Over the past five years, awareness of our organization has spread across the state. As a result, our attendance numbers have grown by 66%. We regularly hit max capacity, and the demand for outreach programs has gone up. Ex-S.T.R.E.A.M. expansion addresses three specific elements: 1) New space: Renting an additional 2,800 sq. ft of exhibit space to address spatial constraints.
Our project aims to better understand white-tailed deer movement, habitat use, and disease dynamics at the suburban/agricultural interface to inform more efficient deer management and disease control.
This program acquired priority lands and developed them as Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) - six parcels protected totaling over 600 acres, Scientific and Natural Areas (SNA) - one parcel of 900 acres (287 acres credited to this funding ), and Native Prairie Bank (NPB) easements - two parcels totaling almost 200 acres. These lands protect habitat and some provide public hunting, trapping and compatible outdoor uses.
In 2016, VocalEssence WITNESS welcomes artist Melanie DeMore to help us explore the Underground Railroad in Minnesota—specifically how our state has been a place of sanctuary for refugees from the time of slavery through today. As part of this project, Melanie will help record absent narratives of those who have found sanctuary in Minnesota, and these stories will be shared in video and written form to explore the concept of sanctuary as part of the WITNESS School Program.
Wolves are a hot topic in Minnesota, with the public sharply divided on management issues such as wolf hunting. The complexity of the topic lends itself to a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation that is not always helpful to resolving the polarized debate.
This project is comprised of a series of interrelated jazz activities, classes, and workshops, including: 1) Women in Jazz Ensemble (post-secondary students, ages 16-25); 2) introduction to jazz workshops; 3) Jazz jam sessions and rehearsals; 4) school residencies; 5) anti-oppression training/consultation for professional development and to educate, stimulate discussion, and increase awareness of oppressive gender systems; 6) panel discussions; 7) scholarship opportunities.
My proposed project is to create the Urban Native Plant Guide. This set of laminated cards will be a user friendly, portable guide to some of the native plants present in the Minneapolis-St. Paul community. The guide will be created through collaboration and insight from local Native elders and will include traditional uses of the plants, along with their names in Anishinaabe, Dakota, and Lakota where available.
Our Writing for Social Change project will have a lasting impact on MN's literary arts and multicultural education. We will equip African Americans to write their own stories as a manifestation of cultural resilience. Inspired by the African proverb until the Lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the Hunter,the community will become the lions (leaders) who shape their own destiny through the transformative power of storytelling and cultural preservation.
