Seven volunteer-led friends groups will implement habitat restoration projects at state parks this year, with support from the Minnesota DNR and funds issued by Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota (P&TC). The projects include planting trees, protecting young saplings, and diversifying tree canopy. Each project will include volunteer opportunities for community members at events throughout the year.
P&TC initiated this statewide grant program in 2018, which seeks to restore habitat in state parks. This grant program was made possible by the Henry S. Crosby Foundation, which issued grant money to P&TC to advance protection of state parks through land acquisition and habitat restoration projects.
P&TC worked with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to identify potential projects and overlap them with active friends groups. These projects compliment long-term, natural resource management goals of the parks and fit into the wide variety of activities of friends groups. Friends groups support state parks in various ways, from raising money and promotion, to advocacy and programming.
