Upcoming Events
We work to create a fun and welcoming environment where people can come together, learn from each other, and make meaningful connections for the sake of clean water.
Volunteer Event: Watershed-Wide Cleanup
Join us for a fun morning to connect with neighbors and clean up the watershed!
We’re gearing up for our largest volunteer event of the year and want you to be a part of it! When we say “watershed-wide,” we mean it. You’ll find us in the following locations this year:
Cannon Falls: Riverside Park - 6th St N (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Bathrooms, paved parking lot, paved path, seating area under pavilion.
Faribault: Cannon River Wilderness Area - West Trailhead, 151st St E (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Porta-potty, gravel parking lot, dirt paths, seating area under pavilion.
Faribault: River Bend Nature Center - 1000 Rustad Road (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Accessible bathroom, paved parking lot, one paved path and track chair for other areas available, seating areas.
Faribault: Fleckenstein Bluffs Park - 699 1st Ave NE (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Accessible bathrooms, paved parking lot, paved path nearby, seating area under pavilion.
Lonsdale: McCullough Park - 14398 Irwin Path (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Porta-potty, gravel parking lot, gravel and dirt paths, seating area under pavilion.
Northfield: Riverside Lions Park - 419 8th St W (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Accessible bathroom, paved parking lot, paved path nearby, seating area under pavilion.
Northfield: Carleton College Lower Arboretum - West Gym Parking, 1 North College Street (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Porta-potty, paved parking lot, paved and gravel paths, no seating area.
Owatonna: Morehouse Park - 356 W School St (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Bathroom (requires steps, no ramp), portable bathroom, paved parking lot, some paved paths, seating area inside.
Red Wing: Bay Point Park - Pavilion 1, Levee Road (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Porta-potty, paved parking lot, paved path, and seating area under pavilion.
Waterville: Lions Park - Corner of South 3rd St. and E. Hoosac St. (Click here for directions)
Accessibility: Portable bathroom, street parking, some paved paths, seating area under pavilion.
*You’ll select a location on the sign-up form :)
What to Expect
Each cleanup site, from Cannon Falls to Owatonna, is led by a local volunteer. When you arrive, check in with the site leader to sign in, stick around to snap a group picture, grab the supplies you need, and go on an easter egg hunt for garbage!
What you should bring: a reusable water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, good walking shoes, and your enthusiasm :)
What we’ll provide: an assortment of light snacks, water (in a cooler jug), gloves, and garbage bags.
Wear Your Support for the Watershed!
We're excited to offer another exclusive "Be a River Friendly Neighbor" t-shirt to celebrate the work being done in the Cannon River watershed. This slogan was part of our logo in 1997, encouraging everyone to take responsibility for protecting local waters.
When you purchase a t-shirt, you’re not just getting a great shirt—you’re helping us expand our impactful work. The artwork for this campaign was created by Ava McQuain, our Community-Based Work Study rockstar from Carleton College.
We’re so grateful for our event partners, business sponsors, and grant funders!
Rain Garden Workshop
Attend this FREE in-person class and learn about the benefits of rain gardens and how to plan and install your own.
Volunteer Event: Seed Collection Volunteer Event at Sharing Our Roots
Join Clean River Partners, Sharing Our Roots, and Minnesota Women in Conservation as we collect a variety of seeds from prairie habitat.
Nuestra Agua, Nuestras Vidas
Join Clean River Partners, HealthFinders Collaborative, and the City of Northfield for an afternoon of family-friendly fun at our water-themed festival with a market, food, and games!
Fish Passage Site Visit
Walk the site of a fish passage restoration project and see firsthand how removing barriers is transforming the river ecosystem.
Volunteer Event: Restoration at Hay Creek Hills Farm
Clean River Partners is partnering with Wendy Johnson to continue work restoring the remnant bluff prairie and oak savanna habitats of the EQIP (Environmental Quality Improvement Program) on the Hay Creek Hills Farm property.
Volunteer Event: Remove Invasive Plants at Billings-Tomfohr Conservation Area
Let’s work together to remove invasive species at Billings-Tomfohr Conservation Area in Red Wing!
Agua Vivas de Faribault at the Minnesota State Fair
Catch Agua Vivas de Faribault at the Minnesota State Fair!
iNaturalist & Community Science
Learn how you can contribute to community science using iNaturalist! All you need is a smart device (phone, iPad) or a camera and you can help scientists track species in our community.
