Friends of the Boundary Waters

POV: you just finished the portage. 📸 Sally Evarts

Can you hear the silence? 📸 Adam Stanzak

The BWCA is a great place to be a dog. 🐾 We work to protect the Boundary Waters so there’s a wild place for all of us to explore, including our four-legged friends. 😀

Worth protecting!

We love all of it. Even the steep portages. 📸 Signe Hushagen

Can’t beat this morning view!

We’re hosting a pumpkin carving contest in Ely! Sign up below, pick up a FREE pumpkin, and bring your finest carved gourd for a chance to win. Not into carving? Come out for the night hike instead and vote for your favorite! friends-bwca.org/event/paths-and-pumpkins-community-night/

Winter is a huge part of life in northern Minnesota. So what happens when winter starts to change? Read more → https://borealcompass.substack.com/p/winter-is-a-way-of-life

Even the biffies are pretty in the Boundary Waters. 😄

Students from MTS Secondary spent the day at Lake Nokomis with our No Boundaries education team and Big City Mountaineers, practicing paddling, fire building, teamwork, and communication ahead of their upcoming BWCA trip. They’ll be putting those skills to work on the water in just a few weeks!

Our advocacy team is in Washington, DC, this week, representing the Boundary Waters at the National Wilderness Coalition fly-in, and meeting with staff and officials as we continue to fight for you and this wilderness we all love!

A few scenes from a trip to Crooked Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Hard to beat a few days out here!

19 Sept

Climate change sucks and its easy to get pulled into a doom spiral. So how do you get out? Read to find out: https://borealcompass.substack.com/p/climate-adaptation-is-for-winners

17 Sept

Three new openings are now available at Friends of the Boundary Waters, and we’re excited to welcome some new folks to the team! Check out the openings and see if one might be a good fit. Apply and learn more → friends-bwca.org/careers/

16 Sept

The bugs are disappearing, the leaves are changing, and there’s plenty to explore! Here’s a guide to fall in the Boundary Waters: https://www.friends-bwca.org/blog/how-to-enjoy-fall-in-the-boundary-waters/ 📸 Kate Wright

15 Sept

Come celebrate with us at our St. Paul office this Friday from 4 to 6 pm! Pizza, cake, something to drink, and a room full of BWCA people! Plenty of work still ahead, but not on Friday. 🎉 RSVP + enter to win 2 seats to the Northwoods Gala. https://secure.everyaction.com/BCSQYCABAU654UOv7htIrQ2

12 Sept

🚨 BREAKING: The Minnesota DNR just canceled one of Twin Metals' state mineral leases. This is a HUGE win, and it happened because of YOU! Tens of thousands of you made calls and flooded the DNR's and the governor's inboxes, demanding action. Thank you for showing up for the Boundary Waters. 💚

11 Sept

A mine that was already rejected once wants another shot at 1,145 acres of Minnesota wetlands. Tell the Army Corps no by Sept. 27: https://www.friends-bwca.org/blog/tell-the-army-corps-to-reject-polymets-wetlands-permit

4 Sept

🚨 Today is the last day to register for the Northwoods Gala! Celebrate 50 years of protecting the Boundary Waters with us on September 26. Your ticket helps support clean water, protect the BWCA from copper-sulfide mining, and get more kids outside! Register by the end of today! Link in bio!

3 Sept

More Loon Yard signs are here! 🌲 Designed and illustrated in-house by our designer, and now available for $10 at Ursa Minor Outfitters. Grab yours here: https://www.ursaminoroutfitters.com/product/friends-of-the-bwca-yard-sign

ursaminoroutfitters.comFriends of the BWCA Yard Sign | Ursa Minor OutfittersSupport the BWCA with this Loon yard sign.Size: 18" x 24" Includes metal stand.

3 Sept

Sorry about the broken link. Here's the correct one: www.ursaminoroutfitters.com/product/frie...

2 Sept

Canoe Dig It? is coming to Minnesota! Two chances to see it: Ely on Sept 8 or Columbia Heights on Sept 16, both with a Q&A from filmmaker Samuel Dunning. Be sure to check out the VERY cool official merch: https://www.samuelfddunning.com/category/all-products 👀

30 Aug

What's going to happen to the Boundary Waters after the 2026 fires, and how does climate change fit into the picture? https://borealcompass.substack.com/p/the-mystery-of-fire-in-the-boundary

29 Aug

Where in the Boundary Waters are we? 👀 Drop your guess below ⬇️

28 Aug

Still thinking about coming to the Northwoods Gala? Don’t wait too long! The registration deadline is Sept 4, and we’d love to see you there! Register: https://www.friends-bwca.org/gala-2026/

27 Aug

🎡 THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR IS HERE!! Friends is back for all 12 days! Grab a FREE HOT PINK spork, check out new merch, explore our giant BWCA maps, and maybe spot Bigfoot! We’re dropping limited sporks EVERY DAY, so get there early! #BWCAatTheFair #MinnesotaStateFair #BWCA #Minnesota #MNStateFair

24 Aug

We had a great weekend in Ely for the bike ride and Portages & Pints at Lupulin Brewing! Now we’re on to the next ones: Hold the Boundary Poster Show tomorrow at Can Can Wonderland, then the Minnesota State Fair on Thursday! 🎨🎡 Hope to see you out there!

