We will develop technologies that utilize indigenous microbes to convert waste plastics into useful chemical compounds and fuels, lowering the likelihood that these materials end up in our environment.
Production agriculture’s dependence on fossil fuel energy carries significant economic and ecological risks. The energy consumed within livestock facilities alone is the equivalent consumption of several large cities, and agriculture currently contributes approximately 14% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the state. As consumers increasingly demand low carbon footprint products, adoption of clean energy systems in crop and livestock production would position Minnesota’s agricultural sector with a competitive advantage.
Turtle Island Skywatchers - Innovative Research and Data Visualization project works to protect Minnesota water, wildlife, and natural resources while empowering Indigenous youth as leaders and all citizens as researchers.
The final outcome of this project will be a chloride management plan which will lay out a strategy for addressing chloride impacts to our surface waters for the 7-county metropolitan area. This chloride management plan will satisfy EPA requirements for impaired waters, address waters not yet listed, and develop a strategy to protect waters that are currently meeting the water quality standards. This management plan will also include implementation activities for reducing chloride to TCMA waters as well as identify high priority areas to target implementation activities.
From family reunions to the nightclub scene, nobody documented the Twin Cities black community like Charles Chamblis.The 1,500-square-foot exhibition, "Sights, Sounds, and Soul: Twin Cities through the Lens of Charles Chamblis," opened April 26, 2014, and ran through February 16, 2015.
We will reconstruct historical lake conditions to identify factors linked to successful walleye fisheries and guide effective management in the face of warming temperatures, invasive species, and nutrient loading.
A class of insecticides known as systemic neonicotinyl insecticides has been identified as a potential factor in recently observed declines in pollinators, including the phenomenon amongst honeybees known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Previous research examining the effects of neonicotinyl insecticides on lab colonies of bumblebees found that exposure to these insecticides at various levels increased queen bee mortality and detrimentally altered bee behavior and production.
Minnesotans increasingly value native fishes. For example, >95% of bowfished species in MN are native, yet all are poorly understood. Foundational natural resource data is absolutely necessary for all stakeholders.
A 2017 workshop determined we don’t know enough about brainworm transmission to moose and what mitigation strategies are optimal. We’ve assembled a multidisciplinary team to tackle the highest research priorities.
Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are found in surface waters in Minnesota and nationally. CECs can cause adverse ecological and human health impacts, and occur as complex mixtures in the environment. One of the greatest barriers to addressing the problem of CECs is a lack of understanding of where these compounds come from and which sources dominate in different locations and at different times.
Cognizant to the needs of the stormwater community, a group that has engaged in stormwater research at the University of Minnesota (UMN) has developed a research program for the biennium that addresses pressing needs: a stormwater research roadmap and framework for priority needs, research required to improve stormwater pond maintenance, and information transfer related to these needs.
Our goals are to engage 100,000 underserved youth statewide in environmental education, engaging them in the conservation and preservation of Minnesota wilderness through the experiences in the outdoors.
The Minnesota Zoo will develop educational displays and engaging, hands-on interactives to summarize scientific findings about moose decline in Minnesota. Information will be integrated online to increase accessibility for all.
Land and water conservation efforts require accurate information about land cover and land use. Minnesota’s land cover and land use data has not been updated since 2000 and so does not reflect changes since that time resulting from growth and development, agricultural production, or landscape cover. Researchers at the University of Minnesota are using this appropriation to conduct a statewide update and enhancement of land cover and land use data and make it freely available online for use by government and non-government organizations involved in land and water conservation.
This work order will provide the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) with assistance in assembling, graphics, geographic information system (GIS) maps, data synthesis, writing, formatting and editing the 5-year nutrient reduction strategy progress report and update and similar updates for the Sediment Reduction Strategy. The Sediment Strategy update also involves incorporation of modeling results and other technical information into the 2015 strategy document.
This project will result in updates to the Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS) Calculator, creation of a water quality calculator based on the MIDS Calculator, and recommended updates to the Minnesota Stormwater Manual. The updated MIDS Calculator will be called MIDS Calculator Version 4 and the water quality calculator will be called MPCA Water Quality Calculator Version 1.
Over the past 100 years, about half of Minnesota’s original 22 million acres of wetlands have been drained or filled. Some regions of the State have lost more than 90 percent of their original wetlands. The National Wetland Inventory, a program initiated in the 1970s, is an important tool used at all levels of government and by private industry, non-profit organizations, and private landowners for wetland regulation and management, land management and conservation planning, environmental impact assessment, and natural resource inventories.
The goal of this project is to obtain key information needed to update the Nutrient Reduction Strategy based on watershed approach experiences over the past five years.
The goal of this project is to construct two executable Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed models for the Minnesota River Headwaters and Lac qui Parle watersheds. The contractor will use the Minnesota River HSPF model application already developed by Tetra Tech as a starting point and will refine the model construction based on the details in this work plan. The contractor will produce HSPF models that, after calibration and validation, will readily be used to provide information to support conventional parameter Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
There has been a sharp decline in participation in outdoor recreation and education amongst youth, particularly in urban areas. Some argue that youth who have meaningful outdoor education experiences are more likely to become engaged in environmental stewardship and invested in outdoor resources as adults.
Establish and monitor 120 acres of intermediate wheatgrass (Kernza), a new perennial grain crop, in vulnerable wellhead protection regions of Minnesota to profitability reduce nitrate leaching to drinking water.
Conservation of culture including art and local wisdom is one of the main missions of our organization. We operate in promoting and capturing values to create pride in Lao culture and identity, as well as create awareness of morality to the community as well. Our organization encourages and supports all cultures to develop, preserve and pass on the activities that we as an organization help operate with communities and outside agencies.
Partners: Carleton College and Veblen Farmstead. Preservation work at the Thorstein Veblen Farmstead National Historic Landmark, near Nerstrand, Rice County, Minnesota, will provide urgently needed stabilization and preservation of three outbuildings at the farmstead, including the original small barn, the large hay barn and the granary.The farmstead is a rare site that preserves and illustrates the pioneering immigrant experience on the prairie. People from across the country and from overseas have visited the property over the past several years.
Long Lake is a community asset for Vergas, enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. This project will construct a trail bordering Long Lake, maintaining public access and restoring the shoreline.
