New Photo Contest and Other Opportunities

The Friends of the Refuge Headwaters are again sponsoring a photo contest. Photos should be taken during the summer or fall time periods on either the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge or Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge. Entry deadline is December 3, 2021, full details can be found in the attached brochure. Visit the Photo Contest page for full details.

Speaking of photo contests, the American Trails organization is accepting photos of National Recreation Trails and it just so happens that there are four of these trails on the Winona District! They are all water trails; Finger Lakes Canoe Trail, Halfmoon Lake Canoe Trail, Nelson-Trevino Canoe Trail, and Verchota Canoe Trail. More information can be found at https://www.americantrails.org/national-recreation-trails/photo-contest

And finally, Friends President Wendy Schneider, who is also a Master Naturalist, wanted to pass along the following cost-share opportunity for MN residents from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources:

Bee the Change

The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is now accepting applications for the Lawns to Legumes program, which aims to increase residential habitat for at-risk pollinators across the state. Lawns to Legumes offers a combination of workshops, coaching, planting guides and cost-share funding for installing pollinator-friendly native plantings in residential lawns.

Minnesota residents can now apply for individual support grants, which offer up to $300 in reimbursement funding to cover costs associated with their plantings. Find the details and application at: https://bluethumb.org/lawns-to-legumes/apply-for-lawns-to-legumes-assistance