It may feel like gardening season is winding down, but fall can be one of the best times to get plants established. 

Cooler temperatures put less stress on trees, shrubs, native grasses, and perennials, allowing them to focus more energy on root growth. Strong roots established now can help plants return healthier and more resilient in the spring. 

Fall is also an ideal time to seed a lawn in Minnesota. From about mid-August through mid-September, warm soil supports germination while cooler temperatures and fewer active weeds give new grass a better chance to establish. The University of Minnesota Extension has a helpful fall lawn care guide with more information. 

If you’re planting, consider making space for pollinators, too. Native plants and bee lawns can provide valuable habitat while helping absorb rainwater, hold soil in place and reduce runoff. 

A little planting now can support a healthier yard next spring and contribute to a healthier Mississippi River along the way. 

For 19 summers, the Mississippi River Green Team has given Minneapolis youth a chance to experience environmental work firsthand. This year, 17 dedicated youth continued that tradition. 

Co-created by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO), the Green Team combines hands-on work, environmental learning and career exploration. Throughout the summer, team members cared for parks and green infrastructure, removed invasive plants and learned more about the systems that support healthy urban ecosystems. 

Their experience also extended well beyond the worksite. Through partnerships with organizations across Minnesota, Green Team members explored a range of environmental careers and areas of study. Activities included learning about Minnesota fish species through the Minnesota DNR’s EPIC program, visiting the University of Minnesota Raptor Center and connecting with other youth environmental programs. 

The summer was made possible by supervisors Dani Delille and Allison Depp, Youth and Family Liaison Ruth Murphy, and partners including the Minnesota DNR, Urban Roots, National Park Service, MN Valley Team, MPRB and MWMO staff. 

As another summer comes to a close, Green Team members leave with new skills, stronger connections and a broader view of the many ways they can play a role in caring for our shared environment. 

Next summer will launch the Mississippi River Green Team’s 20th year marking two decades of connecting young people with the river, their communities, and opportunities in the environmental field. 

A new immersive installation is coming to MWMO’s Exhibit Space this September. In A Gathering of Waters, artist Shoshana Fink invites visitors to experience the Mississippi River through photography, sound, scent, and textile work. 

Inspired by the Hebrew word mikvah, meaning “gathering of waters,” the exhibition reflects on water as a source of renewal, connection and transformation. Created specifically for MWMO’s riverfront gallery, the installation features underwater sound recordings, river-water photography, a silk panel inspired by the river’s currents and other sensory elements that invite visitors to slow down and experience the Mississippi in a new way. 

A Gathering of Waters Open House 

📅 Friday, September 4 | 5:00–8:00 p.m. 
📍 Mississippi Watershed Management Organization 

Be among the first to experience the new installation and meet artist Shoshana Fink during an evening Open House. Explore the exhibition at your own pace, enjoy light refreshments, and experience the many ways water becomes both subject and material throughout the work. 

This event is free and no registration is required.

Cyanotype Workshop 

📅 Saturday, September 19 | 1:00–3:00 p.m. 
📍 Mississippi Watershed Management Organization 

Create a one-of-a-kind cyanotype using Mississippi River water and materials gathered near the river’s edge. Participants will arrange plants and found objects on light-sensitive paper, expose their designs using sunlight, and develop the finished prints with collected river water. 

Cyanotype is an early photographic process known for its distinctive deep-blue prints. Participants will be able to take their completed artwork home. 

This event is free, but registration is required. 

📅 Now through October 25 
📍 American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis 

Experience the work of Presley Martin in a new exhibition at the American Swedish Institute,  a 2026 MWMO Community Grant recipient. Through sculpture, installation, and drawings created with handmade "mushroom markers," Martin explores our relationship with the Mississippi River and the impacts of plastic pollution on local ecosystems. 

The exhibition is included with museum admission, which is free for ASI members. Learn more and plan your visit on the American Swedish Institute's website. 

Julia Kauth, MWMO’s Environmental Monitoring Intern, cleans a suction line used to pump stormwater from an underground pipe to the surface for sampling. Regular maintenance like this helps keep monitoring equipment working properly and prevents clogs that could interfere with data collection. 

As Julia wraps up her internship with MWMO, we’re grateful for the care, curiosity, and hard work she brought to the Environmental Monitoring team this summer. We wish her all the best in the next chapter of her environmental work!