$887,000 Invested in Biodiversity for Future Generations

Eight community organizations were awarded a total of $887,414.18 through the Boreal Waters Biodiversity Fund in June of 2026. For the first time, these grants span up to three years to support larger projects that require sustained investment to achieve meaningful, long-term impact.

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The Biodiversity Fund invests in efforts that protect and restore habitats, support vulnerable species, advance community-based research and education, and strengthen long-term stewardship of natural resources. The fund supports both small, targeted projects and larger, multi-year initiatives that help sustain biodiversity across our region.

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Healthy ecosystems are essential to the well-being of our communities. Their long-term resilience depends on the stewardship, research, education, and restoration work taking place across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

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What We Mean by Biodiversity

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Biodiversity is the variety of life that exists within our ecosystems, from plants and animals to the habitats and ecological relationships that connect them.

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Healthy biodiversity contributes to clean air and water, climate resilience, thriving ecosystems, and strong communities.

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The Biodiversity Fund recognizes that environmental health and community well-being are interconnected. Lasting conservation outcomes are strongest when they are informed by community knowledge, local stewardship, and collaborative action.

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“The book we're publishing draws upon, and honors, the knowledge of the Grand Portage, Bois fort, and Fond du Lac Bands of Chippewa. We hope that this book will show how precious these habitats and bird species are.” Eric Lundgren of University of Minnesota Press

Meet the 2026 Grant Recipients

The following organizations were selected for funding because of their commitment to protecting biodiversity while creating lasting benefits for communities across the region.

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Project: Pollinators at Play: Expanding Urban Habitat and Biodiversity Education

Duluth Children’s Museum | $105,000 in grant support

• The Pollinators at Play initiative at the Duluth Children's Museum helps children and families explore the important role pollinators play in local ecosystems. Focusing on species native to the Lake Superior region and St. Louis River watershed, the project offers hands-on learning experiences that help participants better understand the interconnected relationships between plants, pollinators, and the natural world around them.

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Project: Hartley Park Watershed Restoration and Adaptive Biodiversity Management

Hartley Nature Center | $150,000 in grant support

• Hartley Nature Center will advance a multi-year effort to restore and strengthen the ecological health of the Tischer Creek watershed and Hartley Park's Natural Area. Through stream restoration, habitat monitoring, invasive species management, native planting, and community stewardship opportunities, the project seeks to improve habitat for native species, support watershed resilience, and guide future conservation efforts. The work will also help inform long-term management strategies for Hartley Park and other urban natural areas.

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Project: Amphibian, Pollinator, and Elk Restoration Planning at the Lake Superior Zoo

Lake Superior Zoo | $150,000 in grant support

• The Lake Superior Zoo will launch a multi-year initiative focused on supporting the recovery of native species and habitats in the Lake Superior watershed. The project includes planning for a breeding and rehabilitation program for the state-endangered Blanchard's Cricket Frog, expanding pollinator habitat through native plantings designed to support species such as the Monarch Butterfly and Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, and exploring opportunities to support historic elk (Omashkooz) restoration efforts in partnership with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Together, these efforts will strengthen the Zoo's role in local conservation and species recovery.

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Project: Conserving Sawmill Dome Highlands Biodiversity – Phase 3

Minnesota Land Trust | $150,000 in grant support

• Building on work supported by the Biodiversity Fund over the past two years, Minnesota Land Trust is continuing efforts to permanently protect a significant North Shore landscape near Little Marais. The project brings together conservation easements, land acquisition, and public partnerships to create a new Scientific and Natural Area encompassing forests, streams, cliffs, and wildlife habitat surrounding Sawmill Dome. Once complete, the effort will help ensure the long-term protection and stewardship of more than 500 acres of ecologically important land.

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Project: Northern Minnesota Critical Habitat Investigation

Minnesota Star Tribune | $150,000 in grant support

• The Minnesota Star Tribune will produce a multi-year environmental journalism series examining the state of biodiversity across northern Minnesota and the Duluth-Superior region. Through field reporting, research, data analysis, and collaboration with scientists and Tribal stewards, the series will explore topics including wild rice lakes, peatlands, old-growth forests, shoreline habitats, and vulnerable species. The project aims to increase public understanding of the challenges facing local ecosystems while highlighting stewardship, conservation, and restoration efforts taking place across the region.

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Project: Conservation Science in the Boundary Waters Watershed

Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness | $25,000 in grant support

• Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness will continue and expand its long-term water quality monitoring program throughout the Boundary Waters watershed and surrounding border waters. Building on more than six years of data collection, the project will monitor sulfate levels and investigate emerging concerns such as mercury, PFAS, microplastics, and water flow patterns. The information gathered will help improve understanding of water quality conditions and support efforts to protect the lakes, wetlands, wild rice waters, and aquatic ecosystems that are central to this region.

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Project: Birds of the Border Country - Book Publication

University of Minnesota Press | $15,000 in grant support

• The University of Minnesota Press is set to publish Birds of the Border Country: A Sanctuary on the Edge of Change, a new book exploring the history, ecology, and conservation significance of bird communities across the Boundary Waters and the surrounding boreal forest. Drawing on Indigenous knowledge, scientific research, and decades of bird monitoring, the book documents how bird populations have changed over time, and what those changes reveal about the health of the region’s ecosystems. Through storytelling, photography, and science, the project deepens public understanding of biodiversity in one of North America’s most significant boreal landscapes.

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Project: Understanding and Protecting Northern Minnesota's Raptors through Research and Education

Wildwoods | $142,414.18 in grant support

• Wildwoods and Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory will partner on a three-year initiative focused on raptor conservation, research, and public education. The project will study lead exposure in native raptors migrating through northeastern Minnesota, helping researchers better understand how lead affects birds of prey in the region. Funding will also support the development of an education raptor program, creating new opportunities for community members to learn about wildlife rehabilitation, conservation, and ways to reduce human impacts on native species.

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A Competitive Year of Applications

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The 2026 Biodiversity Fund received applications from organizations working across a wide range of conservation and environmental priorities.

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“We were really encouraged by the number of applications and the range of projects proposed this year. These organizations are caring for the things that make our region unique, and we're excited to support their work and learn alongside them in the years ahead." said Amber Burns, Boreal Waters Director of Community Impact and Partnerships.

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Applications were evaluated based on their alignment with the fund's guiding principles, including:

• Upstream and preventative solutions

• Collaboration and community voice

• Equity-centered impact

• Systems and policy change

• Sustainability and capacity building

• Evidence of learning and impact

The 2026 grant recipients represent an ever-growing network of organizations working to strengthen the ecological health of our region. Together, these projects reflect the many ways people are caring for the lands, waters, and species that make this place unique.

“The most rewarding part of this project has been seeing a community-driven effort produce consistent baseline information that simply didn't exist before...Over the years, we've watched that monitoring grow into a trusted source of information used by researchers, state agencies, and community members alike.” Kelsey Polcher of Save the Boundary Waters (Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness)

We extend our gratitude to the Biodiversity Fund advisors, applicants, community partners, donors, and volunteers who make this work possible.

Together, we are investing in the lands, waters, species, and ecosystems that define our region and sustain future generations.

Learn more about the Biodiversity Fund below.