Strong Commitment from Great River Greening Volunteers

And Supporters Behind Greening’s Success in 2008

February 13, 2009 

To Partners and Friends of Great River Greening:   

Thanks to our partners and supporters, Great River Greening has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past few years. Last year was no exception. We added more ecologists to our staff, multiplied our results in volunteer involvement and projects, expanded to new communities that have needs, and partnered ever more effectively and strategically. Specifically, we engaged over 2,000 volunteers and have now cumulatively exceeded 20,000 volunteers total; we have achieved 50 projects of oak restoration of our goal of 100 in the Million Acorn Campaign, and we successfully completed our second year of the St. Croix Healthy Waters Campaign, showcasing best management practices in nine new major projects.

This year of course we face a tight economic market. Yet, thanks to our strong supporters and our track record, we do intend to hold our revenues steady. Bolstered by careful planning—and the spirit of our volunteers and friends—we are determined even more to carry on our mission. With today’s political and funding volatility, public and private landowners cannot do on-the ground restoration by themselves. With postponement, the costs increase. No Twin Cities organization other than Great River Greening has proven that it can leverage the volunteers, funding and ecological expertise to help fill this need.

Thank you and we hope to see you this spring!

Great River Greening 2008 Accomplishment Highlights

 ·        Partnerships and Initiatives

  1. Million Acorn Campaign: development of 10 new projects, including a 350-person volunteer event at the Xcel Energy High Bridge in Saint Paul where over 6,775 trees, shrubs and native plants were installed. Xcel Energy, Allianz Foundation for North America, Andersen Corporate Foundation Bailey Nurseries, and Toro are major sponsors of the Million Acorn Campaign.
  2. Healthy Waters Initiative: Nine projects included planting buffer strips around Bone Lake, Scandia; correcting trail erosion at Wind-in-the-Pines Park, Scandia; improving stormwater management at Camp Waub-O-Jeeeg, Taylors Falls; rain garden planting at Water Tower Park, Chisago City; and assessing eroding conditions at boat launches all along the St. Croix. 
  3. Metro Conservation Corridors (MeCC): New projects included a 40-acre direct hardwood seeding with Wright County’s Robert Ney Regional Park, as part of its on-going Big Woods reconstruction efforts. At Murphy’s Landing along the Minnesota River we removed buckthorn, releasing the historic oaks and their open grown structure.  
  4. For the Birds: At Afton State Park, an 85-acre direct hardwood seeding used the over 300,000 acorns collected by youth, supplementing the local seeds purchased commercially. Greening seeded the area also with other species, emphasizing those predicted to do well in a warming climate. 

·        Volunteer Involvement

  1. Million Acorn Challenge engaged almost 1,000 area youth who collected over 300,000 acorns.
  2. 1,978 volunteers participated in our planting and restoration events including 1,248 youth (63%).
  3. 45 volunteer supervisors were trained to lead community events and neighborhood projects.
  4. Volunteers removed 101 acres of invasive species, planted 16,262 trees and shrubs, installed 35,936 forbs and grasses (increased 4% from 2007), and collected 135 lbs. of prairie seed.
  5. 21,334 volunteers have cumulatively planted 58,161 trees and shrubs since Greening began in 1995.
  6. Volunteer Supervisor, Susan Edseth, awarded the “Be the Change” Award from Hands on Twin Cities in the Green Spaces category.

·        Management Plans and Publications

  1. Mississippi Riverbank Restoration Guide (partner: Mississippi Watershed Management Organization)
  2. Historic Waters of the Mississippi Water Management Organization (partner: Mississippi Watershed Management Organization)
  3. Dodge Nature Center Rachel Lilly Property Natural Resource Management Plan
  4. Meeker Dam volunteer event video (partner: Mississippi National River and Recreation Area)

·        Ecological Designs

  1. McColl Pond Environmental Learning Center stormwater management and landscape plan
  2. Sustainable Landscape for Affordable Housing: two case studies at Emerson and Park Avenues (partner: Urban Homeworks)
  3. 35 West Water Street: Redesigned as a formalized rain garden
  4. Boat Launch Evaluation: solutions for erosion and degradation on sites along the St. Croix River
  5. College Drive Apartments, Brainerd, MN (Partner: Minnesota Brokerage Group). 

·        Research and Workshops

  1. Two-day Healthy Waters Fair at William O’Brien State Park attended by 4,000 visitors (Partners: Carnelian Marine St. Croix Watershed District, Chisago SWCD, Millstream Association, MN DNR, Trout Unlimited, Washington Conservation District, William O’Brien State Park, Xcel Energy Bird Cam and Peregrine Falcon Program)
  2. Go Green: Renovate and Innovate, Green Policy and Building Trends Breakfast, 170 people (Partners: Anchor Bank, Egan Company, and Loucks Associates)
  3. Tour of BMP sites, St. Croix Healthy Waters Campaign, 25 watershed district professionals
  4. Landowner training held at Hamlet on Sunfish Lake homeowners association 
  5. Sustainable Landscape Design presentation, Green By Design conference   

Major operating support for all Great River Greening programs is provided by McKnight Foundation.