MNL

An entire golf course became a nature-based solution thanks to a non-profit organization. Read that again. Our hats, (and helmets), are off to the THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY - PIPESTONE, HR Green, Inc. and the City of Baxter, MN for bringing this all together. It is a huge win for the community surrounding the course, for the Mississippi River and all the people who benefit from its restoration downstream. Some truly incredible planning, designing and executing went into this project and with an impact of this scale, it's crucial to get things right. For MNL, planting and seeding #NativePlants isn't the last phase of the construction - it is just the beginning to restoring soil health and reducing water pollution. That process takes years of stewardship, and we are ready to deliver real, #NatureBasedSolutions to the people of Baxter and beyond. Please take a moment to read the story published by the State of Minnesota and consider what a positive this is for our ecosystem and for our communities. We are so grateful for this opportunity! Congratulations to Good Samaritan Society on winning the Community Conservationist Award! Well-deserved! ⛳ 🌳 🌼 🏆 #NatureBasedSolutions #CleanWater #MississippiRiver #Golf #Nature #NativePlants #Ecology #Environment https://lnkd.in/g5zWHJcU

We aren’t sheepish when it comes to ecological wins. Minnesota Power can depend on MNL to get the job done with grazing!

MNL was asked to share a photo of the team that helped Enel North America win the North American Agrivoltaics Award for Solar Ecosystem of the Year. Well, here it is! We are proud to share the honor and to boast some truly encouraging results from the 5-year study conducted by Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory: 3x the amount of insects present and 20x the number of bees! Through collaboration and innovation, we are demonstrating to the world that renewable energy and ecological improvements can exist utilizing the same land. Renewable energy benefits can go beyond the production of cleaner energy. Renewable energy can also improve soil health and create habitat for wildlife. Congratulations to everyone involved! #RenewableEnergy #Agrivoltaics #Solar #SustainableEnergy

MNL is proud to be represented amongst the innovators and trailblazers at the #SolarFarmSummit 2024! So many industries and interest groups converge to advance ideas, network and find solutions to the challenges we face in the world of #Agrivoltaics at this conference. It is also uplifting to hear speakers and exhibitors stress the importance of soil health and stewardship as we develop solar energy across the country. The future is bright, indeed! https://lnkd.in/d6a8mfkF

⛈ The upper Midwest has been getting hammered by intense and frequent rainfalls this year. Homeowners across Minnesota have been worried about the amount of flooding and water saturation near and around their homes. There are ways to mitigate the damaging effects of flooding as well reduce the amount of stormwater runoff headed to our lakes, rivers and streams. 📰 CBS News has a great article available to explain the importance of reducing stormwater runoff as well as how homeowners can make changes to their home's infrastructure and install raingardens and replace hardscapes with vegetation to capture the runoff instead of letting it continue to flow to open water sources. Read the article by following the link provided below: https://lnkd.in/gq-rhQQ5 🏡 When you're ready to plant your raingarden, MNL can help you design it, choose your plants, install and maintain it for years to come! Contact us directly on our website: https://lnkd.in/gEfsSxaE #ClimateChange #Raingardens #Stormwater #Environment #Landscaping #Gardening

Ecological restoration, the process of repairing damaged ecosystems and habitats, is essential for biodiversity, environmental health and conservation. However, achieving successful restoration outcomes goes beyond technical expertise—it requires embracing diversity and fostering diversity and inclusion. Diversity in ecological restoration teams brings together individuals with different cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This diversity fosters innovation by generating a wide range of ideas and approaches to tackle restoration challenges. Indigenous knowledge systems often hold valuable insights into local ecosystems and traditional restoration practices, which can complement scientific methodologies and improve restoration outcomes. Inclusive ecological restoration practices prioritize engaging and empowering local communities, including marginalized groups. By involving diverse stakeholders in decision-making processes, restoration projects can better align with community needs and values. This approach not only enhances project acceptance but also builds long-term support and stewardship of restored ecosystems. Diversity and inclusion in ecological restoration contribute to environmental justice by addressing historical inequities and ensuring fair access to environmental benefits. Vulnerable communities, including those disproportionately affected by environmental degradation, often stand to gain the most from well-executed restoration efforts. By considering social equity alongside ecological goals, restoration projects can foster healthier and more resilient communities. By embracing diversity and inclusion, ecological restoration initiatives can enhance their resilience and sustainability. Diverse teams are better equipped to anticipate and respond to changing environmental conditions and societal needs. Moreover, inclusive practices promote adaptive management approaches that prioritize learning from both successes and failures, thereby improving the long-term effectiveness of restoration efforts. Education efforts only benefit from having a broad range of perspectives to draw from. Diversity and inclusion are not just ethical imperatives but fundamental to achieving successful ecological restoration outcomes. By harnessing the collective wisdom and shared experiences of diverse individuals and communities, restoration practitioners can innovate more effectively, engage communities more authentically, promote environmental justice for everyone, educate broadly, and ensure the long-term sustainability of restored ecosystems. Embracing diversity in ecological restoration is not only beneficial��it's essential for creating a more resilient and equitable environment for all. #Diversity #Pride #Inclusion #Environment #LGBTQ+ 🌈 🏵 🦋 🌳 🌈 🏵 🦋 🌳 🌈 🏵 🦋 🌳

