Connecting Everyone to the Outdoors in Minnesota and the Northwoods!
With the many challenges facing our nation, communities in Minnesota and beyond are eager for solutions. YOU are part of the solution. Together, we are not just dreaming of a healthier, more equitable, more climateresilient future—we are actively building it.
As parents to young kids, we know how important it is to have great parks and outdoor spaces close to home. That is why we launched the Minnesota Community Schoolyards® program, working with five schools statewide to transform blighted schoolyards into naturerich spaces open to the community. That is why we created—in partnership with The Nature Conservancy— the Moon Valley Wildlife Management Area just 15 minutes from downtown Rochester, opening 420 acres of forested bluffs and miles of Zumbro River shoreline for all to fish, hike, hunt, and enjoy. That is why, this year, we will open the Keystone Woods Wildlife Management Area—one of the largest pieces of undeveloped land in single ownership in the Twin Cities Metro—where 10 years of dogged commitment enabled us to protect whole lakes, unique wetlands, and rolling grasslands as far as the eye can see.
Transformative projects like these are possible when public and private resources come together. That is why we’re focused on renewing critical conservation and
parks funding from the Minnesota Lottery on the ballot this November.
Connecting to the woods, waters, and prairies of our region is our way of life. Our team is building deep partnership with communities across our region to preserve the Minnesota and Northwoods you love and to close the outdoor equity gap—so that everyone can experience the benefits and joys of the outdoors. This year, we are proud to have advanced new projects with tribal and Indigenous partners to reconnect to their ancestral lands and honor native culture.
As TPL welcomes our new President and CEO, Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, and develops a new five-year strategy, our organization is continuing on a strong path. Carrie brings a wealth of experience in public policy, philanthropy, the outdoor industry, and community engagement, making her an ideal leader for TPL’s next chapter. Her leadership will be instrumental as we amplify our efforts to expand outdoor access through equity, health, climate, and community commitments.
TPL remains committed to our vision of a world where every person can connect with the outdoors. Thank you for your steadfast support and partnership as we connect everyone to the outdoors.
Sophie Harris Vorhoff, Minnesota & the Northwoods State Director
Julia Silvis, Minnesota Advisory Board Chair
Julia Silvis and Sophie Harris Vorhoff .
PHOTO BY CORY RYAN
Chippewa River, Rusk County, WI.
PHOTO BY JOHN SHEPARD
Connecting with Open Spaces
The bountiful forests, prairies, lakes, and waterways of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan provide a range of critical benefits, from clean air and water to recreation and jobs. Last year, TPL saved 6,076 acres of these iconic landscapes from development through seven land protection projects across the region.
Creating opportunities for everyone to enjoy this land is just as important as protecting it.
This spring, we partnered with the Minnesota Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) to debut a mentored hunting program for people of color. The program culminated with a three-day turkey hunt in the Yucatan Wildlife Management Area, which TPL helped protect.
One of the program leaders and mentors is Keng Yang, a member of the Minnesota BHA board. Keng learned to hunt from his father, a Hmong immigrant. “My dad and uncles brought with them their skills and knowledge of living off the land and applied them here in the United States,” he says. “If it wasn’t for wildlife management areas, we would have lost a part of our heritage and traditions. This knowledge isn’t written in books but is gained only through firsthand experience.”
ON THE TRAIL, FOR THE LONG HAUL
America’s longest National Scenic Trail, the North Country Trail, extends from North Dakota through the Northwoods and onward to Vermont. However, major segments of the trail currently lie along roads. We are pursuing opportunities in Wisconsin and Michigan to replace on-road segments with over 40 miles of scenic off-road trail and conserve roughly 12,500 acres of forest and watershed.
But land protection involves much more than just a purchase. For each new parcel along the trail, TPL Senior Project Manager Will Cooksey manages not only acquisition, but also due diligence, appraisal, boundary survey, environmental assessment, and title investigation. And each land deal represents the fruition of Will’s long-term relationship-building with landowners, communities, and partner organizations, including the National Park Service and the North Country Trail Association. These relationships enable TPL to conserve land as opportunities arise.
