Membership Breakfast Recap

By Ellen Reed, Executive Director, Mississippi Park Connection

I am delighted to share highlights from our recent membership breakfast on Tuesday, January 30th, at the Pool & Yacht Club in St. Paul. With over 75 guests attending, and a fascinating panel discussion, the event was a celebration of the river. It was also an opportunity for members to review the 2023 Annual Report for the first time and hear from leadership about the future of the national park. 

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Superintendent, M. Tucker Blythe, provided an in-depth report on activities happening at the park over the past year, including hiring updates and strategic direction for the future.

Research in your National Park

We also heard from three dynamic and interesting speakers discussing their research and monitoring work with beavers and trees within the park corridor. We heard from Marielle Mateo, Forestry Program Coordinator with Mississippi Park Connection; Dr. Marcella Windmuller-Campione, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota; and Jayne Willard, Biological Science Technician with the National Park Service. Thanks to their passionate descriptions of their projects, many in the audience left with a new-found love for both baby beavers and baby trees in the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change project.

Thank you for your continued support and active participation in Mississippi Park Connection. The breakfast served as a reminder of how MPC's mission comes to life through partnership and relationship-building. You are part of a passionate community of river stewards that are strengthening the enduring connection between people and place, and are enriching the life of the river and all those who experience it.