Meet the new Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) serving with the National Park Service and Mississippi Park Connection for the next year!

parkconnectionMarch 8, 2021

Mighty Mussels of the Mississippi River

At first glance, a mussel might seem a little lacking in character, but native mussels are one of the most critical animals to the Mississippi River!

parkconnectionMarch 5, 2021

Wilderness Inquiry joins effort to bring River Learning Center to Saint Paul

The nonprofit joins as project partner and future tenant for new, national hub of activity on the Mississippi River.

parkconnectionMarch 2, 2021

Resilient: Searching for Connections through Waves

This essay was commissioned for the debut of Madweyaashka: Waves Can Be Heard by Moira Villiard as part of Illuminate the Lock.

parkconnectionFebruary 4, 2021

Women of the Mississippi: Marguerite Bonga Fahlstrom

Marguerite Bonga Fahlstrom came from a prominent Black trading family and stood as a symbol of an incredible union between a Black trader and Ojibwe woman in the 1800s.

parkconnectionFebruary 2, 2021

Finding My Path to the Outdoors

Park Ranger Haddy talks about her experience with different outdoor programs and jobs, working her way up to become a National Park Service ranger in Minnesota.

parkconnectionFebruary 2, 2021

New Mississippi River Explorers Program

More than 3,000 participants have connected with this program so far! Learn why it became so important for educators around the nation as they navigated new challenges of meeting their students' needs in a virtual setting.

parkconnectionFebruary 1, 2021youth education

Educator Spotlight: Ranger Abby

Each quarterly edition of our Educators Newsletter will feature an Educator Spotlight, showcasing a person important to our park and its education programs. Meet Ranger Abby Olsen!

parkconnectionJanuary 27, 2021youth education

Illuminate The Lock Returns

This winter, Illuminate The Lock returns to Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam as a new art projection event featuring up-and-coming Indigenous artist Moira Villiard.

parkconnectionJanuary 19, 2021

Embracing the Cold: The Subnivean Ecosystem

There is an entirely hidden world beneath the snow that we do not see so readily. We may see tiny tracks or holes on the top of the snow but other than that, life underneath can remain a mystery.

animalsparkconnectionJanuary 11, 2021

Tracking change and growth at Crosby Farm

Chelsey and Ed’s chronological photographs remind us that change is imminent—not just the existential transformations that climate change imposes, but the seasonal variations that, at least for the time being, remain a signature of Minnesota.

plant for the futureparkconnectionDecember 29, 2020

Park Superintendent John Anfinson Bids NPS Farewell After 20 years

John Anfinson is retiring after two decades with the National Park Service! No matter what he pursues after this, we know he will remain a passionate steward and advocate for the Mississippi River.

parkconnectionDecember 2, 2020