McCollum Joins Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in St. Paul
Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) joined Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell for two stops in St. Paul on Friday as part of the Secretary's National Park Service Centennial tour.
At their first stop, Congresswoman McCollum, Secretary Jewell — along with Congressman Keith Ellison (DFL-Minn.), St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman (DFL-Minn.) and other dignitaries — canoed on the Mississippi River as part of a joint project with the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Wilderness Inquiry, and Outdoor Afro, an organization that connect urban, African-American youth to nature.
"It was a beautiful day to canoe with our community's young people on our very own Mississippi with Secretary Jewell," Congresswoman McCollum said. "I appreciated the work of MNRRA staff, Wilderness Inquiry, and Outdoor Afro to make this canoe trip possible."
After the canoe trip, Congresswoman McCollum and Secretary Jewell joined youth participants in Outdoor Afro for a conversation with National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts aboard the International Space Station about space, nature, and science. Video from the conversation with the astronauts is available here.
"A highlight of U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell's visit to St. Paul was the opportunity to join young people participating inOutdoor Afro and NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station in an exciting conversation about our National Parks and the view of them from space," Congresswoman McCollum said.