Lisa Filter – Page 2 – Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota

Anthony Taylor’s speech

Parks & Trails Council 2023 Reuel Harmon Award was presented to Anthony Taylor during our Annual Dinner. Here is the full acceptance speech Anthony delivered at the dinner. “Good evening, friends, family, and fellow advocates. I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to be …

Two people in suits with one holding a wooden award with a loon

Anthony Taylor

Building equitable access to the outdoors

Parks & Trail Council’s land acquisition program gains major potential

Parks & Trail Council is proud to announce a significant advancement in the potential funding of our land acquisition program. For the first time in our history, we have applied for funding from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) to help us acquire land …

Field trip brings students to plant native seeds on the Gitchi Gami Trail

Earlier this spring, 37 students from Cook County Public Schools stepped out of their school, hopped on their bicycles, and peddled the Gitchi Gami State Trail, where they helped restore native landscaping. The field trip was a hands-on event that brought together bicycle safety, natural ...

Elementary students in yellow safety vests on a trail

Great River Ridge State Trail extension one step closer

Land Project Update Anyone who has traveled on the Great River Ridge State Trail in southern Minnesota has likely wondered why the trail abruptly ends at a cornfield along County Road 9. Across the road, a rusty railroad track reveals the corridor’s original use, but ...

Great River Ridge State Trail passing by field

Webinar: Geology and Scenery of Minnesota’s North Shore

About this webinar What makes natural scenery beautiful? There are many answers to that question, but geology is often part of the answer. In this presentation on Minnesota’s scenic North Shore, Dr. Fitz will share ideas and photographs of how the geology of the region …

Testifying for Trail Maintenance at Minnesota Capitol

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to testify at the Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee this week. Andrew Oftedal, P&TC’s research and policy manager, presented our State of the Trails Report, which categorized the condition of every mile of trail. Our analysis shows …

Conference room with two people at table presenting to semi-circular table of legislators.

Outdoor clubs: An antidote to loneliness, political divisions, and more

Solitude in nature is precious—just you, the birds, and the trees—there’s nothing else like it. But, sometimes, the fellowship that comes from sharing the outdoors brings another kind of benefit. Unfortunately, busy schedules and competing demands make it challenging to connect with others. Cue in ...

In memory of parks champion Dave Durenberger

Memorial service to be live streamed Feb. 7 at 10 am. As the tributes to Senator Dave Durenberger continue to pour in following his passing on Jan. 31 at the age of 88, there is a common thread that runs through all of them. Sen. …

Former farm cleanup underway at future William O’Brien addition

February 1, 2023 Cleaning up a century-old farm takes time. They have a tendency to collect more than just memories. Stuff abounds, from the long-forgotten broken tractors to the more recent refrigerators--not to mention personal items in the house. So, when Parks & Trails Council ...

List of outdoor clubs in Minnesota

Getting outdoors with other people is so beneficial on so many levels. Check out our list of clubs to help you get out there. Go to List

December 12, 2022

Our latest research initiative reveals user profiles at 3 mountain bike trail systems

Last summer, Parks & Trails Council worked with Greater Minnesota Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC) to conduct visitor surveys, and user counts at three mountain bike areas across the state: Lake County Split Rock Wilds, Winona Bluffs Traverse, and Tioga Recreation Area. The reports detailing the results of this research were published in November 2022.

December 12, 2022

How climate change affects Minnesota and our parks and trails

According to Dr. Kenny Blumenfeld, a climatologist with the Minnesota State Climatology Office and the guest speaker on our Dec. 7 webinar, our state is already warmer and wetter, and this change is expected to become more pronounced in the coming decades.

Historic, stone-pillar bridge crossing a rushing river

November 1, 2022

Parks & Trails Council assumes official ownership of former Boy Scout Camp along Lake Shetek

On Oct. 31, two years after being the highest bidder during a live auction, Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota (P&TC) assumed ownership of an 80-year-old former Boy Scout camp on the wooded shores of Lake Shetek in southwest Minnesota. Patience and diligence proved essential in this deal, which ultimately protected the land from being subdivided into five private estates.

Author: Lisa Filter