The Minnesota Historical Society is launching a new component to its internship program by providing opportunities for high school students to develop work-readiness skills and learn about career paths available at the Society.
The Society strives to attract interns from underrepresented communities to encourage engagement and diversify the institution. Students are placed across the Society in various departments and sites.
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.
The objective of the project is to integrate Division-wide stand-alone datasets into a single information system that eliminates redundancies and inconsistencies and better meets the business requirements of the Division. Once completed, the information system will serve as the authoritative source of MN State Parks and Trails data for updates, maintenance, and reporting, and will be poised to take advantage of emerging technologies.
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.
On behalf of the Metropolitan Council, Barr Engineering Company developed maps and supporting information to characterize the relationship between surface waters and groundwater, identifying surface waters most likely to be impacted by groundwater withdrawals in the region. This project also provided guidance on effective resource monitoring strategies and costs for each type of surface water feature.
Partner Organization: Science Museum of Minnesota.
The Science Museum of Minnesota and the Minnesota Historical Society each maintain important historical collections of American Indian cultural objects assembled by Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple. The objects document the changes experienced by the Dakota and Ojibwe in Minnesota in the 19th century.
History Player in the Classroom is a popular program in which actors portraying historical figures come to Minnesota classrooms to give students "real life" lessons in history.
to construct a trail from the North Alexander Park on the East at Two Rivers Park and on the West at the railroad tracks, including an underpass connection under Second Avenue
Working with Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM) evaluated the feasibility of using stormwater runoff for irrigation and other purposes that traditionally rely on potable water. Effective implementation of stormwater reuse practices can lower demands on drinking water supplies and reduce impacts from aquifer decline, while simultaneously reducing mass loading of pollutants to surface waters.
Currently, there are approximately 5,050 feedlots with fewer than 300 animal units that need to come into compliance with State feedlot rules. Clean Water Feedlot Water Quality Management Grant funds are being used to provide financial assistance to landowners with feedlot operations less than 300 animal units in size and located in a riparian area or impaired watershed.
To provide financial support to developing and established regional artists wishing to take advantage of an artist generated or impending concrete opportunity or to provide support for expenses to complete work that will advance the artist’s work or caree
The DNR works with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health to determine the level of contamination from mercury and other harmful chemicals in fish from Minnesota's lakes and rivers and to track the success of efforts to reduce mercury pollution. Clean Water Legacy funding is being used to significantly increase (more than double) the number of lakes and rivers that are assessed for mercury contamination on an annual basis. Fish are collected during DNR fishery surveys, processed for laboratory testing, and analyzed for contaminants.
Nordic Arts Alliance presents Ordinary Vikings by Minnesota artist Jill Johnson, creating traditional Scandinavian Bronze and Iron Age bog stav sculptures based on Nordic cultural stories. The work is expanded upon and interpreted by Icelandic folklore storyteller Ingibjorg Gisladottir. There will be an outdoor exhibition at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve.
This program funded grants to local units of government and other entities to supplement, not supplant existing budgets. Two categories of grants made available: 1) focus on response to invasive forest pest incidents, 2) focus on planning and preparedness for the arrival of invasive forest pests. The program will also update the state's invasive and exotic tree pest plans.
This project will study the geologic controls on nitrate transport in southeast Minnesota's karst landscape and will also provide datasets for other projects over time.
During "Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon," an exhibit at the Minnesota History Center in early 2011, Minnesotans got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience first-hand original artifacts associated with George Washington. Washington put his personal stamp on our country at the moment of its birth, a stamp that still resonates and has modern-day relevancy for today's Minnesotans, as we learn about our state's history in the larger context of our nation's history.
Partner Organization: Minnesota Geospatial Information Office.
In partnership with the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office, the Minnesota Historical Society is adding geographical markers to more than 120,000 of the Society's historic photographs.
One outcome of this initiative will be the creation of a web experience that will allow students and the public to use "place" as a gateway for discovering other collections materials.
Per Minnesota Laws, 2009, Chapter 172, Article 4, Section 2, Subd. 5, "Funds in this subdivision are appropriated to the commissioner of the Department of Administration for grants to the named organizations for the purposes specified in this subdivision. Up to one percent of funds may be used by the Department of Administration for grants administration. Grants made to public television or radio organizations are subject to Minnesota Statutes, sections 129D.18 and 129D.19."
Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment raises revenue for Clean Water, Outdoor Heritage, Parks and Trails, and Arts and Cultural Heritage. Libraries are beneficiaries of a portion of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Funding.
The Great Rivers Network portal promotes the development, discovery and use of historical collections held by the Minnesota Historical Society and its partners across Minnesota.
Through this project, the Society provides support and training to organizations statewide for the preparation of digital collections data, while providing a technical infrastructure that enables access to various collection components, such as photographs, manuscripts, vital record indexes and library catalogs.
Overall Project Outcome and Results
The objective of this project was to accelerate Ducks Unlimited (DU) bio-engineering assistance to help agencies design and construct enhancement projects on shallow lakes for waterfowl using water control structures. DU biologists and engineers provided technical assistance to Minnesota DNR, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and private landowners around shallow lakes with a goal of:
Overall Project Outcome and Results
DNR spent $140,689 to continue on-site field investigations to accelerate management of shallow lakes and adjacent wetland complexes and support the accomplishments of Ducks Unlimited through HCP 2c and 3c. Temporary field personnel (1 full time and up to 6 temporary) documented shallow lake habitat occurrence and quality. Habitat surveys were conducted on 171 lakes within seven HCP project areas. The lakes surveyed totaled over 82,831acres. The surveys were distributed more broadly than in the past with:
Overall Project Outcome and Results
This project contained two types of habitat enhancement that resulted in the enhancement of a total of 72 acres of habitat.
Overall Project Outcome and Results
The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) 2009 work program focused on 6 habitat restoration projects totaling 3,664 acres (3,118-ENRTF funds; 546-other funds). Additional details, beyond the short summary below, are found in the more detailed reporting provided for each project.