“TPL’s greatest strength is our stability, our longevity, and our reputation for closing deals for land protection and overcoming the hurdles and challenges along the way,” Will says. “Philanthropic support is a key ingredient in our staying power, allowing us to pursue long-term projects.”
TPL Senior Project Manager Will Cooksey hiking the North Country Trail. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
Mentored Hunt leader Keng Yang. PHOTO BY HANSI JOHNSON
NORTH DAKOTA
a wi gin g C h ar ter Sc h oo l. Th e s c h ool ya rd w ill p rov ide o utd oor s p ac es th at su pp ort th e c u rric u lum ' s foc u s on O jib we la n gu a ge, cu ltu re, a n d r est ora tive j us tic e Des ig n i dea s in cl ud e edi ble a n d m ed ic in a l ga rd en s a n d s pa c es for ar ch er y, bo w an d arrow p rep a rat ion , an d tan n in g an im a l h id es
Endazhi -Ni taawi ging Ch art er School
She ep Ranch
MINNESOT A
St an ch fie ld Cree k
Two Inlet s at Bde He hakaOmash kooz Zaaga'igaans
Two Inlet s at Bde He hakaOmash kooz Zaaga'igaans - Phase II
Keyst one Woods WMA
Brooklyn Cen te r Eleme nt ary ST EAM FAI R School Crystal
Horsesh oe Lake WMA
Moon V alley WMA
A Sc ho olya r d a nd T wo W M As Ro c he ste r, M N
Max fie ld Ele me ntary
SOUT H DAKOTA IOWA
Th e Fra n klin E lem en ta ry C o m m un ity Sc ho oly a rd w ill g ive 2, 46 1 c ity re sid en ts a vib ra n t g ree n s pa c e a nd ga rde n wit hi n a 1 0 -m in ute wa lk o f h om e. O n th e ea st sid e o f tow n , we a re a c qu iri ng 40 a c res to jo in tw o se pa ra te u n its o f th e Gor don W Ye ag er W ild life M a na ge m en t Ar ea (W M A) , cr eat in g a 4 0 0 -ac r e c on tig uo us b loc k o f pro tec ted h a bit at an d in c rea s in g ac c es s to rec re ati on In 20 2 3 , we h elp ed ac qu ire a n d es ta bl ish th e 4 2 0-a c re M o on Va ll ey W M A 1 5 mi nu tes n or th of dow n tow n .
Keyst one Woods WMA Phase I I
WISCONSI N
Je fferson Elem ent ary
Medford W MA
Ye age r WMA A ddit ion Lake Supe ri or F alls
Fran kli n Ele me ntary
Since 1986 , Tru st f or P ub lic Land has p ro te cte d m or e than 275 sp ec ial place s enco m pas s ing alm os t 250, 000 acre s i n Minne s ota, Wis cons in, and M ichig an. In t he p ast ye ar alo ne , we p re s e rved 6,07 6 acre s. Ou r pr oje ct s in the se state s ha ve c onne cte d hu ndre d s of tho us ands o f pe o ple to the o ut do or s.
Nor t h Co un t ry Na ti on a l Scen ic Tr a il M I a nd W I Nea rly h a lf of th e North C ou n try Na tio n al Sc en i c Tr ail 2, 25 4 m il es win d s th rou gh M i nn es ot a, W isc o ns in , an d M ic hi ga n . F or a lm os t 50 0 m i les , hi kers m u st w al k a lon g roa dw a ys . T PL a n d p ar tn ers , in c lud in g th e Na tio n al P ar k Servic e an d th e Nor th C oun tr y Tr ail As so c iat ion , a re wo rkin g on la nd pro tec tio n p roje ct s th a t w ill en a b le onroa d s egm en ts to be re rou ted to n ew off -roa d tr ai ls a t La ke Sup eri or F all s, t he U pp er Pen in s ul a Tra ver se, an d M un is in g B ay .
