Growth and change at William O’Brien State Park

By 1947, there were 30 state parks in Minnesota but none located close to the Twin Cities area. That’s when Alice O’Brien stepped up to donate 180 acres of land near Marine on St. Croix, which formed the seed for a new park to grow.

Read More

Beating the winter doldrums – events and activities to keep you moving

Winter is a great time for star gazing, full moon hikes, skiing and snowshoeing, and winter festivals.

Read More

Mysterious creatures of the St. Croix River

Bryozoans are just one of the many strange and unique animals that call the St. Croix River home.

Read More

3 Moms + 3 Boys + 1,000,000 Mosquitoes: A Boundary Waters Adventure

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) encompasses more than one million acres of forest, 1175 lakes, and 1200 miles of canoe routes in northeastern Minnesota.

Read More

Touring Wakáŋ Tipi at Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary – Same View, New Perspective

“We’ve never lost our connection to this space but it’s important to bring native people back here and have them making decisions on how the land in managed,” says Keeli Siyaka, Environmental Justice Educator at the Lower Phalen Creek Project.

Read More

Frozen fish and salty toes

One growing concern for urban lakes and streams is pollution from winter road salt. Currently, there are 50 lakes and streams in Minnesota that are listed as impaired due to elevated chlorides and another 75 that are “nearly” impaired.

Read More

Getting older shouldn’t mean staying indoors

Randy Thoreson, a retired National Park Service employee, has traveled the country advocating for new programs to help get seniors outdoors in nature.

Read More