How two Entrepreneurs are creating welcoming places for people and plants

Confluence is a new story series by Upstream that shares stories of two or more Minnesotans whose values around their love and care for place align and how their individual practices manifest in their stewardship.

Every year Upstream celebrates  Minnesotans going above and beyond in caring for our natural places.  We call them Upstream Unsung Caretakers. These are folks nominated by their peers and represent people of all backgrounds from across the state. One common thread between all who are nominated and recognized is the love they demonstrate for our shared natural places. Two of this year’s winners are Rebeka Ndosi and Alex Blondeau. Rebeka is the Executive Director of Maji ya Chai Land Sanctuary in Two Harbors and Alex is a Horticulturist from Fergus Falls. While they reside in different places and do different things, they both represent the value of living Upstream–taking care of our places and our people so we can thrive for generations to come.

Maji ya Chai Land Sanctuary is a black-led, nature-based healing retreat created to provide rest, reconnection, and rejuvenation of mind, body & soul for Black, Indigenous, and communities of color across generations. Maji ya Chai is a natural  space rooted in healing, restoration, and thriving on the  North Shore.  Rebeka says this about Maji ya Chai, “The healing power of nature is real, both inside us and around us, and it is a reciprocal relationship. When we are good stewards of the earth, the earth will continue to care for us deeply. When we harm and neglect the natural world we harm and neglect ourselves – if not immediately, at some point down the line. We have the power to change course now and work together towards a healthy, thriving future for those whom we are still only dreaming about.” 

Alex Blondeau is the founder of Windflower Natives, a native plant company offering kits to homeowners to establish small native prairie plantings.  Alex was inspired to build his business while on a hike.  As he stopped to tie his boot he saw a pasqueflower, which reminded him of the hidden beauty in the prairie.  Alex describes that moment for Upstream, “The surprising, ever-changing beauty of these prairies caught me completely off guard. It felt like discovering, after years of traveling to the Louvre, that you had a da Vinci masterpiece in your basement! Yet, along with this realization came grief. In seeing the remaining beauty of these prairies, I couldn’t help but notice how little of this once vast richness was left.” 

Both Rebeka and Alex are entrepreneurs who founded organizations that exemplify the shared value of loving where live. The work they both are doing in Two Harbors and Fergus Falls ensure that Minnesotans have access to our natural places today and into the future.

For Alex and Rebeka, their values of stewardship and mutual love for Minnesota show what Upstream has found through statewide research–that we trust each other to care for our shared natural places and want to leave them better for future generations. Stewardship may look different from your neighbor, and that’s okay – living Upstream is about celebrating the shared value we have as Minnesotans to love where we live.

Upstream was founded on our shared love of Minnesota’s natural places into greater trust, connection and stewardship. We seek out and are inclusive of all people and perspectives because we all care about our home state, and our place is shared by all Minnesotans. We are stronger stewards of it together. At Upstream, we envision a future where all who live and work in Minnesota express their connection across race, ideology and geography through a unified culture of caring for our place and each other.

What’s Your Upstream Story?

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