In 2018, Mary Hammes (previously the Environmental Stewardship & Volunteer Manager, Mississippi Park Connection) initiated the MNRRA Urban Affiliate ASCC project through a partnership with Leslie Brandt (previously a Climate Change Specialist, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, USDA Forest Service) with funds from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Climate Adaptation Fund and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The funding and the initial planning process for the core team included Mary Hammes, Leslie Brandt, Marcella Windmuller-Campione, Rebecca Montgomery, and the ASCC Core Team. Additionally, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation staff (Maggie Barnick, Emily Dunlap, and Adam Robbins) and Auste Eigirdas with MPC played key roles in identifying locations for the treatments and working logistics at all stages of the initial planting. MPC is the MOU holder with the City of Saint Paul.

The workshop was hosted in March of 2019 and included these key partners: Dakota County Parks. Friends of the Mississippi River, Great River Passage, Macalester College, Minnesota GreenCorps, National Park Service (NPS), Prairie Island Indian Community, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation (SPPR), Three Rivers Park District, United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and The United States Geological Survey (USGS). 

The MNRRA Urban Affiliate ASCC site was installed in May of 2020 during the pandemic and civil unrest within the Twin Cities; our installation began with volunteers one day after the murder of George Floyd. Hundreds of volunteers came together with MPC and UMN staff and researchers to plant approximately 1,200 3-5 foot tall saplings and install 8 ft tall fencing across 24 – 1/10th acre plots. The team measured height, diameter, and condition in June 2020, followed by condition measurements in July, and final growing season measurements in October. Additional details can be found in the video titled “Plant for the Future” highlights the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) Affiliate Urban ASCC site. Led by the Mississippi Park Connection, the video highlights the climate challenges the floodplain ash-elm urban forest is facing, and how the ASCC trial site at Crosby Farm Regional Park is an opportunity to explore climate adaptation solutions while planting for the future; and during a global pandemic!