Apr
15
Sat
2017
Haul buckthorn at Vermillion Aquatic Management Area @ Vermillion Aquatic Management Area
Apr 15 @ 9:30 am – 11:30 am

After a short hike, volunteers will haul out pre-cut buckthorn, a woody invasive lopped a few days before by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Civilian Conservation Corps crews.

Volunteers will work in an Aquatic Management Area (AMA). AMAs are a special form of land protection meant to preserve shoreline property, public access, and critical fish and wildlife habitat. The Vermillion River and this AMA is prized for its trophy brown trout.

All supplies and training will be provided and volunteers will work closely with FMR staff. This event is part of the Vermillion Stewards program, helping residents learn about the watershed while working to protect and enhance its unique natural resources.

Ready to register?

To sign up and receive directions to the meeting spot, contact Amy Kilgore via the contact form (please select Amy by name from the staff list under “Category”) or at akilgore@fmr.org, 651-222-2193 x31. Please include the name of the event, your name, address and phone number and the number in your party. Amy is typically in the office M-Th each week.

You will receive a confirmation email from akilgore@fmr.org within two business days. (If you don’t, please check your SPAM folder.)

If you are under 18 and planning to attend without your parent or guardian, please complete this minor permission form.

Apr
22
Sat
2017
Earth Day Birding Festival @ Carpenter Nature Center
Apr 22 @ 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Earth Day Birding Festival at Carpenter St. Croix Nature Center will feature an “Introduction to Birding” class, a “Raptors 101” class, bird banding demonstrations, guided bird trips in the Hastings area, and a Youth Birding Competition. The program fee is $5 per person or $15 per person including a box lunch. Pre-registration required.

City of Lakeville’s 2017 Watershed Cleanup Day and Earth Day Celebration @ Central Maintenance Facility
Apr 22 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Event is in two parts – come to one or both parts:

9-11 a.m. – individual groups remove litter from parks, waterways, trails, and roadways. Participants get a free t-shirt and lunch. Sign up by April 12 – call 952-985-4500.

11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – come together for the Earth Day Celebration to take part in educational stations, interactive games, and prizes!

Bring non-perishable food items for donation to local food shelves.

 

 

Apr
27
Thu
2017
CANCELED-Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Board @ Dakota County Western Service Center
Apr 27 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

the April 27, 2017, meeting is canceled. The next regular meeting of the Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Board (VRWJPB) is May 25, 2017.

Apr
29
Sat
2017
City of Farmington’s Pond & Park Cleanup Day @ In a neighborhood near you
Apr 29 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am

Ponds, parks, and the natural areas around them collect much of the debris from the windy winter weather.  Pond & Park Cleanup Day was initiated to protect the natural habitat and enhance the aesthetics of Farmington ponds and parks by cleaning up the garbage that has accumulated over the winter.

Individuals and groups are invited to do some spring cleaning in a city owned pond or park. The city will provide volunteers with supplies and dispose of the garbage. Register to volunteer by April 20.

During the 2016 Pond & Park Cleanup Day, over 400 people volunteered and collected 1.15 tons of garbage from 12 parks and 67 ponds.  Let’s keep this momentum going!

Plant native shrubs along the Vermillion River @ Vermillion River Wilmar Property
Apr 29 @ 9:30 am – 11:30 am

Spend a morning with Friends of the Mississippi staff and volunteers at the Wilmar property along the Vermillion River, a cold prairie stream in the heart of Dakota County and a major tributary of the Mississippi River. After a brief hike volunteers will install native shrubs and fencing near the river banks to increase habitat diversity and help stabilize the stream bank. FMR has been working to restore some 25-acres at this private easement.

All supplies and training will be provided and volunteers will work closely with FMR staff. This event is part of the Vermillion Stewards program, helping residents learn about the watershed while working to protect and enhance its unique natural resources.

Ready to register?

To sign up and receive directions to the meeting spot, contact FMR Volunteer Coordinator Amy Kilgore via the contact form (please select Amy by name from the staff list under “Category”) or at akilgore@fmr.org, 651-222-2193 x31. Please include the name of the event, your name, address and phone number and the number in your party.

City of Farmington’s Earth & Arbor Day Celebration @ Rambling River Center
Apr 29 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Celebrate Earth & Arbor Day at this free family friendly event with science & art activities, animals, exhibits and more!

Bring your old, broken crayons so they can be recycled into ones! Please leave the wrappers on the crayons (they are easier to sort).

May
6
Sat
2017
Dakota County Water Forum: A clean water strategy @ Eagan Community Center
May 6 @ 8:45 am – 12:00 pm

Hosted by Conservation Minnesota, join local experts to learn more about what your government and community are doing to ensure Dakota County has clean water. Listen to speakers from the City of Eagan, Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization (VRWJPO), and Conservation Minnesota. A continental breakfast is included. Register by April 8th for your chance to win a Conservation Minnesota coffee mug.

Schedule:
8:45 Doors Open
8:45 – 9:30 Continental Breakfast & Networking
9:30 – 12:00 Program

Event Speakers:
Eric Macbeth, Eagan Water Resource Manager
Curt Coudron, SWCD Project Management Supervisor
Mark Zabel, Vermillion River Watershed Administrator
Nels Paulsen, Conservation Minnesota