Munis ing Bay
Trust for Publi c L an d
FY24 complet ed proj ec t
Curren t land prot ecti on proj ect
Curren t schoolya rd proj ec t
Ot her complet ed project
Nort h C ountry Na tion al Scen ic Tra i l
Na ti ona l Pa rk Servi ce la nd
Other governm en t-owned or pr otected l an d
Tri ba l l an d
Ke yst on e W oo ds W M A Twi n Ci ties M etr o A rea , M N In 2 02 3 , we pu rc h a sed o ne of th e la rges t un de velop ed tra ct s of l an d i n th e Tw in C itie s, e nc o m pa ss in g 1 ,8 3 4 ac res of w ood la n ds , gra s sla n ds , w etla n ds , a nd l ake s a ll on c e pa rt of a s in gle c att le ra n c h . Key sto n e Wo od s w ill pro vide 3.5 m illi on res ide nt s liv in g in th e Tw in Ci ties wit h ac c es s to ou tdo or r ec rea tio n We a re n ow r em ovi ng dila p ida ted bu ild in gs an d r est orin g p ra iri e as we pre pa re th e pro pe rty fo r per m an en t s tew ard s hi p by t he M in ne so ta Dep ar tm en t of Na tur al R eso urc es .
Connecting with Schoolyards
Across the country, too many children are growing up without access to the outdoors. More than 100 million people, including 28 million kids, do not have a park within a 10-minute walk of home. Neighborhoods with a majority of residents of color typically have much less park space per person than predominantly white neighborhoods.
Our Community Schoolyards® program provides a uniquely strategic solution to this “park equity gap.” Nationally, TPL has already transformed over 300 underutilized schoolyards into vibrant green parks with inspiring nature play and outdoor learning spaces for students. After school hours, these Community Schoolyards open to the whole community—creating more resilient, climate-smart neighborhoods.
In August 2023, we launched the Minnesota Community Schoolyards program with an initial cohort of five schools: Brooklyn Center Elementary STEAM in Brooklyn Center, Maxfield Elementary School in St. Paul, Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School in Red Lake, Franklin Elementary School in Rochester, and FAIR School in Crystal.
We selected this cohort through a data-driven process that assessed schools across the state through equity, health, and climate lenses to identify those with the highest need and potential for the greatest impact. Meanwhile, we completed a proof-of-concept project at Jefferson Elementary in Faribault and inaugurated its improved, nature-rich schoolyard in fall 2023.
MINNESOTA
COMMUNITY SCHOOLYARDS BY THE NUMBERS
5
2,356 schools in our first cohort STUDENTS ATTEND THE SCHOOLS
16,551 residents live within a 10-minute walk
Each school embarked on an extensive participatory design process. Students, teachers, and community members have played a leading role in identifying priority features and developing a vision for their schoolyard. Next, TPL will engage design and construction firms to turn each community’s unique vision into reality. Our goal is to substantively complete all five schoolyards by 2026.
Zoroba Ross, principal of FAIR School in Crystal, says: “Working with TPL is an incredible opportunity to create a community schoolyard that will enhance STEAM learning, foster problem-solving skills, help to increase academic achievement, and promote health and wellness.”
$4 MILLION TO GO
We need your help to complete our pilot Community Schoolyards! Our goal is to raise $6 million; so far, we have received $2.1 million in public and private contributions, including a $1.68 million grant from the State of Minnesota Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
PHOTO BY CORY RYAN
Connecting with Tribal and Indigenous Lands
Tribal and Indigenous communities have deep and abiding relationships with their traditional homelands, where they farmed, fished, hunted, and gathered edible, medicinal, and ceremonial plants. Contact with these places is essential to Indigenous culture, sovereignty, and history—and to the physical and spiritual well-being of tribal communities.
TPL’s national Tribal and Indigenous Lands Initiative seeks to return access, stewardship, and ownership of important lands to Native communities and to advance their language and culture. Our Minnesota office has a rich history of tribal partnerships, and we are bringing renewed energy to working with partners to protect land and create parks and Community Schoolyards.
Sherburne County, southeast of St. Cloud, is the site of our most recent project to protect tribal land. For thousands of years, Ojibwe and Dakota peoples gathered and held ceremonies at what is known today as Two Inlets at Bdé Heh áka–Omashkooz Zaaga’igaans Regional Park. Two years ago, through a land purchase, we helped protect these 430 acres of biodiverse prairie, forest, wetland, and lake shoreline. We are continuing to expand the park by purchasing a critical addition.
