Voyageurs Conservancy 2023 Annual Report

Dear Voyageurs Enthusiasts,

Indeed, 2023 was a very productive one for the Conservancy.

Our Next Generation initiatives greatly increased their impact in communities near and far. The Voyageurs Classroom program hosted over 10,800 youth experiences through field trips, floating classroom experiences, mobile classroom visits, and interactive virtual programming around the country. The Voyageurs Mobile Classroom hit the road in 2023 bringing Voyageurs National Park to schools in Minnesota. This exciting initiative visited 450+ students in Duluth, Minnesota during its pilot season (many thanks to Bizal Built for their work in outfitting our mobile classroom). We also kicked off our First Peoples’ Cultural Connections, working on a curriculum review as well as project works to modernize our environmental education course so that it is culturally responsive and accurately represents past and present Ojibwe Lifeways. We also expanded our commitment to support Indigenous youth experiences in Voyageurs National Park by connecting with 47 Minnesota Indigenous youth and community members over an immersive 5-day experience in Voyageurs National Park through stargazing, fishing, paddling, and hiking.

Wild Voyageurs work included adding another 7.8 acres to the park through private land acquisition, additional efforts in revitalizing biodiversity and wetland restoration as well as funding 7 Field Fellows in the park. Our Field Fellows were involved in areas ranging from water quality monitoring to marsh bird, loon, and bat behavior surveys. No less exciting or impactful, our Visitor Experience efforts brought multiple dark sky programs to the park as well as classrooms in Minnesota (many thanks to Curtis Wong for the donation of the Obsession telescope which truly improved our Park After Dark events). We also helped to craft the exhibit work and other aspects of the new Crane Lake Visitor Center. The center is slated to open late this year or in 2025. It will serve as an exciting gateway to the park’s eastern area.

There is much to be proud of in the accomplishments by the team at Voyageurs Conservancy. Those accomplishments come to be thanks to the community of members and donors that support us. I am truly honored to be a part of that community and the Conservancy.

Many thanks for supporting such a wonderful place that is Voyageurs National Park.

With gratitude,

Matt Mueller
Board Chair, Voyageurs Conservancy