Last night, the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center filled with neighbors, friends, and partners gathered to celebrate the 2026 West Central Unsung Caretakers, six Fergus Falls-area honorees recognized for caring for our natural places and the communities around them. Naomi Baucom, US Fish & Wildlife Service Director for the Prairie Wetlands, opened the evening with a… Read More →
A steward of stories, a self-taught artist, and a lifelong Otter Tail County local Hei, Hi, Hello there! I’m Nancy Stewart, and I’m so stoked to join the Upstream team as the new Marketing and Communications Manager! I started August 17th, and even though I’m only a couple of months in, I deeply appreciate the… Read More →
Eleven Minnesotans and organizations will be honored at two regional celebrations this October for the quiet, steady work of caring for the state’s natural places Upstream Minnesota is delighted to announce the 2026 Unsung Caretaker Honorees: eleven individuals, organizations, and community groups whose everyday stewardship tends the natural places we all share. Selected from nominations… Read More →
Rocks, Roots, and Surrender: Rolf’s Superior 100 Written by Executive Director Rolf Lowenberg-DeBoer On Saturday, September 12th, I finished the Superior 100 trail race in 36 hours and 4 minutes. It was a difficult year for everyone who participated. There was plenty of heat and humidity on that Friday. It poured rain with loud thunder… Read More →
10 writers selected from East Side St. Paul, West Central Minn., and Iron Range Upstream Minnesota is proud to announce the ten writers selected for its 2026 Upstream Creative Writers & Grassroots Journalism Residency Program, a program created to support storytellers who know their communities best. Upstream’s Executive Director, Rolf Lowenberg-DeBoer, explains this residency grew… Read More →
The light in late August and early September changes noticeably from the core summer months. I often sit out on the steps of my deck overlooking my backyard. This time of year, the birds are preparing for the changing temperatures. You can see it in their frantic activity. Some leaves are already beginning to turn… Read More →
Written by Naomi RaMona Schliesman, West Central Community Engagement & Partnership Coordinator Every once in a while, a place comes into your life that quietly changes the course of it. For my daughter, Zara, that place has been the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. As a parent, there are moments you hope for… Read More →
Written by Naomi RaMona Schliesman, West Central Community Engagement & Partnership Coordinator In the heart of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, nestled among fields, trees, and winding country roads, is a place where gardens begin, families gather, and a deep love for the land is cultivated every day. Grass Roots Garden Center is much more than… Read More →
Writing About Natural Places, Stewards, and the Spaces We Care For: East Side St. Paul – West Central Minnesota – Iron Range Applications Closed Program Overview Upstream Creative Writers/Grassroots Journalism Residency: Writing About Natural Places, Stewards, and the Spaces We Care For is a 9-month remote residency designed to support creative writers, poets, storytellers, and grassroots journalists…
Written by Naomi RaMona Schliesman, West Central Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator for Upstream Photo by: Jon Solinger I come from a long line of farmers and so does my daughter. Some of my earliest and most meaningful memories are rooted in the land. My grandmother grew her own vegetables and fruit trees, and our… Read More →
Written by Naomi RaMona Schliesman, West Central Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator for Upstream Hi, I’m Naomi, and my daughter Zara and I share a deep love for exploring the natural places around us in Otter Tail County and across Minnesota. Some of our most meaningful moments happen outside on quiet trails, near the water,… Read More →
