Happening Now

Communities across Minnesota are finding innovative ways to protect the environment and solve complex conservation problems. The Blazing Star Award celebrates these actions. Is your local government doing something worthy of recognition? Apply for the 2026 Blazing Star Award.

Helping to push a stranger’s car out of the snow. Shoveling beyond your own driveway. Checking on your neighbors when the coldest weather hits. Winters in Minnesota tend to bring out the best in us. They remind us that Minnesota is a community. 

Our staff book club features books that foster thoughtful discussion about the natural world and our role in it. Take a look at what we read this year (including Minnesota author Kao Kalia Yang’s Where Rivers Part), and let us know if you have ideas for what we should read in 2026!

When progress feels slow, it helps to see how far we’ve come—together. We review recent game-changing wins and imagine a future that builds on the momentum. We're looking forward to working in the next year on safe tap water, clean air, and smarter waste and recycling.

Each year, The Food Group, along with their partners, plan and host the Emerging Farmers Conference. The conference helps to connect immigrant farmers and farmers of color to resources, educational opportunities, and to foster a community of growth and knowledge. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the conference, and we were excited for the opportunity to be a sponsor for the first time. 

Last session, Conservation Minnesota helped shape and pass bipartisan data center legislation in Minnesota that set guardrails to protect both our environment and consumers.  

Each year, Conservation Minnesota gathers local leaders to help build connections among neighboring cities and provide opportunities to learn what’s happening across the state. This year’s Environment Commissions Virtual Forum theme was salt reduction strategies. We heard from Eden Prairie about their low salt design infrastructure projects, Marshall about their centralized water softening and rebate program, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) about the scope of the problem, negative impacts to health, and their Smart Salting training.

We were honored to be named an Infrastructure Champion by LIUNA Minnesota & North Dakota for our work supporting safe drinking water and the replacement of lead pipes in our state. All Minnesotans deserve clean water to drink and Minnesota workers are making that a reality.

Conservation Crew is growing! Learn about some of the exciting projects planned for the year.

Climate change is causing longer stretches of hotter, drier weather, making forests more conducive to burning. Wildfires are stark reminders of both the need for climate action and the importance of clean air. But in recent months, we’ve seen federal rollbacks that ease restrictions on polluters, which will likely result in worse air quality. Learn about how Minnesota is responding.