Bloomington: Parks and Gardens

The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a 14,000 acre of National Wildlife Refuge situated in central Minnesota. There are over eight refuge units which are strung along thirty four miles of the Minnesota River. This is also one of the only four American national wildlife refuges in an urban area. Here, at the refuge, there are events, education programs, wildlife and habitat management efforts and also volunteer opportunities for all. The mission of the refuge is to restore and to manage the ecological communities of the Lower Minnesota River Valley along with its water shed.