Two St. Paul parks nonprofits merge

Two of Saint Paul’s leading park nonprofits – the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy and the Great River Passage Conservancy – merged on Jan. 1, 2026 and will operate under the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy name

The Saint Paul Parks Conservancy, founded in 2008, has raised nearly $5 million for neighborhood park projects that bring people together and expand outdoor access across the city.

Since 2018, the Great River Passage Conservancy has helped people experience Saint Paul’s 17 miles of the Mississippi River in new and more accessible ways, turning community input from the 2012 Great River Passage Master Plan into real-world projects and programming. The Great River Passage will continue as an initiative within the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy.

With 184 parks citywide and 99% of residents living within a 10-minute walk of one, nature is an everyday part of life in Saint Paul. Nearly half of the city’s parkland lines the Mississippi River. The merged Conservancy will operate under a unified board of directors, led by President and Chief Parks Champion Michael-jon Pease. Jodi Massey, currently interim executive director of the Great River Passage Conservancy, will serve as director.