MN Lakes and Rivers is thrilled to partner with Broken Clock Brewing, Curiouso Coffee, Queermunity, Marcy Bikes, and local musicians Daisy Forester and Emma Jeanne for Tunes, Tunes & Loons — a lively, all-ages community bike ride across Minneapolis. The ride ends in celebration with live music, bike tune-ups, coffee, beer, and a spotlight on… Read more »
If you’ve ever spent a quiet morning on a Minnesota lake, you may have heard the eerie, beautiful call of the common loon echoing across the water, anchoring us to the wildness of this place. Loons are more than a symbol of our northern heritage, they are a vital sign of lake health, an indicator… Read more »
Get the Lead Out is a program at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our mission is to educate about the dangers of lead fishing tackle to Minnesota’s loons and wildlife. Impacts of lead on loons: Lead poisoning from ingesting lead tackle is a leading… Read more »
Between 100 and 200 loons are killed every year in Minnesota from ingesting lead fishing tackle, as well aa many swans and other waterfowl. The MPCA and MLR partnered to present this webinar on what you and your lake association can do to promote using safe fishing tackle alternatives.
By Sami Selter Assoc. Exec. Director, MN Lakes & Rivers Curbs are the shorelines of the city. This past summer, Minnesota Lakes & Rivers, with funding from the Minneapolis Foundation, piloted the Minneapolis Lake Steward program. The initiative encouraged both homeowners and renters to take simple, positive steps to protect our lakes—planting native gardens, picking… Read more »
The Lake Steward Program has been making waves! Watch the 2025 Lake Steward Webinar for an update on program progress after 5 years, and hear from a range of guest speakers about the work they’re doing in media, at the National Loon Center, Lower South Long Lake, and in Douglas County. This webinar offers a… Read more »
The Minnesota Natural Shoreline Partnership aims to reshape perceptions, attitudes, and policies around lakeshore development and stewardship, inspiring the dedication and action needed to protect and restore natural shorelines for the benefit of people, fish & wildlife habitat, recreation, lake health, and water quality. Trouble By the Water – MN Public Radio Unchecked development, lax… Read more »
“The (Lake Steward) program has spread to dozens more lakes across Minnesota. Supporters view it as part of a strategy to help change societal norms and expectations around lakeshore development, and help slow the loss of natural shoreline that protects lakes from pollution.” – Kirsti Marohn, MPR Minnesota’s lakeshores are disappearing at an alarming rate—over… Read more »
Explore the recorded session of the Basic Loon Rescue and Transport Strategies webinar, hosted by Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates. Loons, of which Minnesota is home to over 12,000, need rescuing due to threats from human activities and environmental changes. Rehabilitation centers often lack the resources to capture and transport these birds, which is where… Read more »
Guest article by Sheila Farrell Johnston There are about 12,000 loons in Minnesota, our land of 10,000 lakes, so it is no surprise that some of them fall victim to illness and injury. The three leading causes of loon deaths are human caused: lead poisoning, boat and jet ski strikes, and fishing line entanglement or… Read more »