This event is part of Twin Cities Trout Unlimited’s (TCTU) Vermillion River Initiative.

Along with Mark Nemeth of the Minnesota DNR, TCTU will be removing invasive buckthorn, honeysuckle and picking up trash at the Kummer Aquatic Management Area (AMA). A team may be wading across the river so bring waders or wet wade gear.

The Plan

• Meet before the start time at the location.
• Sign waivers, drink some coffee, get set up and get to work.

What You Should Bring

• Dress for the weather
• Waders or footwear that will allow you to cross the river if needed
• Heavy work gloves
• Drinking water
• Camp chair to sit on while we enjoy lunch

What Trout Unlimited & the DNR Will Provide

• All the needed equipment
• Bug spray
• LUNCH afterwards

Registration will end 24 hours before the event so that we can get an accurate headcount. If the event is cancelled, you will be informed via email, so check your email before you leave the house.

The Landscaping for Clean Water Design Course helps residents like you create and install beautiful landscaping projects that are unique to your yard! This course is a great opportunity to learn about garden planning from the experts, whether you are interested in finding out about site design, plant selection, raingarden installation, or adding native plants to the landscape.

After completing the Landscaping for Clean Water Introduction Class, you are eligible to enroll in the Landscaping for Clean Water Design Course. While the class is open to anyone, the $250 cost share grants are only available to Dakota County residents and Lower Mississippi River Watershed Maintenance Organization residents in Ramsey County.

Design Course Online Learning Materials will be provided to all participants for project planning at home. In addition, there are six in-person Design Course options in two 2-hour blocks or one 4-hour block.

There is a $25 registration fee for the Design Course that includes a copy of the Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens book, a Design Folder including aerial property maps, design tools, online instruction materials, and one-on-one help.

Are you a returning Design Course participant? Register again for the Design Course and the FEE is WAIVED!

Virtual meeting access will be posted here when available.

The short grasses and wildflowers of the dry prairie at the Hastings Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) offer a unique beauty in the Twin Cities area. Fourteen rare plant and animal species call this coulee home. The deeply rooted prairie plants also help filter pollutants from runoff water before it can enter the nearby Vermillion and Mississippi rivers.

On this spring evening, volunteers will work with FMR staff to identify and pull garlic mustard, an invasive plant that is found in one small area of the oak woodland flanking the prairie. By removing this plant, volunteers will improve habitat for the native woodland plant and animal species in just a couple of hours, ensuring this garlic mustard patch does not spread.

This event is part of the Vermillion Stewards program, engaging residents to learn about the watershed while working to protect and enhance its unique natural resources.

Please wear sturdy shoes, long pants and long sleeves, and be prepared to work on hilly, uneven terrain in a dense understory of buckthorn. All are welcome, but capacity is limited and registration is required. As always, all tools and training will be provided and volunteers are encouraged to work at their own pace and comfort level.

The Landscaping for Clean Water Design Course helps residents like you create and install beautiful landscaping projects that are unique to your yard! This course is a great opportunity to learn about garden planning from the experts, whether you are interested in finding out about site design, plant selection, raingarden installation, or adding native plants to the landscape.

After completing the Landscaping for Clean Water Introduction Class, you are eligible to enroll in the Landscaping for Clean Water Design Course. While the class is open to anyone, the $250 cost share grants are only available to Dakota County residents and Lower Mississippi River Watershed Maintenance Organization residents in Ramsey County.

Design Course Online Learning Materials will be provided to all participants for project planning at home. In addition, there are six in-person Design Course options in two 2-hour blocks or one 4-hour block.

There is a $25 registration fee for the Design Course that includes a copy of the Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens book, a Design Folder including aerial property maps, design tools, online instruction materials, and one-on-one help.

Are you a returning Design Course participant? Register again for the Design Course and the FEE is WAIVED!

The Landscaping for Clean Water Design Course helps residents like you create and install beautiful landscaping projects that are unique to your yard! This course is a great opportunity to learn about garden planning from the experts, whether you are interested in finding out about site design, plant selection, raingarden installation, or adding native plants to the landscape.

After completing the Landscaping for Clean Water Introduction Class, you are eligible to enroll in the Landscaping for Clean Water Design Course. While the class is open to anyone, the $250 cost share grants are only available to Dakota County residents and Lower Mississippi River Watershed Maintenance Organization residents in Ramsey County.

Design Course Online Learning Materials will be provided to all participants for project planning at home. In addition, there are six in-person Design Course options in two 2-hour blocks or one 4-hour block.

There is a $25 registration fee for the Design Course that includes a copy of the Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens book, a Design Folder including aerial property maps, design tools, online instruction materials, and one-on-one help.

Are you a returning Design Course participant? Register again for the Design Course and the FEE is WAIVED!

Virtual meeting access will be posted here when available.

Join the Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) for an evening of removing invasive garlic mustard at Vermillion River Linear Park, a beautiful 60-acre park in the heart of Hastings and part of a corridor of green space that runs through the city. This park flanks the Vermillion River.

After a brief introduction and training, volunteers will help pull garlic mustard from the wooded areas. Over the years, removing plants like garlic mustard has cleared the way for native plant communities to return and thrive.

All are welcome, however, capacity is limited and registration is required. All supplies and training will be provided and volunteers will work closely with FMR staff. This event is part of the Vermillion Stewards program, engaging Vermillion River Watershed residents to learn about the local watershed while working to protect and enhance its unique natural resources.

Accessibility

There is a less than five-minute walk to the work areas, and some areas of the worksite can be accessed by paved trails. Volunteers will be working on level ground but uneven terrain. Pulling garlic mustard is a lower-intensity activity. Pulling garlic mustard can be done while kneeling or sitting down, and FMR will provide a few kneeling pads. This site has abundant stinging nettle, so long pants and sleeves are suggested.

Ready to register?

Please use this form below to register for this event. If you have questions or concerns, you can contact volunteer@fmr.org(link sends e-mail) or 651.477.0925.

If you’re under 18 and interested in volunteering without the company of your parent or guardian, please take a moment and have them fill out this brief minor permission form.