Explore Wetland Ecology at Cottage Grove Ravine Park

Join Friends of the Mississippi River ecologist Karen Schik and Washington Conservation District's Angie Hong to learn about the fascinating ecology of a suburban wetland!

We will explore the plant life in and around Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park's wetlands, learn about the important role these plants play in providing habitat and filtering pollutants from water. We'll also use dip nets to get a closer look at macroinvertebrates living in the marsh, and discuss what these tiny creatures reveal about the impacts of water pollution.

Centered around one of the most impressive landscape features in southern Washington County, Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park totals nearly 600 acres. The ravine for which it is named is approximately a half-mile wide with 80- to 100-foot slopes, and bisects the park north to south before ending in Ravine Lake. Known as a "tunnel valley," the ravine was carved by a subglacial drainageway that carried large volumes of water, eroding the valley. Participants will explore Ravine Lake and the wetlands surrounding it, home to a variety of native plants — aquatic, amphibious, and terrestrial.

FMR recently began a new program to restore this beautiful landscape, event participants will learn about and be invited to future restoration outings with the ecologists, or other ways to get involved with FMR!