In conjunction with Sherburne County, we are working with tribal historic preservation officers from the Upper Sioux Community, the Lower Sioux Indian Community, and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe to preserve their
The new Community Schoolyard at Endazhi-Nitaawiging will be more than just a place to play— it will be an outdoor classroom where students can deeply connect with Ojibwe traditions and the natural world around them for generations to come.”
Sylvia Fred, Co-Founder and Head of School
ancestors’ burial mounds. We are prioritizing their input in the development, interpretation, and use of this parkland, respecting and honoring their perspectives and wisdom. We are also supporting the tribes in collecting oral histories and documenting the past of this sacred place to apply for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
OJIBWE CULTURE IN THE SCHOOLYARD
At the Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School in northern Minnesota, we are helping the Red Lake Nation create a Community Schoolyard that will support a curriculum grounded in Ojibwe language, culture, and connection to the natural world. The schoolyard will also serve as a park for the broader Red Lake community after school hours and on weekends.
Through our signature participatory design process, students, teachers, and members of the Red Lake Nation have proposed distinctive design ideas inspired by Ojibwe culture, including gardens of edible and medicinal native plants, an outdoor kitchen, and spaces for archery, bow and arrow preparation, and tanning animal hides.
Two Inlets at Bdé He h áka – Omashkooz Zaaga’igaans Regional Park, Sherburne County, MN. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
MINNESOTA ADVISORY BOARD
Julia Silvis* (Chair ), GREATER MSP:
Minneapolis Saint Paul Regional Economic Partnership
Susan Haigh* (Vice Chair), retired, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Cheryl Appeldorn*, Conservation Minnesota
Andrew Brown*, retired, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Toni Carter, retired, Ramsey County Commissioner
Page Knudsen Cowles, Knudsen Vineyards
Paul Durkee , retired, Antea Group
Paul Fate , PFate & Associates LLC
Peter Gove , retired, St. Jude Medical, Inc.
Shubha Harris , Fresh Energy
John Herman , Herman Real Estate Advisors LLC
Doug Kelley, Kelley, Wolter & Scott, P.A.
Steve King , Landscape Structures, Inc.
Sungduck Lee , University of Minnesota –Twin Cities
Mary Merrill , retired, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
Steven Meyer *, retired, Fox Rothschild LLP
Andrew Rosen , National Ataxia Foundation
John Shepard , Hamline University and Cascade Communications, Inc.
* Denotes Executive Committee
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
There are so many ways you can make an impact by supporting TPL’s work in Minnesota and the Northwoods!
Land Protection Initiative: Your gift can safeguard priority lands in the face of increasing threats to fragile and essential landscapes.
Community Schoolyards Initiative: Donate today to create schoolyards that strengthen communities, improve health and education outcomes, and provide nature-based climate solutions.
Tribal and Indigenous Lands Initiative: Help tribal and Indigenous communities reconnect with ancestral lands and maintain their culture, sovereignty, and traditions.
General Support: Make a gift to increase climate resilience, close the park equity gap, and connect everyone to the outdoors in Minnesota and the Northwoods and beyond.
Planned Giving: Create an even bigger impact by giving through your will, trust, charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, beneficiary designation, or appreciated assets. Make your legacy one of hope, humanity, and love of nature—for generations to come.
THANK YOU
for helping improve the health, equity, and climate outcomes for communities in Minnesota and the Northwoods and beyond.
A SPECIAL THANK
YOU TO OUR LONGTIME FUNDING PARTNERS
Sara Shaw Meyer
Minnesota Director of Philanthropy 651.583.5339 sara.meyer@tpl.org
Join us
Help ensure everyone has access to the outdoors. Every park we create, schoolyard we transform, trail we extend, and landscape we protect is thanks to supporters like you. tpl.org/donate/mn
2610 University Avenue Suite 300 St. Paul, MN 55114 651.760.0179 minnesota@tpl.org