Every year, CURE’s River History Weekend brings members and friends together to connect with Minnesota’s great outdoors. This year CURE collaborated with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other organizations to promote the Minnesota River Public Paddle.
CURE Joins 100 Paddlers on Minnesota River for its 2015 River History Weekend Read More »
Many have been watching the controversy unfolding around the Clean Water Rule. This straightforward rule-making process intended to clarify and streamline clean water protections was immediately blown out of proportion by special interests. Now, after taking into consideration the more than one million comments it received, the EPA has finalized a Clean Water Rule and
Take Action: I am rural, and I support clean water Read More »
The CURE Events & Adventures Program is all about connecting people with the outdoors and this spring we partnered with the Minnesota Master Naturalist program and hosted our first Prairie & Potholes Biome training.
What do you get when curiosity of nature meets passion for the outdoors? Read More »
The 2015 legislative session was a disaster for those passionate about clean water, clean air, and renewable energy in greater Minnesota. While CURE focused on increasing both the renewable energy standard & the energy efficiency standard through the Minnesota Clean Energy and Jobs Campaign, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a complete repeal of the state’s
Governor Dayton’s Clean Energy Leadership Read More »
Conservationists keeping an eye on the 2015 Minnesota Legislative Session witnessed an ugly series of train wrecks as environmental safeguard after environmental safeguard came under attack. This was particularly difficult for out-state conservationists, as they watched their elected officials make one bad policy move after another.
2015 End of Session Update: Dayton continues to be a water champion Read More »
If you are trying to get your kids out of the house and away from the television, the Minnesota state parks and trails have launched a new statewide geocaching challenge. Earth Day 2015, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) unveiled their “Call of the Wildflowers” Challenge. This new challenge is designed to engage the public
Geocaching lends to great family fun! Read More »
We are doing something we have never done before – attempting to paddle the entire Minnesota River in a single day. Can it be done? We are not sure, but we are joining forces with the Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) and three other partners to sponsor a “Public Paddle Day” on Saturday, June 13.
Public Paddle: Paddle the Minnesota River State Water Trail in a Day Read More »
Though there was a flurry of activity in early March when the buffer bills (HF 1534 and SF 1537) were introduced, since then, much of the public legislative activity around buffers has stalled. A hearing in the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee went nowhere, and while the Senate Bill was passed out of the Environment and Energy Committee with ease, it was never heard in the Senate Jobs, Agriculture, and Rural Development Committee, the next stop on the train.
Buffers Now! Update: Though the Legislature is Stalling, Public Pressure is On Read More »
To kick off CURE’s Annual Meeting Day of Engagement, more than 50 people discussed and debated the issues surrounding Growing Clean Water: Connecting Agriculture and Stewardship. This was the second convening of CURE’s Minnesota Rural Progressive Roundtable Series.
Participants Explore Growing Clean Water: Connecting Agriculture and Stewardship Read More »
Over the past 4 months, the CURE Energy Program has been hard at work organizing support for increasing the state’s Renewable Energy Standard. In February, we brought grassroots supporters from western Minnesota to the state capitol. We invited citizens to town hall meetings with state lawmakers in Morris, Granite Falls, Moorhead, and Willmar. Farmers, business
State Lawmakers Attack Clean Energy On Earth Day 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!
