Happening

Our Community Stewards program, in partnership with AmeriCorps, brings Minnesotans together to learn about and solve conservation problems within their community. Today, we have offices in Duluth, Bemidji, Moorhead, Saint Cloud, Rochester, and Winona. Learn about the impact our Stewards are making on local communities.

July is Disability Pride Month in Minnesota. The Minnesota DNR and nonprofits that help protect the Great Outdoors are working to make Minnesota's outdoor spaces accessible for all.

On May 1st, 2024, Conservation Minnesota and GreenStep Cites & Tribal Nations hosted the 7th Environment Commissions Conference. Commissioners joined us at Burnsville’s Terrace Oaks Park for a tour of their oak savanna restoration project.

Winter is upon us, but our Conservation Crews are not hibernating—they’re hard at work. Crews at 32 middle schools across the state are working to finalize their project ideas and get down to business. 

As we kick off the celebration of Conservation Minnesota’s 20th Anniversary, this edition of our newsletter gives a “peek under the hood” of how we make change happen. Luckily, the fuels that power this engine are all renewable: trust, community, and partnership.

In recognition of local governments’ work to protect the Great Outdoors, we launched the Blazing Star Award in 2022. Learn about the 2023 winners!

Entering the 3rd year of our youth program, Conservation Crew, we've had some great results! Read about our program evaluation results from last school year and what we're looking forward to this school year.

We're celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day by highlighting a 2023 law that returns the Upper Sioux Agency State Park, a culturally significant site in Southwest Minnesota, to the Upper Sioux Community. Read more about the bill and the history behind this decision.

Each August, farm families and agriculture leaders descend on 50 acres of farmland in Southeastern Minnesota’s Redwood County for Farmfest. Conservation Minnesota hosted our very first booth at Farmfest this year, where we engaged with attendees about climate-smart agriculture funding that was significantly increased in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Our first term with Community Stewards based in Moorhead, Bemidji, and Winona ends this month. Over their 7-month term, Stewards reached over 800 people and hosted over 30 events. Our Stewards led educational and service projects, working with local citizens to help mitigate the impacts of climate change and improve conservation.