Stretching across 6 counties and 1,960 square miles, the Minnesota Land Trust’s Mississippi Headwaters program area contains the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca and over 1,000 separate lakes. Protecting the water quality of the Mississippi River as it stretches for over 2,350 miles starts at the headwaters, and the Minnesota Land Trust has a goal of protecting an additional 5,000 acres in the headwaters by 2027 as part of our 10-year Conservation Agenda.
The area boasts an impressive array of wildlife and plants, and two in particular—wild rice and tullibee fish—are important bellwethers of water quality in the lakes that make up the watershed. This is also one of the most important areas in our state for red-shouldered hawks, and habitat for red-necked grebe, wolf, loons, and trumpeter swans.
When E.O. Olson donated the land near Longville that would become YMCA Camp Olson in 1954, he inscribed these words on the dedication plaque: “One man may not live to see his dreams come true, but his institutions carry on. We hope the Young Man’s Christian Association will preserve in this camp a paradise [...]
Since she was a baby, Lynn Schwartz has spent summers at the family cabin on Wabedo Lake. Originally built by her dad in 1951, the cabin became a gathering place and a way for new family members to connect to the outdoors. “My dad bought the land when they were newly married, before they even [...]
As development has increased around Minnesota’s lakes, protecting what undisturbed shoreline remains is vital for ensuring water quality. Fortunately, conservation-minded individuals like Donald Hunke have stepped up around the region to protect the lands and waters we all rely on. Recently Hunke worked with the Minnesota Land Trust to preserve his unique forested property near [...]
Minnesota’s Mississippi Headwaters area has seen a popular resurgence in recent years, as Minnesotans have rediscovered the natural beauty and recreation opportunities in the area. This explosive growth however has had its downsides, particularly as other land uses such as potato farming have simultaneously increased in the area. These development and land use pressures have [...]
Gary and Sandy Roerick have seen first hand the impact people can have on a landscape, first through Gary’s decades at the US Forest Service, and then as the stewards of a unique 80 acre piece of land in Hubbard County. Having managed and restored their land over the past 20 years, the Roerick’s recently [...]
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