Partnership Preserves 460 Acres of Forest, Prairie and Wetland Habitat
It’s a 54-year-old gift that keeps on giving. Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center, located on Grindstone Lake in Sandstone, Minn., started its life as a 535-acre gift from Marguerite Schwyzer in 1968. On January 25, 2022, Osprey Wilds and the Minnesota Land Trust completed a conservation easement that now protects 460 acres of that land in perpetuity.
Acquired with funding from the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Funds, this easement preserves shoreline, forests, prairies, wetlands and wildlife habitats, providing a stable venue for Osprey Wilds’ visitors to discover nature and forge lasting commitments to the land.
Learn more about this exciting collaboration by viewing the full press release: Minnesota Land Trust and Osprey Wilds ELC permanently protect Grindstone Lake shoreline and woods [PDF].
Osprey Wilds ELC Photo Gallery
The Grindstone Lake permanent conservation easement was made possible thanks to the members of the Minnesota Land Trust and with funding from the Outdoor Heritage Fund St. Croix Watershed Habitat Protection and Restoration Phase 1 and St. Croix Watershed Habitat Protection and Restoration Phase 2 grants, as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature and recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council (LSOHC).
