Fort Snelling State Park may be very large in size as it spreads across 2,391 acres. However, the same cannot be said for the size of the aquatic species that reside within the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers along with the Snelling Lake located within the park. The park is located here just in our backyards in Minnesota off the Snelling Lake Road in Saint Paul. My name is Miranda Steffen and I would like to share with you some information regarding the Fort Snelling State Park and some of the aquatic species which live there. It is as important as ever to take into consideration how aquatic species in the Fort Snelling State Park are impacted. Being exposed to this kind of information for the first time is awakening to the truth and can be very eye-opening which may spark change. The park does not just start and end with only the land which is why it is necessary to take into account how aquatic life are extensions of the land. The interconnection of water should also be considered within this same idea as it plays a crucial role in the health and well-being of aquatic species. Public participation through funding of state parks and creating new policies for the state will hopefully make a difference in the lives of the aquatic species that reside here. In addition, with Friends of the Mississippi policies have already begun to make people recognize how our decisions are related to impacting aquatic life. Come along with me as we take this journey through “the center of the earth” as it is referenced by the Mdewakanton Dakota people who originally inhabited this land.