This project builds partnerships among natural resource professionals, college, middle and high schools to work collaboratively to increase youth exposure to outdoor experiences, environmental issues, and natural resource career paths.
To hire qualified professionals to write a structural assessment of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Hall, a contributing resource in the Lanesboro Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and current home to the Sons of Norway Heimbygda Lodge
Voyageurs Conservancy will connect 17,000 Minnesotans to the state's only national park through standards-aligned K-12 education, career-building fellowships, and enhanced programs that engage diverse audiences in the park's conservation.
Wilderness Inquiry will expand its work to provide a continuum of outdoor experiences for youth, adults, and families in communities across Minnesota by:
As of 11/1/2022, the CPL program has provided over 900 grants totaling $109 million to over 200 different grantee organizations, improving or protecting over 339,000 acres of habitat. Demand for CPL grants has continued to grow each year as new applicants hear about the program and successful grantees return. In ML 2018 there were 107 grants awarded- 18 metro grants, 20 traditional grants, and 69 Expedited Conservation Partners grants. Through these 107 grants, over 18,000 acres were restored, enhanced, or protected. Over $11M was awarded to organizations for projects.
The Minnesota Zoo will improve the long-term viability of Minnesotas imperiled turtle populations by researching threats, implementing mechanisms to reduce mortality, and creating educational materials for use throughout the state.
A general Conservation Assessment of and Long Range Plan for the preservation of the library's local history collections was prepared by Wabasha Public Library. The Library contracted with the Midwest Art Conservation Center to complete the project. The Plan will be used to set preservation policies, to identify storage and environmental needs, to make recommendations for disaster preparedness and to develop policy and procedures for the collections
The Historical society hired a qualified professional conservator to conduct a general conservation assessment of its collections and provide a long range plan for preservation. The final report summarizes the condition of the collections environment at the Reads Landing School site. Recommendations include a collection review and inventory to be conducted. A comprehensive list of resources and suppliers was also included in the final report.
With the ML 2015 appropriation The Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) Grant Program awarded 70 grants, 22 of these grants were the metropolitan area. Over 24,000 acres were enhanced, 2,500 acres were restored, and 386 acres protected through these 70 projects. Thirty-eight counties had CPL projects completed in them through 47 unique organizations. The average project for the ML 2015 grants was $96,000, with few exceptions most projects were completed on time and many were under budget.
The Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program will be managed by the Department of Natural Resources to provide competitive matching grants of up to $400,000 to local, regional, state, and national non-profit organizations and government entities.
To survey the exterior of the building, make historically sensitive recommendations, and create construction-ready documents for needed improvements that will enhance the exterior of the historic building without negatively impacting the historic structure.
Terrestrial invasive plants such as buckthorn, wild parsnip, garlic mustard, and others are becoming widespread threats throughout many sites in Minnesota. Present chemical and mechanical control methods tend to be costly, effective only in the short-term, or have other negative environmental impacts. However, an alternative practice of using grazing animals for invasive species management is used successfully in many parts of the western United States.
We are going to have a different balloon artist this year. We are inviting a southeast Minnesota resident to perform for our youth. We will also have The Red Letter Band, an inspirational country music band. They perform a variety of classic county hits and have prize giveaways for crowd participation. They provide a nostalgic opportunity to listen to music that all will enjoy.
Provide educational demonstrations and displays of Minnesota history, ag and arts with a dog sledding exhibit, farm feud trivia, a butter churning demonstration, and art demonstrations.
We will have a totally new experience for one of our afternoon events for the youth at the Fillmore County Fair this year. We plan to bring "Emotion in Motion," a mobile splatter paint experience to our fair. This will be a fully immersive artistic experience, that is easy and fun for youth. When finished they will have an original splatter painting for their walls. We try to incorporate new things each year at the fair to accompany the traditional events that fairgoers expect.
We will have special music (by a local band and single performer). We also want to build new display racks for the handmade quilts to share the local talent with fairgoers.
