Climate change has and will have profound effects on Minnesota’s economy, agriculture, tourism, and natural resources. While climate change is often discussed in the broader contexts of its potential impacts at a national or international level, research has shown that climate change education and behavior change happens more effectively when the issue is made local and relevant.
The Parks and Trails Division is creating innovative programs to attract new audiences to Minnesota state parks and trails. Skill-building programs, such as "I Can Camp!," provide a trial opportunity by eliminating the barriers of needing to have pre-existing knowledge or gear for the activity.
To improve public accessibility at the James J. Hill Reference Library, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, to better comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Elk River Watershed Association (ERWSA) was formed to enable Sherburne and Benton Counties to work together to implement Local Water Management Plans. Since its formation in 1994, the ERWSA has primarily focused on working with land owners to reduce non-point sources of pollution within the watershed. Sherburne and Benton SWCD staff have extensive experience installing conservation practices. The ERWSA draws support from Sherburne County, Benton County, and local lake associations.
The goal of this project is to develop a watershed-wide, multi-parameter Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Implementation Plan that will collectively address all water quality impairments throughout the Elm Creek watershed.
Technical equipment was purchased that digitized historical images from the Society's photograph collections. The ELMHS Digital Image Viewing Project included the digitization, cataloging and web publishing of 525 images. A PastPerfect add on software program, called Virtual Exhibit, was used for the web publishing. Digitization will continue until the full 1500+ photograph collection has been reproduced. The photographs are now more accessible to researchers while the actual images can be better preserved through lack of physical contact.
US Geological Survey-MN Water Science Center will complete laboratory analysis of groundwater samples for endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and other emerging contaminants of interest, including organic waste water compounds, pharmaceuticals, and endrocrine active compounds, and report results. MPCA staff will complete sample collection tasks. The USGS National Water Quality Laboratory and the Kansas Water Science Center Laboratory will perform the laboratory analyses.
The goal of this project is teacher training through the Master/Apprentice approach to language proficiency in concurrence with observation and lesson pilot at Head Start and regional language immersion sites. The objectives of this project are to increase the Ojibwe language and cultural proficiency in two apprentices and fluency in two master speakers and to partners with the Language Preservation Group and Red Lake Head Start to integrate Master/Apprentice teams into the Head start site, while also supporting the Head Start objectives of child development and school readiness.
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. Fortunately, there are known actions that can be taken to help counteract some of these factors.
The Division of Parks and Trails is providing expanded cross-country ski, snowshoe and other winter activities in Minnesota state parks and recreation areas; Minnesota state trails; and Minnesota state forests. The division is re-establishing trails that had been closed due to a lack of funding; enhanced a number of existing facilities by brushing, mowing or improving trail condition prior to snowfall. The division has also enhanced existing facilities by maintaining additional parking lots or staging areas and, in the case of trails, by providing winter grooming.
Through this partnership, students from Macalester College are conducting a study to identify, select and assess historic content related to Minnesota's environmental history, using archival, archaeological and geospatial data at the Minnesota Historical Society.
-Create and execute internship program for four Ojibwe students per academic year
-Strengthen and enhance Ojibwe curriculum for college levels 4 and 5
-Increase the number of near-fluent speakers of Ojibwe language
The restoration of the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration restored the building to a condition that is suitable for occupancy and prevented the building from becoming unsafe thus requiring it to be demolished. The largest portion of the restoration involved repairs to the foundation. The Episocopal Church of the Transfiguration, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and located in a city park.
