New! Minnesota Wildlife Trading Cards
From loons, to walleye, fishers, and even skinks, Minnesota is home to a wide array of wildlife that need clean water and healthy habitat. Scroll down to find info, resources, and wildlife planting templates you can use.
New in 2026, we’ll be handing out Wildlife Trading Cards at workshops and community events. Collect a full set of lake (10), prairie (8), or woodland (8) wildlife cards and you could win a fun conservation-themed prize!
Got a full set? Contact angie.hong@mnwcd.org or bheitkamp@mnwcd.org to claim your prize.
Sponsored by the East Metro Water Education Program & Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership.
Lake wildlife
Common loon (Loon-friendly shoreline design)
Green heron
Walleye
Smallmouth bass
Painted turtle
Chorus frog
Monarch butterfly (Low growing sunny butterfly garden)
Green darner dragonfly
Northern long-eared bat (Bat moon garden design)
River otter
Fish & loons need shoreline habitat
Minnesota has lost 40-50% of its natural shorelines over the past 100 years, and continues to lose shoreline habitat at a rate of 1-2% per decade. As a result, biologists are observing less diversity in wildlife, fewer aquatic invertebrates, and fewer, smaller fish, even in lakes with relatively “good” water quality.
Own a cabin or lake home?
Take the “Score Your Shore” quiz
Find local help, grants, and expert advice
Contact your county’s Soil and Water Conservation District to request a site visit, learn about local grants, and get advice on improving your shoreline to support wildlife and clean water:
You can also find local support and shoreline resources at lsc1w1p.org/shorelines.
Prairie wildlife
Bobolink
Eastern bluebird
Prairie skink
Smooth green snake
Black swallowtail
Rusty patched bumblebee (Rusty patched landscape)
Bison
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel
Put down roots in the prairie
Prairies and native grasslands once covered one-third of Minnesota but today, less than 2% of that original habitat remains.
Unlike turfgrass and annual crops, prairie plants have sprawling root systems that reach as far as fifteen feet deep. These flowers and grasses can withstand the ravishes of nature, find water in the midst of drought, retain life during the most frigid winters, and even survive fire.
Rebuilding lost habitat connections, one yard at a time
If you have large acreage, your county’s Soil and Water Conservation District can help you to convert turf or row crops back to native grasslands. Even if you have a small suburban lot, however, planting native gardens will help to improve habitat connectivity for birds, bees, and butterflies.
Find local help, grants, and expert advice
Contact your county’s SWCD to get advice on restoring native grasslands to support wildlife and clean water.
For smaller garden projects, Blue Thumb - Planting for Clean Water offers a wealth of resources, including garden designs and a plant selector tool: www.BlueThumb.org.
woodland wildlife
Red-headed woodpecker
Barred owl
Gray treefrog
Red-backed salamander
Luna moth
Walking stick
Fisher
Porcupine
Healthy forests = clean water and plentiful wildlife
The St. Croix watershed includes more than 2.75 million acres of forest. Keeping those forests healthy is essential to ensuring healthy rivers, streams, and lakes. Healthy forests are critical for wildlife and also help to support tourism, recreation, and quality of life.
Is a Woodland Stewardship Plan right for you?
If you have more than 20 acres of woods or forest, you can get help from a certified professional to develop a woodland stewardship plan. Landowners with approved plans may be eligible for property tax discounts or yearly incentive payments. Plans can also guide you in supporting wildlife and help you to address common challenges like tree diseases and invasive species.
Find local help, grants, and expert advice
Contact your county’s SWCD to request a site visit, learn about grants, find woodland stewardship plan writers, or get advice about improving your woods to support wildlife and clean water.
In the St. Croix region, you can also find support and resources at My St. Croix Woods: www.mystcroixwoods.org