The Minnesota Historical Society brought the only traveling copy of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights to Minnesota in the exhibit, "We the People: The First Official Printing of the U.S. Constitution" on view at the Minnesota History Center April 3 – July 4, 2012. The exhibit featured a rare, early version of the U.S. Constitution, published in 1787, and an even more rare draft of the Bill of Rights, along with original editions of the two state of Minnesota Constitutions.
To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of and write an exhibit script about McLeod County during World War I, in preparation for a future exhibit.
Through various means, human produced chemicals can make their way into surface waters where they can have adverse effects on the function of ecological communities. Of particular concern are antibiotics and other antimicrobial substances because they have the potential to create increased antibiotic resistance. While there is a background level of naturally occurring antibiotic resistance in the natural world, elevated or persistent levels caused by human activities have the potential to harm human, animal, and overall ecosystem health.
Aquatic invasive species pose critical ecological and economic challenges for the entire state and beyond. They can cause irreparable harm to fisheries and aquatic habitat as well as damage to infrastructure. The problems posed by aquatic invasive species continue to grow as existing infestations expand and new exotic species arrive, most of which are poorly understood. New ideas and approaches are needed to develop real solutions.
Aquatic invasive species pose critical ecological and economic challenges for the entire state and beyond. They can cause irreparable harm to fisheries and aquatic habitat as well as damage to infrastructure. The problems posed by aquatic invasive species continue to grow as existing infestations expand and new exotic species arrive, most of which are poorly understood. New ideas and approaches are needed to develop real solutions.
The DNR is working with local communities and an interagency team to define, prioritize, and establish groundwater management areas in Minnesota. Groundwater management areas will have increased data collection and monitoring that allow the state and local communities to understand water supplies, uses, limitations, and threats to natural resources that depend on groundwater. This information will support detailed aquifer protection plans that ensure equitable and sustainable groundwater and drinking water use for the future.
We Are Hmong Minnesota, a 2,500-square-foot exhibit, debuted March 7, 2015, timed for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the beginning of Hmong migration to Minnesota. MNHS staff worked in partnership with the Hmong community to develop the exhibit. A traveling version of the exhibit for loan to libraries, schools, and community centers was also developed and is currently circulating. A companion exhibit at the James J. Hill House displayed a collection of Hmong textiles recently donated to the Minnesota Historical Society.
Naturally occurring arsenic can make groundwater unsafe for drinking. Before going to the expense of drilling a well and sampling the water for arsenic, it would benefit public health to be able to predict the level of arsenic in groundwater in a certain area. A special research project with the U.S. Geological Survey is designed to develop the capacity to assess local geological conditions, related groundwater chemistry and well construction factors in three counties in order to predict the levels of arsenic found in groundwater related to those variables.
