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.
Work is being done to strengthen existing partnerships and create new opportunities for MNHS to deliver transformative educational experiences to students. ACHF dollars were used to leverage matching dollars from Minneapolis public schools to increase their contract with MNHS for educational programs, such as History Day. St. Cloud State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead also provided matching funds for partnerships that enrich U.S. history instruction with experiences at historic sites and museums.
Seven undergraduate student interns in St.
Through this program, partners are extending the reach of National History Day in Minnesota. MNHS staff coordinate school services with an emphasis on support for students from diverse backgrounds. Higher education partnerships help build college readiness skills for middle and high school students and strengthen the mentoring skills of college students.
Improving the educational achievement of Minnesota's students is a strategic priority for MNHS. The Educational Achievement initiative allows MNHS to create partnerships with three school districts--one rural, one suburban and one urban--and evaluate how a variety of educational programs measurably improve student achievement across multiple grade levels over multiple years.
This project will gather long term watershed data necessary for assessment, stressor identification work, and Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) development work for Elm Creek and the Blue Earth Watershed.
Fish Lake is 238 acres and does not meet state water quality standards due to excessive nutrients. Through the Total Maximum Daily Load study, a recommendation was made to treat the lake with alum to achieve the state's water quality standards. The goal of this project is to reduce the phosphorus load to Fish Lake by 310 pounds per year and meet the needed phosphorus reduction goal. The project will be completed as a partnership between the Elm Creek Water Management Commission, Three Rivers Park District, the City of Maple Grove, and The Fish Lake Area Resident's Association.
This project will determine the magnitude and frequency of contamination from endocrine active compounds (EAC's) and other contaminants of emerging concern in shallow groundwater in non-agricultural areas of Minnesota. EACs and other contaminants of emerging concern in this study include compounds typically found in waste water, including, pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotics, and hormones. This project supports the third phase, including laboratory analysis of samples for an additional 80 wells to be sampled by MPCA staff.
