Community Watershed Restoration Programs

Great River Greening, GF and the Minnesota Twins are expanding community watershed restoration programs through the second year of their Minnesota conservation partnership. On October 7, volunteers will restore part of Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield by planting native wildflowers and rebuilding understory habitat affected by invasive buckthorn.

The work focuses on a 31-acre area within the 150-acre nature center, where increasing native plant diversity can support wildlife habitat and water quality. The partnership previously brought volunteers to Creekside Park, where 153 shrubs were planted to stabilize eroding streambanks and reduce pollution entering the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers.

For participating organizations, the multi-year model connects corporate environmental commitments with visible, hands-on community projects. It also gives the Minnesota Twins and GF opportunities to strengthen local engagement, while Great River Greening gains volunteer and corporate support for restoration efforts that can produce longer-term ecological benefits.