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 »
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 »
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 »
To know the prairie is to love the prairie and at the 2019 Tallgrass Prairie BioBlitz on Saturday, June 22nd, 150 people from across the state got to know one of the largest prairie reserves in Minnesota a lot better. “We wanted people to learn more about the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, that it’s right HERE
“It’s right HERE” — Getting to know the Tallgrass Prairie at the 2019 BioBlitz 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!
