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Natural resources staff outline 2024 results and expand Resilient Minnetonka supports
Summary
Natural resources staff reported volunteer growth, pollinator work and plans to expand Resilient Minnetonka rebates and installation assistance; staff said applications open April 1 and emphasized simpler forms and one-on-one consultations.
Christine Peterson, the city's natural resources engagement coordinator, told the Minnetonka Park Board that the division's outreach and engagement work in 2024 focused on volunteerism, pollinator awareness and community resilience.
Peterson said the division logged 468 volunteer participants and 4,675 service hours in 2024, a 17% increase over 2023. She described a mix of intergenerational volunteer events (high-school natural-resources clubs working with senior bird-club members, elementary service-learning projects) and corporate and civic groups that help maintain and restore park habitat.
On pollinators, Peterson said Minnetonka has been implementing the National Wildlife Federation's mayor's monarch pledge since 2017 and has completed the pledge's 29 action steps, putting the city at the program's "champion" level and integrating pollinator plantings into restoration work.
Peterson also outlined Resilient Minnetonka, a technical-assistance and incentive program that offers native plant sales, site consultations and rebates. She said the native plant sale discount has increased from about $35 to $50 and that 96 residents used that sale last year; 102 households applied for site consultation and the program served roughly 200 people. "The application period begins on April 1," Peterson said, and she described the service as a one-on-one process: "When someone applies, I respond to them directly based on the application they filled out."
Peterson acknowledged rebate uptake has been uneven: staff set aside funds to provide site consultations for up to 50 households but received only four rebate applications in the initial offering. To address barriers, staff will simplify the plant-material rebate paperwork and add a new installation rebate to help residents implement designs that can cost several thousand dollars.
On tracking and evaluation, Peterson said staff keep the same core metrics year to year and use an online volunteer-tracking system and participant surveys to identify trends and adjust programs.
Board members praised the presentation and suggested additional outreach to youth and community events. Peterson said staff plan to expand community-science opportunities (for example, monarch monitoring) and to coordinate with local schools and events such as National Night Out.
The board did not take formal action on the report; Peterson said more detail is available in the published 2024 natural resources annual report on the city website.