Film Screening at Paradise Center for the Arts
Catch Agua Vivas de Faribault at Paradise Center for the Arts!
QUEERY Meetup: Prairie Ecology & Stewardship
Head out to the prairie to explore what makes this habitat so important to Minnesota.
Volunteer Event: Biochar + Invasive Plants
Join us for a work day at a sustainable off-grid farm!
Volunteer Event: Invasive Plants
Come work with CRP, MN DNR, and RBNC's Outdoor Diversity Initiatives group to remove invasive species from the Engeseth-Rinde WMA in Nerstrand.
Minnspired River Protectors (Cancelled)
Join educators from Clean River Partners for hands-on fun in this family-friendly workshop and take home a booklet of conservation-related activities you can do with your family!
Volunteer at Prairie Creek WMA: Engeseth-Rinde Unit (Day 2)
Come work with CRP, MN DNR, and RBNC's Outdoor Diversity Initiatives group to remove invasive species from the Engeseth-Rinde WMA in Nerstrand.
Volunteer at Prairie Creek WMA: Engeseth-Rinde Unit (Day 1)
Come work with CRP, MN DNR, and RBNC's Outdoor Diversity Initiatives group to remove invasive species from the Engeseth-Rinde WMA in Nerstrand.
QUEERY Meetup: Kayaking
Join instructors from the Outdoor Recreation School (ORS) to learn the fundamental of paddling!
Water Savers Storytime (Hora del cuento para los protectores de agua)
Join Clean River Partners and Northfield Public Library for a bilingual Spanish/English storytime all about water conservation!
Acompañe a Clean Rivers Partners y la Northfield Public Library para una hora del cuento bilingüe en inglés y español, ¡todo sobre la conservación del agua!
Big Woods Ecosystem Hike
Minnesota’s Big Woods is a unique forest full of many different plants and animals. Join us on a hike at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park to discover what makes it special and how it has changed with time.
iNaturalist & Community Science
Learn how you can contribute to community science using iNaturalist! All you need is a smart device (phone, iPad) or a camera and you can help scientists track species in our community.
QUEERY Meetup: Pond Study
Ever wonder creatures you can find in our local ponds, lakes, and streams? Spend the afternoon dipping in the pond searching for aquatic macroinvertebrates!
QUEERY Meetup: Archery
Join us and the instructors from the Outdoor Recreation School (ORS) to learn fundamental skills of archery and the elements of safety.
Cannon River Fish Passage Public Information Meeting
Project partners invite the public to learn about the dam modification and culvert replacement projects happening on the Cannon River.
Volunteer at the Cannon River Wilderness Area
Join us for a volunteer event at the Cannon River Wilderness Area.
Dwarf Trout Lily Hike
Come along on a naturalist led hike to see spring ephemeral wildflowers including the rare Dwarf Trout Lily at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.
Rain Barrel Workshop
Learn how to get started with a rain barrel at our FREE workshop during Northfield Earth Day!
Volunteer at St. Olaf Natural Lands
Join us for a volunteer event at St. Olaf Natural Lands.
QUEERY Meetup: Land Walk and Archive Tour
Join us as we visit a local cultural center to learn about Dakota land stewardship. In addition to exploring the exhibits, we will also go on a special land walk and a behind-the-scenes archive tour.
QUEERY Meetup: Maple Syruping
Join Clean River Partners and the Minnesota DNR to learn about the process, from tapping trees to boiling sap!
Rain Garden Workshop
Attend this FREE in-person class and learn about the benefits of rain gardens and how to plan and install your own.
QUEERY Meetup: Kicksledding
Join Clean River Partners and Three Rivers Park District for an afternoon of wintertime fun!
Downstream Environmental Film Festival - Owatonna Screening
Clean River Partners invites you to join us for the 9th annual Downstream Environmental Film Festival, a celebration of art, storytelling, and environmental action.
Downstream Environmental Film Festival - Faribault Screening
Clean River Partners invites you to join us for the 9th annual Downstream Environmental Film Festival, a celebration of art, storytelling, and environmental action.
Downstream Environmental Film Festival - Cannon Falls Screening
Clean River Partners invites you to join us for the 9th annual Downstream Environmental Film Festival, a celebration of art, storytelling, and environmental action.
Downstream Environmental Film Festival - Northfield Screening, Night Two
Clean River Partners invites you to join us for the 9th annual Downstream Environmental Film Festival, a celebration of art, storytelling, and environmental action.