Sister Rivers, Sister Museums

The U.S. NGO “Riverkeepers of the Red River of the North” www.riverkeepers.org from North Dakota and Eco-TIRAS initiated the one-year-duration project on collaboration of two natural history museums – of the Rodger Ehnstrom Nature Center from Wahpeton, ND, and the City Museum of Bendery, Trasdniester region, Moldova. Both museums belong to the rivers and significant part of their activities is dedicated to promotion of rivers’ values. The project is supported by “Museums Community Collaboration Abroad” (MCCA)  http://www.aam-us.org/mcca  U.S. governmental initiative.
Located at the entrance of the Chahinkapa Zoo http://www.chahinkapazoo.com  , the Roger Ehnstrom Nature Center features five televisions with more than 30 wildlife videos, an insect exhibit, a rock exhibit, big game mounts and four live animal displays. The Chahinkapa Zoo is an accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
Both countries have transboundary nature. The Red River flows through several urban areas along its path including Fargo-Moorhead and Greater Grand Forks in the United States and Winnipeg in Canada. The Red is about 885 km long, of which about 635 km are in the United States and about 255 km are in Canada. The river falls 70 metres on its trip to Lake Winnipeg where it spreads into the vast deltaic wetland.
The project will help museum people to visit one others to exchange with experience, to strengthen capacities and to attract stakeholders to the work for the rivers. Exchange of groups, developing of websites and build sustainable cooperation.

Being is U.S., Eco-TIRAS headquarters plan to sign the agreement with their American counterpart to declare the Dniester and the Red River of the North the Sister Rivers to improve cooperation for promotion of IRBM in their basins.