Did you know bees aren't the only pollinators in the animal kingdom? Of course, there are butterflies and moths, too. We see their important work being done every day as they flutter and buzz from flower to flower. But did you know that many types of bats, birds and small mammals also do their part to pollinate? You can do your part, as well, by following these 10 steps: 🌼 Plant Native Flowers: Choose a variety of native flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen throughout the growing season. Native plants are adapted to local conditions and attract local pollinators. 🦎 Create Habitat: Designate areas in your garden or yard for pollinators by providing diverse habitats such as meadows, hedgerows, and brush piles. This offers shelter, nesting sites, and food sources for a variety of species known to pollinate. 🚫 Avoid Pesticides: Minimize the use of pesticides and herbicides, especially those that are harmful to bees and other pollinators. Opt for natural alternatives or integrated pest management practices (IPM). 💧 Provide Water: Place shallow dishes or a birdbath with rocks or floating vegetation to provide water for pollinators to drink from and rest on. Remember to make them shallow enough for insects to get a drink! 🐝 Build Bee Hotels: Construct bee hotels with different-sized holes or tunnels to attract solitary bees that nest in wood or soil. Reuse materials like discarded cuts of wood instead of buying new materials to further support our ecosystems. 🌽 Support Organic Agriculture: Choose to buy organic and locally grown foods whenever possible to support farms that use pollinator-friendly practices. 🎓 Educate Others: Spread awareness about the importance of pollinators and encourage others to take actions to protect them. 👩🌾 Leave Some Bare Ground: Some pollinators, like ground-nesting bees, need access to bare ground for nesting. Leave patches of bare soil undisturbed in your garden and give them space to thrive. 💐 Plant a Variety of Blooms: Different pollinators are attracted to different types of flowers. Plant a diverse array of bloom colors, shapes, and sizes to attract a wide range of pollinators. Plant native species to ensure your garden is supporting specialized pollinators (pollinators that can only survive if they have a particular native plant species in their range). ���� Support Conservation Efforts: Get involved in local or national conservation initiatives focused on protecting pollinator species and their habitats. Donate. Volunteer. Be active and engaged. Bees aren't the only species under threat. As forests are logged, acres of fertile soil are converted for monocrop production and cities and population centers expand, local habitats that support pollinators are shrinking and, in many cases, disappearing altogether. Let's celebrate pollinators this week by putting these tips into practice to protect these important species and their habitat! #Pollinators #Habitat #NativePlants #HealTheEarth

MNL sent Jake Janski, one of our senior ecologists, to attend and speak at the Agrivoltaics World Conference Conference 2024 in Denver, Colorado. Solar grazing is incredibly important to us at MNL, because we believe it is the best way to produce clean energy and improve soil health directly where solar projects are located. By grazing solar fields full of wildflowers and native grasses, we eliminate the need for exotic turf grasses that produce no habitat for wildlife and require expensive inputs like irrigation and mowing. The agrivoltaics movement is growing and gaining momentum, and MNL couldn't be more proud to be actively engaging with stakeholders on the importance of doing it the right way! https://lnkd.in/dHbiHvz #Agrivoltaics #Grazing #Solar #CleanEnergy #AgriVoltaicsCon

World Environment Day is the biggest environmental event on the planet and is celebrated and observed by millions of people every year. This important day draws our attention to the importance of healthy ecosystems. Since it began in 1973, World Environment Day has raised awareness of critical environmental issues and rallied individuals and organizations to take action. This year's theme for World Environment Day is 🌻Land Restoration🐝. MNL has been in the business of ecological restoration for over 25 years. Ecological restoration harnesses the power of nature to address real-world environmental challenges. By restoring degraded ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, and prairies, we are working to mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and enhance resilience to natural disasters. Nature-based solutions utilize the inherent resilience and efficiency of natural systems to create sustainable solutions that benefit both people and the planet. We don't just change the environment when we restore natural systems and increase biodiversity - we heal the earth. And when we harness the power of nature instead of battling it, the positive impact is sustainable and regenerative. Join us today, on June 5, 2024, in observing World Environment Day and take a moment to consider how you or your organization are using nature-based solutions to help mitigate climate change, preserve natural resources and/or increase biodiversity. more info: https://lnkd.in/gs7kpJpD In addition, consider becoming a mission partner with MNL to band together with us to reach our pledged goal of positively impacting 10 million acres of land by the year 2030. We are well on our way, but we won't reach our goal without the help of other like-minded organizations that value our natural ecosystems as much as we do. Join our mission to Heal the Earth: https://lnkd.in/gmdDRzGr #GenerationRestoration #WorldEnvironmentDay #EcologicalRestoration #NatureBasedSolutions #Environment #NativePlants

MNL, along with project partners City of Brainerd and WSB Engineering, began work on a restoration project for the City of Brainerd in fall of 2023. This project was near the local high school and adjacent to the Mississippi River. The goals of the project were to stabilize the riverbank to halt erosion and provide critical aquatic habitat. Rivers and streams are under threat all across the United States and restoring them requires a lot of thoughtful bioengineering. MNL selected the right materials to ensure a successful restoration. Locally sourced toewood was used instead of riprap to stabilize the banks and create natural habitat for fish and other aquatic creatures. Boulder clusters were carefully placed in key locations to simulate a natural streambank formation and restore the natural flow of the channel, further reducing erosion. Finally, after the riverbank had been reformed, native seeds and live plants were installed to further enhance the site's ability to support wildlife and create healthy root systems that also serve to control erosion. Projects such as these highlight just how MNL shows integrity and craftsmanship in everything we do. We don't take shortcuts or use materials that are cheaper just to save on cost. We don't source seeds or plants from unknown or exotic sources because we understand the importance of native plants and their ability to produce food and habitat for wildlife as well as grow deep roots that enhance and stabilize soil. That's why cities like Brainerd, MN choose MNL when they take on a project like this riverbank restoration. We've been restoring riverbanks, just like this Mississippi River project, for over 25 years and we're not slowing down. We are on a mission to Heal the Earth! #HealtheEarth #EcologicalRestoration #NativePlants #Habitat #GreenSolutions #NatureBasedSolutions #Biodiversity https://lnkd.in/g6v7A8FV