Paddle Taxi » River Steward

MN Water Trails Grant!

Austin — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:55:38 +0000

The DNR is excited to announce the 50th year of water trails in MN and are offering grants to organizations working to promote and protect these beautiful trails!

Paddle Taxi is more than excited to apply. We think this grant was almost designed with our mission in mind! Well, actually, it’s the other way around. These water trails have been in existence since 1967 and have only improved along the years as the water quality improves.

Now, it is easier than ever to get out and paddle on the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area! We look forward to working alongside the DNR, helping expand our services and social mission.

Paddle Taxi – a social mission

Austin — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:11:43 +0000

Tonight is a reason to celebrate. We entered the MN Cup, which the 9th annual business plan competition in MN! With 6 different divisions, hundreds of applicants, the MN Cup’s thorough application process forced Paddle Taxi’s Crew to step up their game, streamline their business plan and pitch their mission to some big names.

Innovative medical device, animal health, biotech and health technology ideas.

Innovative ideas, technologies and products that strive to create solutions to society’s environmental issues.

Innovative products, services and solutions in manufacturing, recreation, education and all other ideas.

Innovative web 2.0, mobile, software and hardware ideas.

Innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems.

For full and part-time undergraduate and graduate students attending a college or university in Minnesota and who are between the ages of 19 and 30 and have less than 5 years of work experience.

They will be picking 10 finalists out of the 50 applications in our division. We think Paddle Taxi stands a very great chance to making a lasting impact in the division and among the people, however, it is becoming more clear that the MN Cup will have an even bigger impact on the working staff behind Paddle Taxi. This is going to be an exciting summer…

River Update: the good, bad and ugly

Austin — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:44:38 +0000

Ask Lark Weller, a community planner with the National Park Service’s Mississippi National River and Recreation area, the most common question she gets about the Mississippi River and her answer is quick. “Is it safe to swim in the river?” Trevor Russell, watershed program director with Friends of the Mississippi River chimes in with another one, “Is it safe to eat fish from the river?” After struggling for years with how to answer these and other questions posed by the public, the National Park Service and Friends of the Mississippi finally decided to collaborate on a recently released report titled State of the River: Water Quality and River Health in the Metro Mississippi River. – Keep reading…

National Park Service

Austin — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:56:39 +0000

Since 1916, the American people have entrusted the National Park Service with the care of their national parks. With the help of volunteers and park partners, we are proud to safeguard these nearly 400 places and to share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year. But our work doesn’t stop there.

We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close to home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun.

Taking care of the national parks and helping Americans take care of their communities is a job we love, and we need – and welcome – your help and support.

What We Do
National Park Service by the Numbers*

$48,000,000,000 incentivized in private historic preservation investment
11,700,000,000 visitors
$5,409,252,508 in preservation and outdoor recreation grants awarded
$2,750,000,000 annual budget
121,603,193 objects in museum collections
97,417,260 volunteer hours
84,000,000 acres of land
4,502,644 acres of oceans, lakes, reservoirs
2,482,104 volunteers
218,000 jobs supported in gateway communities
85,049 miles of perennial rivers and streams
68,561 archeological sites
43,162 miles of shoreline
28,000 employees
27,000 historic structures
2,461 national historic landmarks
582 national natural landmarks
400 endangered species
397 national parks
40 national heritage areas
1 mission: The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

*numbers are cumulative through the end of FY 2008

Our Employees
More than 20,000 strong, the uncommon men and women of the National Park Service share a common trait: a passion for caring for the nation’s special places and sharing their stories.

How We Are Organized
The National Park Service is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior and is led by a Director nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The Director is supported by senior executives who manage national programs, policy, and budget in the Washington, DC, headquarters and seven regional directors responsible for national park management and program implementation. Collectively, these executives make up our National Leadership Council.

NPS Organizational Chart (pdf- 106k)
Contact Washington Office
Contact Regional Offices
Contact Parks

Learn More

Quicklinks

Mississippi River Fund

Austin — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:54:44 +0000

The Mississippi River Fund’s mission is to strengthen the enduring connection between people and the Mississippi River and build community support for theMississippi National River and Recreation Area, a National Park.

The Mississippi River Fund has enabled the Park to lead stewardship and education activities throughout the corridor, from wildlife monitoring to shoreline restoration to formal education. There are many effective organizations in the community that are dedicated to specific facets of the Mississippi River. The National Park Service provides the leadership to bring these organizations together to meet the common goals of increasing and better coordinating stewardship, restoration and education programs on the Mississippi River. By providing significant support to the Park and its partners, the Mississippi River Fund boosts the activities of all organizations in the community–increasing community engagement in the Mississippi River watershed.

The Mississippi River Fund plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the National Park is preserved, protected and enhanced for the enjoyment and education of all. The Fund is a source of vital funding as well as a source of community connection, expertise, advocacy and inspiration for the Park. The Mississippi River Fund champions the Park and facilitates public / private partnerships that build community support for this national treasure.

Together, we have…

Restored more than 200 acres of river habitat at our most beloved sites like the Gorge and Indian Mounds Park
Planted 5,700 trees and 8,000 native plants
Engaged 2,000 volunteers and 3,000 volunteer hours
“Sworn in” more than 1,500 Junior Rangers to our National Park
Enabled 20,000 school children to go on the Big River Journey—many on full scholarship
Produced one park movie about our Mississippi River
Created a citizen bird monitoring program
Provided thousands of public programs with National Park Service Rangers!