📅 Saturday, April 18 | 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.
📍 MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center
This workshop continues Mississippi Musings, a new MWMO workshop series exploring the Mississippi River through science, storytelling, and art. Inspired by Sacred Water, Shared Future, this year-long series invites community members to connect more deeply with the river and its future.
Join us for a morning of interactive art and science at the MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center, where we will learn about the impacts of restoration efforts along the Mississippi River.
Following an informative presentation by the director of conservation at Friends of the Mississippi River, Dr. Alex Roth, local poet, Moheb Soliman, will share his experience with the recent reconstruction of Hall’s Island.
Artist Kimberly Boustead will lead participants through a collaborative art project consisting of personalized squares depicting a healthy Mississippi River. Participants will learn simple stitches and applique to adorn their squares with botanical dyed stitching and wool elements.
This workshop is a collaborative effort between the MWMO; Minneapolis artist, Kimberly Boustead; and Friends of the Mississippi River.
The event is free, but registration is required.
Ripples Book Launch with author, Katie Yamasaki
📅 Wednesday, April 22 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
📍 MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center
This Earth Day, celebrate author Katie Yamasaki’s new picture book Ripples with a story time, kid activities & book signing.
Join author and muralist Katie Yamasaki as she celebrates the release of her newest picture book, Ripples! The event will include a short talk from Katie and Michelle Spangler from the Mississippi Watershed sharing tips of what you can do to keep our Mississippi River clean, along with kid-friendly activities, and a book signing (with sales from Wild Rumpus Bookstore).
Ripples follows a young girl and her Aunty as they set sail on their river raft, along the way passing friends and families engaged in caring for one another ― sharing food, tending wounds, and telling stories ― who ultimately join them in cleaning litter and trash from the river. Celebrated artist Katie Yamasaki’s newest picture book is a nuanced, lyrical celebration of our connections to each other and the environment. With electric, eye-catching illustrations, Ripples reminds us of the value of care and the ways we can perform it for each other and for the world around us.
Katie Yamasaki is an award winning picture book author/illustrator and muralist. She has painted over 90 walls around the world, exploring local stories of identity and social justice. Her picture book work explores similar themes for young readers. Her titles include: Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather’s American Journey; Dad Bakes; Everything Naomi Loved; When the Cousins Came; God’s Big Plan; Fish for Jimmy; and Place Hand Here.
The event is free, but registration is required.
Doors Open Minneapolis
 📅 May 9, 2025 | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
📍 Mississippi Watershed Management Organization
We’re excited to open our doors to the public as part of Doors Open Minneapolis on Saturday, May 9, 2026!
Produced by the nonprofit Rethos, Doors Open Minneapolis offers a weekend of free, behind-the-scenes access to dozens of iconic and unique sites across the city. It’s a chance to discover the buildings and stories that define Minneapolis — including ours.
At the MWMO’s Stormwater Park and Learning Center, guests will get a firsthand look at how green infrastructure, public art, and innovative stormwater features are used to protect water quality and connect people with the Mississippi River. Learn how our site manages stormwater, supports pollinators, and helps protect the Mississippi River—all while enjoying a look inside our living laboratory.
Photo of the Month
 Our trucks may look like they’re getting the spa treatment, but there’s a meaningful reason behind it. When vehicles are washed in driveways or streets, all that soapy water, road salt, oil, and winter grime can flow straight into storm drains, and from there, directly into rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Commercial car washes are required to capture and treat that dirty water instead of letting it run off untreated. So when it’s time to rinse off months of Minnesota winter, a trip to the car wash helps keep both your vehicle and our waterways cleaner.
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