In the spirit of our land acknowledgement and exploring our relationship to indigenous land, all MNOp staff are invited to participate in an inaugural land stewardship project with Friends of the Mississippi River. FMR is an organization engaging people to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities region. Together we’ve planned two events- one online and one in person- in which we’ll deepen our understanding of the Mississippi River area near the Opera Center.

BUCKTHORN REMOVAL WITH FRIENDS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Wita Waste (Nicollet Island)
October 13th, 11am – 1pm
In-person

We will be meeting at the north tip of the island, and there will be street parking. You can see the spot here.

Join us for our second event at Nicollet Island where we’ll be removing buckthorn, an invasive species that contributes to soil erosion and outcompetes the native plants that insects, birds, and other wildlife rely on. Volunteers do not need to learn about removing this invasive shrub beforehand. FMR staff will provide a complete overview and brief training as well as all tools.

Lunches will be provided for volunteers following the event. This is limited to 30 people.

Past Events

Brown Bag: Our Cultural Landscapes & Nicollet Island
Thursday, July 29th, 11am – 12pm
Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/P7niGEsaUdo

This workshop affirms and honors the ancestral homelands of the Dakota people (Očhéthi Šakówiŋ) and Indigenous stewardship, and explores the range of living cultural expressions and relationships to the natural world, with a focus on Wita Waste (Nicollet Island). Following an overview of FMR’s multi-year restoration process, including the ways the community enhanced our plans to restore degraded forest areas and creating diverse habitats, participants will practice personal, critical reflection and meaningful discussions about their relationships to and connections with nature.

Nicollet Island (Wita Waste) Clean-up
Friday, July 30th, 9am – 11am
In-person
We will be meeting at the north tip of the island, and there will be street parking. You can see the spot here.

Following the workshop, join us for a morning cleanup on Nicollet Island, from 9-11 am. We’ll collect trash from the shoreline and from the forested areas of Nicollet Island to prevent pollution and improve water quality in the Mississippi River. Lunch will be provided for volunteers at the Opera Center following the event. This event is limited to 30 people. Please register below!