Big problems require a champion, someone with a specific mix of skills, connections, and vision, who can systematically and patiently work a process and stay connected to the larger purpose to bring the vision into reality. In 2019, Interstate Island and its Common Tern colony needed a champion. The 6-acre dredge spoil island in the [...]
Mark Norquist and Ronnell Lyn. (Photo: Hansi Johnson) A critical part of the mission at Minnesota Land Trust is helping people who may experience barriers to access build connections with nature to deepen their appreciation for natural spaces and ultimately instill a conservation ethos. With this mission in mind, Minnesota Land Trust launched a new [...]
Situated in Morrison County, Minnesota, within the Minnesota Land Trust’s Rum River & St. Croix River conservation program area approximately 15 miles from Mille Lacs Lake, this 552-acre protected property features rolling terrain with a mix of grasslands, forest, and wetlands. In addition to the bison herd that grazes on various herbaceous grasses and forbs [...]
Goats are known for all kinds of antics, including “yelling,” “fainting,” and of course climbing into everything from delivery trucks to trees. In southeastern Minnesota, on a Winona County property protected by a Minnesota Land Trust conservation easement, these functionally majestic animals are being leveraged for another one of their innate talents – the ability to destroy everything of a certain size in their path. In this case, they’re helping property [...]
by volunteer journalist Genna Souffle In the rugged landscape of northeastern Minnesota, a diverse range of habitats converge in one of the most popular recreational destinations in the state. Rocky shoreline, highlands, streams, and spruce bogs provide habitat for a multitude of species. Dick Haney, a native of Duluth and landowner in the area, has [...]