Sydney Hobart, Community Health Improvement Consultant at Allina Health shares how she is Caring for Place: I grew up in a place where bike commuting was largely impossible due to poor infrastructure and unsafe cycling conditions. It just wasn’t baked into the culture, nor was there intention or investment to do so. Imagine my surprise… Read More →
Written by Gunnar Carlson, Upstream Care for Place Fellow I was 11 years old when my mom decided I was “responsible enough” to ride my bike the one-and-a-half miles across town to the swimming beach with my friends. That sense of freedom and adventure was the moment I fell in love with riding bikes. Now,… Read More →
“We’ve got drive-up food on one side of the street and drive-up birding on the other.” When Molly Stoddard retired from her job at the Prairie Wetlands Learning center at the end of the July, her life, like that of many retired people, got even busier. Not surprisingly, the former US Fish and Wildlife Service… Read More →
Upstream is thrilled to announce the selection of our 2024 Upstream Artist Fellows – 12 artists from a variety of mediums who share a love for Minnesota’s natural places and care for them personally and through their work. The artists will embark on a nearly year-long relationship with each other and Upstream, finding inspiration in… Read More →
Ashleigh Harris, 2023 Upstream Unsung Caretaker After purchasing a 153-year-old farmhouse in Stillwater, Ashleigh Harris decided to use her land and her skills to feed herself, her husband, and their three small children. While creating Oakstreet Barn, Ashleigh quickly realized just how much work goes into gardening, but she also found an immense amount of… Read More →
You might know Angelina Amérigo as Miss Minnesota 2023, but did you know about her One Bottle, One Straw, One Bag at a Time initiative? In 2019, Angelina used the initiative requirement of the Miss America organization to address the ocean plastic crisis. Inspired by her experience competing as a dancer in Florida, where she… Read More →
Karla Patrick of Cambridge, MN is no stranger to taking care of her community. As the leader of Cambridge Medical Center’s Wellness Leadership Team, Karla prioritizes wellness for fellow employees as well as the surrounding community. In 2015, she extended that care to the Cambridge Medical Center Giving Garden, a 4’ by 10’ plot that… Read More →
Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ (CC) mission is to serve those most in need and to advocate for justice in the community. With programs located throughout Hennepin and Ramsey counties, CC serves a wide spectrum of clients, including children and families, older adults and people with disabilities, and individuals seeking emergency shelter or… Read More →
Written by Colin Willemsen, Upstream Care for Place Fellow I am Colin Willemsen, an 18-year-old landscape and nature photographer located in Duluth, Minnesota. My mission revolves around finding and capturing distinctive locations, along with revealing the hidden splendor within well-known areas along the North Shore of Lake Superior. My experiences along Superior’s shores have fostered… Read More →
Do you love where you live? Are you an artist, a maker, a creative, or a culture bearer with a story to tell about your place? Are you always trying to inspire people to be stewards of the places we love and share? Upstream, supported by Springboard for the Arts, seeks 12 Minnesota artists, creatives,… Read More →
Rhys Williams could imagine nothing better for his retirement than starting a farm in the beautiful bluffs of the Minnesota driftless region. “I’m very blessed to have this opportunity,” says Williams of his switch back to farming. After serving as the Executive Director of The Good Acre, a nonprofit food hub based in Falcon Heights… Read More →
Caring for our natural places is an important part of caring for the people who live near them. Research has shown there’s a connection between green spaces and health and wellness benefits. HealthPartners, which operates 90+ hospitals and clinics across Minnesota and Wisconsin, brings natural green spaces and sustainable landscaping practices together to improve the… Read More →
