• Go upstream
    with us.

    Help us shape a better future.

Join as an individual.

You love Minnesota, and it shows. Join Upstream in celebrating and amplifying all the ways we care for our natural spaces. When you go upstream, you are demonstrating that you share the values of optimism and love for our home place.

Join Upstream

Join as an organization.

Whether your organization is big or small, we want to help amplify the good work you and your team is doing. When you go upstream, you are showing that your love of Minnesota’s natural spaces is something we all have in common.

Let’s Partner Up

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  • Meet Upstream partner: @frogtown.green // Frogtown Green is a volunteer-powered, resident-led group that began with Frogtown Park & Farm. From 2009 to 2012, we campaigned for the preservation of 13 vacant acres in the middle of our neighborhood and its conversion into a public park with an urban farm. Since that success, we have created six more parklets and gardens; planted hundreds of trees; and 8,000 square feet of pollinator habitat; sponsored dozens of events, and collaborated with friends all over Saint Paul. To learn more, please visit their website: https://www.frogtowngreen.com/about
  • One of the best ways to really enjoy Minnesota in the winter is to find a hobby that you love. One thing that is good for the entire family is cross country skiing. There are so many trails and places to do it all over the State. Where is your favorite place to cross country ski
  • Have you heard of the Dark Sky Festival?Cook County is home to one of the darkest skies in the world. Every year, explorers, adventurers, artists and photographers from around the world 🌎 travel to Cook County to experience the northern lights. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) has been named as one of only 15 certified International Dark Sky Sanctuaries in the world! And at over a million acres, it is the largest. Follow @donorthmn and visit their website for more info
  • Check out this beautiful video by our #upstreampartner @bluefinbay•Winter is absolutely magical in the northwoods ️Enjoy this hike as one of our guided tours or borrow some snowshoes and venture out on your own
  • Did You Know?It only takes one teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute 5 gallons of water.Salt can:- Raise sodium levels in our drinking water and increase treatment costs.- Harm pets, fish, plants and other wildlife.- Corrode vehicles, roads, bridges and parking lots.Since there’s no easy or cheap way to remove salt from our environment, we can all do our part to reduce the amount of salt we use and be #WinterSaltSmart by following the below tips.Use these three easy steps:- Shovel early. Remove snow from pavements before it turns to ice. Apply salt only after clearing snow.- Treat wisely. If you salt, spread lightly and evenly. One tablespoon per sidewalk square or a 12-ounce coffee mug for a 20-foot driveway is enough. – Sweep and reuse. After ice melts, sweep your salt into safe storage to keep out of our rivers and streams. Please share
  • As we head into winter, it is easy to want to turn up your thermostat to stay warm and cozy. According to the US Department of Energy, it's best to keep your thermostat at 68 F for most of the day during the winter season. For maximum efficiency, you should also designate eight hours per day during which you turn the temperature down by between 7 and 10 degrees. By following this routine, you may again be able to reduce your yearly energy costs by up to 10%. We recommend cozying up with your favorite blankets and sweaters to help are for Minnesota all winter long
  • Did you know that today, Nov. 25, all 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas are offering free entry for the last time of 2022?!According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website, there are state parks or recreation areas within 30 miles of most Minnesotans! Vehicle permits are usually required to enter state parks, except on free park day, and if you choose to stay overnight that also applies for all state parks on Friday. Photo is from Itasca State Park#minnesotaupstream #upstreamminnesota #careforminnesota #upstreamchallenge #iloveminnesota #minnesotawinter #exploremn #minnesota #upstream
  • In the spirit of Thanksgiving, @startribune asked Minnesotans for whom the outdoors is their work site or guiding beacon and everyday: What in the outdoors are you grateful for?Angela Grill, wildlife biologist and Wandering Naturalist podcast co-host answered: “My own personal growth is connected deeply to my experiences within Minnesota's outdoors. I think of the maple tree I climbed as a child to look out over the Minnesota River and remember that first feeling of wilderness. My admiration for nature and her perseverance continues to grow with each adventure through various habitats, wetlands to prairies, to my own backyard where I hope one day my son, too, will climb his first maple tree. We are all connected to this web of nature, the plants, the wildlife — all sewn together to rely on one another to exist. Minnesota's sense of community and environmental stewardship within the outdoors is the best-kept secret we can be grateful for this year
  • Thank you @shantastic.life for inspiring us to get out and embrace the Minnesota winters! •Outdoorsy things to do in MN this winter that don’t involve flying down a hill at high speeds – save this for winter adventure list ideas! ️ Locations shared are the exact spots the visuals are from, but obviously take inspiration and explore what’s convenient for you this winter. ️ If you found me from reels, I’m @shantastic.life, follow along for more Midwestern adventures.#mnwinter #minnesotawinter #embracethecold #embracewinter #wintersunset #boldnorth #winterhike #snowshoeing #thingstodoinmn #adventureanywhere #exploremn #minnesota #midwestisbest #mnupstream #naturetherapy #onlyinmn #greatoutdoors #womenwhoexplore #outdoorsy #exploreart #landof10000lakes #hikersofinstagram #captureminnesota #exploretheoutdoors #midwestgrammers #midwesthiking #minnstagramers #discoverunder3k
  • Going Upstream means loving where we live and caring for our shared natural places and people. From the plains to the lakes regions to the boreal forests, we are blessed with amazing and accessible natural spaces.This Give to the Max Day, we encourage Upstreamers to help support organizations who love and care for our places, including Upstream member organizations like:The GoodAcre @thegoodacremn Repowered @getrepowered South Asian Arts & Theater House @saathmn Additionally, we encourage you to make a donation to help Upstream carry out our mission: Celebrating and amplifying the ways Minnesotans from all backgrounds care for our place, while inspiring new actions to be even better stewards of our state. And because we also love where we live, our board will match all gifts to Upstream up to $12,000! Thank you for living Upstream!#givetothemaxday #gttm #upstreamminnesota #minnesotaupstream #careforminnesota #minnesota #love #exploremn
  • Huge congratulations to @minnesotaupstream Strategic Advisor and Co-Founder and Executive Director of @saathmn @divyamaiya for her feature in @voguemagazine !Repost from @divyamaiya•This feels nice, this feels surreal! Never imagined I'd be featured on @voguemagazine I would say it is dream come true but I'd really never dreamed of this. Haha. The day I went saree Skiing was really a roller coaster of a day. I was going through some really bad times and for that memory to be turned around is something I'm so thankful. And at the end of the day, representation matters, representation is powerful and it is inspiring for me and for others! Thanks @avanithakkar_ for this beautiful article! .#featured #vogue #press #representation #thankful
  • Repost from @youngbrokefabulous•GIVEAWAYif you know me, you know I’m a total water baby cuz water sign, duh! so naturally, I love spending time near large bodies of water + in nature in general (see: all my tree + waterfall content above) — so OFC, I love where I live & I know you guys do too, which is why I’m partnering with @minnesotaupstream for the #UpstreamChallenge giveaway & asking you to show us how you take care of Minnesota ️ — whether it’s picking up litter, buying eco-conscious/friendly brands or shopping vintage/thrifting — show us what cha got with a post tagging @minnesotaupstream with the hashtag #UpstreamChallenge & you might just be the lucky winner of: *A 2-night stay at @bluefinbay (where you can get these same north shore views above )*Signed @twins baseball bat*VIP experience at @surlybrewingdo you accept the challenge? tagging @pointy.chin.diaries@jahnapeloquin @lizannelately to join me in this challenge! ️ #takecareofplace #takecareofminnesota #motherearth #natureisneat #gogreen