Two hundred volunteers came out to Valley Park in Mendota Heights to improve the water quality of the creek.  The event, co-sponsored by Minnesota Public Radio,  was the capstone celebration of MPR Water Month, an intensive focus on Minnesotans deep connections to water that included water-themed programming throughout April, on all MPR’s channels: news, music, and digital platforms.Said Deborah Karosov, Great River Greening Executive Director, during the event program:“We are very excited to be partnering with MPR on this project that celebrates people’s connection to water. By improving the filtering quality of the soil,  you are are doing real work to prevent pollutants from reaching the creek and the Mississippi River.”Volunteers pulled invasive buckthorn and garlic mustard, and seed native flowers and grasses, which  improves the filtering quality of the soil, removing pollutants from water before it reaches the creek and the river.MPR staff and hosts were among the group, including Sean McPherson (The Current), Mindy Ratner (Classical), Steven John (News), and Mike Pengra (Radio Heartland).Valley Park is a 94-acre community park, largely natural area featuring a creek that feeds into the Mississippi River, oak groves, and a mile-long paved trail that winds and climbs through woodlands. The mature oaks and diverse vegetation provide an outstanding landscape to enjoy hikes and bicycle tours that connect to the Big Rivers Regional Trail. Learn more about MPR WATER MONTH at thewatermain.orgHear Annie Baxter interviewed about the event on the Current Morning Show[audio src="https://www.greatrivergreening.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/MPR_GRGspot_20180405.m4a"]

Some considerations

Partners & Funders: MPR, The City of Mendota Heights, Kowalski's, with lunch provided by Peoples Organic