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 mission that guides our team and the caring colleagues I get to work alongside. I see this role as being a steward of your stories, the Upstream stories that remind us of our individual agency and inspire collective action to tend our natural places. I’m honored to be part of this work!

I spent my undergraduate years on the North Shore and graduated from UMD with a BA in Communication. I’m a self-taught artist, and I’ve spent 15 years in the nonprofit sector, most of it in the arts. In my household, English was my elders’ second language, so I’ve always been fascinated by how we connect with one another, with or without a shared language.

I’m Chinese American and a Minnesota gal through and through. My family made the North Star State home in the early 1990s, and I’m grateful to have grown up in a region rich in lakes and rivers. I was born and raised in Otter Tail County and made the deliberate decision to return in 2019 and plant my roots in the tall grass prairie.

I credit my mother for my love of nature. As far back as I can remember, she could be found on a shoreline tossing a line in on any given spring or summer day. Countless evenings snacking with her on the porch swing are why I still sometimes take big bites out of tomatoes like they’re apples. She introduced me to a fantastic array of fungi at an early age which fostered in me an eternal fascination I carry that brings me so much joy! And now that I’m a mother myself, I’m constantly thinking about how to cultivate that same love of nature in my son, Ori, who was born this past January.

My husband, Cameron, our kiddo Ori, and I live a few miles from Glendalough State Park with our three pets: Umi, a three-legged standard poodle; Kikkoman, a tortoiseshell calico; and Blu Blu, an orange tabby with white paws. Cameron works at a bait shop, so we spend a lot of time out on the water and ice. When the workday is done, you can find me outside with my family or creating something inspired by the natural world around me.

We love where we live, and once you visit, you’ll understand why!

Special thanks to the Upstream Board + Staff for such a warm welcome! I’m grateful and glad to be going Upstream with y’all!