As we gear up for comments on whether or not burning biomass is “carbon free” at the Public Utilities Commission (news flash: it’s not), it’s important to lay out how CURE has mindfully started working at the nexus of climate and public lands. We know that properly managing natural and working lands is key to […]
Summer is heating up, and so is CURE’s work! We don’t want you to miss out on updates about these issues critical to our rural Minnesota communities and the places we love across the state. Of course, we can’t do this work without the support of members like you. CO2 pipelines At the Minnesota Public
Sizzling & Speaking up! Read More »
Contributed by Peg Furshong, CURE’s Director of Programs Having grown up in the mountains of Western Montana, a place where you would expect to see all sorts of wildlife, I continue to be amazed at the numbers of bald eagles that reside in the Upper Minnesota River Valley. I commute about 40 miles to work
Guardians of the Minnesota River Valley Read More »
On October 4, 2021, the Minnesota Court of Appeals delivered a significant win for public waters across the state as well as Renville County’s last free-flowing stream, ruling that environmental review of a ditch proposal to channelize Limbo Creek is required because Limbo Creek is a “public water” entitled to protection. The precedential opinion extends
Minnesota Appeals Court Rules Limbo Creek a Public Water Read More »
Drilling fluid spill in the Mississippi River. Photo by Nancy Beaulieu Who is watching out for our public waters? Who is holding Enbridge accountable? As of August 10, 2021, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) reports that 63% of northern Minnesota’s horizontal directional drilling locations have polluted our public waters. In a public statement, MPCA
Eyes on Line 3 and Enbridge Read More »
by Troy Goodnough While billionaires are blasting off into outer space to find ways to appreciate Mother Earth and see it from a new perspective — organizations, like CURE are closer to the ground and down-to-earth. On Saturday, July 17, CURE, Land Stewardship Project, and Minnesota Master Naturalists hosted a Tallgrass Prairie BioBlitz at the
Minnesota Freshwater Mussels at the 2021 BioBlitz! Read More »
CURE along with the Office of Sustainability at the University of Minnesota, Morris, and Stevens County Soil & Water Conservation District in cooperation with the Land Stewardship Project as part of our work as a We Are Water West Central Minnesota team — are hosting webinar series. Our shared goal is to amplify the stories
Sharing Stories: Growing Relationships with the Land — Webinar Series Read More »
What concerns do you have about water quality in Minnesota? Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is in a triennial review of these standards and they are seeking your input! Comments can be sent by email to [email protected]. From the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: The MPCA is conducting a triennial standards review (TSR) to hear from
What Minnesota water quality standards need changes or additions? Read More »
My thirteen-year-old daughter is not a fan of rising early on the weekend. Still, this particular Saturday in early October, she woke and declared, “Mom, it is going to be a great day!” Her excitement was that we were headed out to the Pomme de Terre River just south of Morris to meet up with
Elktoe Mussels in the Pomme de Terre River Read More »
Our sixth annual freshwater mussel field day was with MN DNR malacologist, Bernard Sietman. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone as passionate and knowledgeable about mussels as this transplanted Missourian. Since 2002, he has worked across Minnesota surveying mussels. One of the more exciting aspects of his job is the potential discovery of a
Freshwater Mussel Field Day 2020 Read More »
Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.
Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the Minnesota Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, whether this is canning local produce, making kombucha, or other treats!
