Land & Water​

kids collecting acorns in a park

Gathering Acorns to Renew River Forestland

Efforts to collect acorns are helping with reforestation projects along the Upper Mississippi River. The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk reports on volunteer work near the Reno Bottoms.

Two people dressed in jackets, hats, and rubber boots stand in shallow water and scoop debris from the bottom of the stream onto a yellow tarp.

Aquatic Guardianship: The Importance of Monitoring and Maintaining Our Waterways

Clean streams depend on regular monitoring; Laurie Byrne reports on how volunteers assist with water testing to help maintain a healthy Mill Creek in Chatfield.

A woman bundled up with a knitted green hat, knitted green mittens, and a plaid scarf gives a thumbs up outside on a winter day.

Longest-Running Community Science Bird Project Celebrates 125 Years

John Weiss joins in with birders at Whitewater State Park to collect data during the annual Christmas Bird Count.

A woman in a department of natural resources uniform stands on a river bank by long tubes made of natural fibers placed on the muddy bank.

Mississippi River is Eroding Sacred Indigenous Mounds

Seasonal flooding is threatening ancient and sacred Indigenous mounds along the Upper Mississippi River. The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk reports on efforts to protect these mounds.

Paul Schmidt in the shed on his farm where 64,000 garlic are drying. Schmidt Farm markets seed stock to a variety of garden and seed companies.

An Ancient Crop Makes its Home in Fillmore County

John Torgrimson visits Schmidt Farm’s garlic operation in Carimona Township, Fillmore County.

Tony Rahe stands next to a wall of lettuce in one of his hydroponic growing containers at Rahe of Sunshine Farms in Wykoff.

Hydroponic Farm is High Tech Operation With Small Footprint

David Phillips tours a hydroponic farming operation in Wykoff, Minnesota. Owner Tony Rahe gives access to the two trailers currently housing multiple acres of lettuce, kohlrabi, and radishes that are sold to local schools, at farmers markets, and online.

A low fire burns in vegetation in a ditch along a highway while a worker with fire gear and a drip torch looks on.

Prescribed Burn Team Treats State Highway Ditches With a Dose of Fire

Prescribed burns control noxious plants and spur growth of native vegetation along area roadways. Mike Dougherty follows one crew in southeastern Minnesota working near Interstate 90.

Cattle move through a pasture in a rotational grazing operation. (Photo by Ann Wessel, BWSR)

Rotational Grazing: Pipeline to Water Quality and Soil Health

Ann Wessel reports on a Fillmore County farmer who is converting CRP ground into productive pasture.

EllenTitus of The Nature Conservancy checks on the goats helping restore goat prairie.

Conservation Ballot Initiative Key to Trust Fund Renewal

John Weiss reports on the conservation trust fund initiative on the Minnesota November 2024 ballot. Voters are being asked to extend the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund through 2050.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Brady Thill, 9, Josie Swing, 10, and Harper Hines, 10, all of Galesville, Wis. have fun in kayaks during the BaseCamp event in Winona. (Photo by John Weiss)</span>

Outdoor Adventures Abound at BaseCamp

Participants in the annual BaseCamp outdoor adventure held in Winona learn about the Mississippi’s history and those who have worked to protect it for future generations. John Weiss shares insights from the 2024 summer gathering.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Three-year-old rainbow trout 'coming of age' in a hatchery raceway. (Photo by Renee Bergstrom)</span>

Go Fish: The Lanesboro State Fish Hatchery

Tom Brudvig takes us behind the scenes at the Lanesboro State Fish Hatchery.

The Root River's North Branch takes an unnatural twist to the north at the site of a former hydroelectric dam. The river channel originally curved to the right – now mostly grown over with trees. (Photo by Dan Brown)

To End Erosion at a Former Dam, Engineers Shifting Root River Back to its Original Bed

Dave Shaffer, with photographer Dan Brown, reports on plans to address a massive erosion problem on the North Branch of the Root River northwest of Lanesboro.

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