Otter Cove Children's Museum will be a state-of-the-art educational and cultural center in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, providing a much-needed accessible, indoor play space for the children of Otter Tail County and beyond. Otter Cove was started and driven by a group of moms but the actual place, Otter Cove, is for children and the "critters" who live there; the otter in the Otter Romp Playground, the fox at the cafe, the beaver at the dentist office, the raccoon at the grocery store, the swan on the stage, the mice at the bookstore, and the skunk at the veterinarian.
This project includes new exhibit components and enhancements; facilitating diverse workshops and performances for children and families, and four mini camps for children ages 6-12 during school/summer breaks.
Wilderness Inquiry engages 20,000 Minnesotans through outdoor adventures, promoting equity in access to outdoor activities, places, and careers and supporting stewardship and conservation values for current and future generations.
To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve the St. Paul Public Library/James J. Hill Reference Library, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. (Wood) was selected for this project to conduct work in support of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) program. This project is a multi-phased pilot study to further validate and refine potential locations across Minnesota that may have historically been, or are currently, contaminated with PFAS. The primary objective is to evaluate potential PFAS locations, specifically compost sites, to determine presence or absence of PFAS at each site.
Provide professional development workshops at three Greater Minnesota locations for 60 teachers to use phenology education curriculum and community science resources, reaching >7,000 students in the first three years.
To develop a partnership between historic preservationists and university faculty to integrate preservation curriculum into existing educational programs.
SEAD seeks to expand on our successful storytelling program by archiving and illustrating first-person narratives from elders in our community. Our proposed program, entitled Collections from Home,will document first-person stories from elders in our Hmong, Viet, Khmer, and Lao communities on topics related to immigration, childhood, homelands, and tradition, which will then be illustrated by emerging artists within our community for publication and distribution.
Pollinators play a key role in ecosystem function and in agriculture, including thousands of native plants and more than one hundred U.S. crops that either need or benefit from pollinators. However, pollinators are in dramatic decline in Minnesota and throughout the country. The causes of the decline are not completely understood, but identified factors include loss of nesting sites, fewer flowers, increased disease, and increased pesticide use. Developing an aware, informed citizenry that understands this issue is one key to finding and implementing solutions to counteract these factors.
Continuing pollinator habitat creation and enhancement on 11 sites from Lakeville to St. Cloud, with public engagement and education centered on youth, schools, and community awareness of natural resource stewardship.
To partner with the Scott County Historical Society to co-design a mobile recording booth big enough to house high-quality recording equipment, a table and seating for 2-4 people, and create a Best Practices manual on collecting oral histories. The booth would include a ramp and wide door and table for ADA accessibility. Scott County Fair will pilot the first round of interviews during the fair, and support the Historical Society to implement plans to manage the collection of stories, train volunteers to staff the booth, and conduct transcription.
This program will acquire 1,100 acres of state wildlife management areas (WMA) or federal waterfowl production areas (WPA) to enhance grassland and prairie habitat and provide public recreation opportunities for the citizens of Minnesota. In addition, PF restore an additional 1,500 acres of grassland habitat on permanently protected lands (WPA's or WMA's).
Prepare Blakeley Bluffs Park Reserve Acquisition Master Plan. A? This project would identify the proposed boundary for a 2,000 acre park reserve. The project would be conducted in partnership with stakeholders including local landowners, the Ney Nature Center, MN DNR, and US Fish and Wildlife.
