Learn how to protect the environment

As we get out and make tracks, let’s remember our footprint. Three Rivers is dedicated to preserving native plant communities, wildlife diversity and water quality throughout the region. With your help, Three Rivers will inspire a future generation of environmental stewards.

Natural Resources

The Three Rivers Park District Natural Resources Management department is responsible for restoring and protecting natural resources—such as native plant communities, wildlife diversity and water quality—in Three Rivers' park reserves and regional parks. Our Natural Resources section includes Forestry Management, Horticulture and Landscape Management, Water Resources Management and Wildlife Management.

The Three Rivers policy for the planning and management of natural resources allows no more than 20 percent of a park reserve to be developed for active use and requires that at least 80 percent of the park reserve be restored to and retained in a natural state.

In keeping with this policy, Three Rivers is actively involved in the preservation and restoration of wildlife and plant species.

Three River’s 27,000 acres of parkland includes 43 lakes, more than 30 miles of rivers and streams and over 8,000 acres of wetlands.

Three Rivers is committed to restoring the environment, including planting forests. Most native forests in the region were cleared for agriculture by the turn of the twentieth century. Three Rivers is working to restore these plant communities.

Three Rivers Park District is the largest manager of prairie habitat in the Twin Cities area and has restored approximately 1,600 acres in the metro area.

Three Rivers maintains wildlife populations through habitat management, reintroductions and management of species of special concern, population control and general monitoring.

From rain gardens, to pollinator gardens, native landscapes, to public gardens, the horticulture program contributes to the health and beautification of Three Rivers properties and the education of park users. 

Three Rivers rapidly responds to the challenges of invasive species through early detection and prevention, guided by an Invasive Species Plan.

Environmental stewardship is a long-standing hallmark of the Three Rivers Park District’s mission. In 2009, the Board of Commissioners approved sustainability targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), waste generation and groundwater use.

Learn how climate change is impacting wildlife, recreation and more in Three Rivers.

Chronolog is a citizen science tool that allows park visitors to document environmental changes through photos, creating time-lapse sequences to track restoration efforts, engage the community and support park stewardship.

The Wandering Naturalist

Episodes 223–225: Getting Squirrely

Climb into the world of tree squirrels with Angela and Brandon this month. Learn about the unique adaptations squirrels have, why squirrels do so well in our cities and suburbs, and the importance of squirrel hunting in Hmong culture. 

Related Blog Posts

July 25, 2023

Learn how Three Rivers Park District takes care of precious water resources.

August 16, 2021

From securing permits to making sure habitat is just right, a lot of work goes into bringing new butterflies into our parks. Learn all about the process of reintroducing butterflies, our past successes and which butterflies we hope to introduce into our parks in the future.

July 12, 2021

Understanding how our bumblebee populations are changing and why helps us determine how we can best support them. Read on to learn all about how we conduct bumblebee surveys in our parks and what you can do to help collect valuable bumblebee data. 

Volunteer

There are plenty of ways to volunteer in cooperation with the Three Rivers Department of Natural Resources. Put your time to good use by helping to protect and enrich our earth!

News from Natural Resources

  • March 21, 2024

    Three Rivers Park District is now conducting prescribed burns and will continue until early June. Learn more about where burns take place, why they happen, and how they are managed.

  • January 24, 2023

    Three Rivers Park District is partnering with the University of Minnesota on a research project to monitor white-tailed deer for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, their habitat use, and movement in and around Elm Creek Park Reserve.

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