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Over 13,500 volunteers donated their time to protect Minnesota's natural resources in 2025, contributing work valued at $9 million. From planting trees to teaching firearm safety, these everyday heroes are keeping Minnesota wild.
A Michigan conservation officer's body camera captured the careful rescue of an injured bald eagle that couldn't hunt, showing how trained professionals save protected wildlife. The bird is now recovering in a rehabilitation facility with room to practice flying again.
Trail cameras in northern Minnesota captured a mother cougar with three kittens, marking the first evidence of cougar reproduction in the state in over a century. The discovery suggests these big cats may be making a natural comeback to their historic home.
Minnesota is paying landowners up to 75% of tree planting costs to transform old farmland into thriving forests. The program could help thousands of acres become wildlife havens while protecting communities from floods and droughts.
Wisconsin is inviting everyday people to become community scientists and help protect the state's rarest plants and animals. No experience needed—just a willingness to explore nature and make a difference.
Wisconsin is calling for volunteers to help protect the Karner blue butterfly, an endangered species that now exists in just five states. The state is home to the largest remaining population and needs citizen scientists to track their recovery.
For over four decades, citizen scientists across Wisconsin have spent their spring and summer nights listening to frogs and toads, helping track 12 species and uncovering surprising population trends. These "froggers" have now logged over 12,300 nights monitoring wetlands statewide.
One year after Northern Michigan's worst natural disaster in modern history, communities have completed a massive recovery effort that brought together 700 responders and cleared thousands of miles of damaged forest. The region is healing, proving nature's resilience and human determination can overcome even century-scale destruction.
When a terrified deer crashed through thin ice in a Wisconsin backyard pond, two firefighters didn't hesitate to jump into freezing water to save her life. Their quick response turned a potential tragedy into a heartwarming rescue that reminded everyone why community heroes matter.
After more than a century of absence, cougars are breeding again in northern Minnesota. Trail cameras captured a mother cougar with three kittens near Voyageurs National Park, marking a remarkable wildlife comeback.
Private woodland owners in Minnesota's Bemidji area can get up to 75% of their forest restoration costs covered after last year's devastating windstorm destroyed nine million trees. Applications are open through July 31st. ---
In 1974, Wisconsin counted just a handful of bald eagle nests in its northern counties. Today, every single county in the state hosts these majestic birds, marking one of conservation's greatest comebacks.
Wisconsin is home to the world's largest population of the endangered Karner blue butterfly, and now anyone can help protect it. The state's Department of Natural Resources is recruiting volunteers to track these rare pollinators starting in July.
Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources used helicopters to scatter tree seeds across 19 remote forest areas where ground crews couldn't reach. The aerial seeding effort completed in fall 2025 planted jack pine, white pine, and black spruce across hard-to-access state lands.
Species once nearly extinct in Michigan are now thriving across the state, from bald eagles to black bears. Conservation efforts and smart regulations have transformed the landscape in just four decades. #
Trail cameras captured the first cougar kittens born in Minnesota in over a century, marking a stunning wildlife comeback. The three kittens, spotted with their mother in Voyageurs National Park, could signal the return of a species once driven to near extinction.
Iowa is calling on everyday citizens to help count bumble bees as part of a nationwide conservation effort. Since 2024, volunteers have already surveyed over 7,000 bees and discovered 13 different species across the state.
Maryland is reorganizing its 80-year-old forestry volunteer program to help communities work together across county lines. The new regional structure makes it easier for neighbors to protect shared forests and watersheds.
Citizen scientists in Iowa have already identified 13 bumble bee species including five rare ones, and wildlife officials want to triple volunteer numbers this year. The best part? These fuzzy pollinators are so docile that anyone can learn to safely photograph them.