Japs-Olson Company
| Partnership Award
| For its commitment to partnership in achieving
an environmentally friendly expansion of its business that was the culmination
of several years of work with the District. Japs-Olson Company worked in
partnership with the District to treat stormwater from the expansion and the
surrounding area, and donated nearly four acres of land for restoration and improved
public access to the Minnehaha Creek Preserve and the Minnehaha Creek Greenway.
The project involved a complex series of agreements with the Cities of Hopkins
and St. Louis Park and resulted in a project that improves water quality, ecological
integrity and community connectivity, and is projected to create 150 jobs. |
Lennar Corporation
| Innovation Award
| For its hard work and creative spirit in its
pursuit of a 99-unit residential development in Victoria. By working in coordination
with the City of Victoria and the District, the project will restore 12 acres
and permanently protect 23.5 acres of public water wetland, which is beyond
Lennar's regulatory obligation. Its willingness to invest in natural resources
locally enabled the restoration of a priority wetland that's in the Six Mile Subwatershed, which is a priority area for improvement projects. |
Park Nicollet
| Excellence Award
| For its leadership
and vision in improving Minnehaha Creek, which sparked the creation of the
Minnehaha Creek Greenway – a series of improvements that restores the natural
curves to the creek, improves wildlife habitat, creates new access to green
space and connects communities. Park Nicollet's commitment to balancing excellent
service to the community and supporting ecological integrity in the landscape
continued with the construction of a flood wall in 2017 that resulted in a
six-acre wetland restoration.
|
Dr. Peter Sorensen
| Sound Science Award
| For his commitment
to researching common carp's impact on our water resources and developing an integrated
protocol to sustainably control common carp in a system. Dr. Sorensen's
ground-breaking research has improved the understanding of the role carp has
played in damaging ecosystems and has provided a path forward to effective
management strategies. |
Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA
| Service Award
| For their
collective achievement in engaging a broad network of congregations in the
watershed to increase awareness of water quality issues and spark stewardship
of the natural resources in their communities. Over the past two years, congregations
have hosted stewardship events, adopted sustainable property maintenance practices,
educated their congregants about clean water and pursued sustainable measures
to mitigate polluted stormwater runoff.
|
The Blake School 4th Grade Class | Young Naturalist Award
| For their
creativity and enthusiasm in learning about the importance of our water
resources and how to protect them from stormwater runoff. Through a combination
of classroom and field learning experiences, the students demonstrated their
new-found knowledge through the creation of 3-D models of the Minnehaha Creek Greenway
to visualize and demonstrate runoff, cleanups along the creek and nearby storm
drains, and tours of the watershed. Their efforts serve as a role model for
experiential learning that connects people to our water resources. |
Peggy Knapp | Cynthia Krieg Lifetime Stewardship Award | For her dedication to protecting water
resources, which has had a lasting impact on lakes, rivers, streams and
wetlands across the region and the state. Hired as the Freshwater Society's
Director of Programs 2010, Knapp has designed and implemented a multitude of
civic engagement programs including the Master Water Stewards Program which was
founded in the MCWD in 2013 and is being expanded statewide.
Known for her dynamic communications style and
work on multiple platforms including television, Knapp has inspired and
educated countless citizens to protect Minnesota's water resources. She is a
natural leader and collaborator who knows how to bring people together to solve
problems and get things done. Knapp retired from the Freshwater Society in
June 2017. |