18 Aug

A huge win for the Boundary Waters!! 💙 Gov. Tim Walz just signed an executive order to halt new state permitting and leases for copper-sulfide mining in the Rainy River Watershed. The DNR will also draft a permanent mining ban. Minnesota is fighting back.

17 Aug

This Saturday, August 22, from 11 AM–4PM! 🍺🌲 Head to Lupulin Brewing in Big Lake for Portages & Pints! Live music, food trucks, a new beer release, vendors + more. And 100% of raffle + silent auction proceeds benefit Friends of the Boundary Waters. https://www.facebook.com/share/19T9YLyaY4/

15 Aug

A little Boundary Waters beauty for your feed today.

9 Aug

Happy 82nd Birthday, Smokey Bear! 🎂 Thanks for 82 years of reminding us how to care for our forests. This summer has shown how important campfire safety is. Swipe for a few tips to help protect the Boundary Waters. If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave!

7 Aug

We’re lucky to have a place like this right here in Minnesota. 🌲💙 📸 Dom Ricci

6 Aug

Sam Reed, Friends’ Climate and Conservation Manager, got the heat put to him at a Hot Ones themed career panel last night hosted by the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. Now we have to know: is hot sauce a Boundary Waters camp kitchen essential for you? 🌶️🛶

2 Aug

New office. New canoe. 🛶 Come see it (and the rest of our new space) at our open house on August 13! RSVP: https://www.friends-bwca.org/event/northwoods-social-open-house/

ecocidepod.comMining in the Boundary Waters Wilderness | Episodes & SourcesAbout the Show | Ecocide Podcast

1 Aug

Want to better understand what’s happening with mining and the BWCA? A new episode of Ecocide breaks down the history behind H.J. Res. 140, the push to open the BWCA watershed to copper-nickel mining, and what comes next: https://ecocidepod.com/episodes/mining-in-the-boundary-waters-wilderness/

30 July

Parts of the Boundary Waters have reopened! We hope more access returns soon. Support the communities that welcome visitors by joining our Community Bike Ride in Ely on Sept. 20. Learn more: https://www.friends-bwca.org/event/ely-bike-tour/

Today, PolyMet-NewRange notified the Minnesota DNR that it wants to change its proposed copper-sulfide mine — after spending two decades telling us the original plan was safe. 🧵

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Here's what hasn't changed. Copper-sulfide mining has a perfect track record of polluting nearby water. Metal mining is the largest source of toxic releases reported to the EPA. No redesign changes that chemistry.

The DNR must now decide whether these changes are big enough to require a full new environmental review. If so, there will be a public comment period. We'll make sure you know exactly when/how to weigh in. We've stopped this mine for 20 years. With your support, we'll keep Minnesota's water clean.

Today, PolyMet-NewRange notified the Minnesota DNR that it wants to change its proposed copper-sulfide mine — after spending two decades telling us the original plan was safe. 🧵

25% more ore every day. New material transport. New waste disposal. That's not a tune-up. It's an admission that the plan our state spent millions of your tax dollars defending in court should never have been permitted.

28 July

Celebrate another season of No Boundaries! Reconnect with alumni, meet our community, and learn more about the program that's helping young people connect with the outdoors. We hope to see you there! RSVP: https://www.friends-bwca.org/event/alumni2026/

friends-bwca.orgBWCA Wildfire Update & Ways to HelpBe part of the BWCA Wildfire Update webinar to understand the impacts of wildfires and how you can help local businesses.

23 July

We know there are a lot of questions regarding the wildfires affecting the BWCA. Please join us at noon today for a live conversation featuring Drew Stroberg, Acting Forest Supervisor, along with local outfitters and business owners. Register: www.friends-bwca.org/event/wildfi...

16 July

Multiple wildfires are burning across the Boundary Waters and Superior National Forest. Join us for a live webinar with firsthand updates from those on the ground and expert insight into what's happening. Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cLh7gopUQjqpmF6PM1qrfA

16 July

13 July

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is temporarily closed due to extreme weather and multiple wildfires burning in the Superior National Forest and BWCAW. Here's what you need to know. Thank you to everyone on the front lines!

10 July

Toxic sulfide mining threatens the BWCA but your gift can go twice as far. 💙 Thanks to the Johnson Ohana Foundation, donations are matched up to $2,500 through our partnership with Jack Johnson's 2026 Summer Tour. Double your impact: https://www.friends-bwca.org/donate-jack-johnson-match/

9 July

Summer is in full swing in Ely! ☀️ Thanks to everyone who joined us at recent community events. We love being out and about, connecting with our community, and celebrating the BWCA together. Next up is our 50th Anniversary Bike Tour on August 22. Learn more and sign up at the link in bio! 🚲

8 July

Our Climate and Conservation Manager, Sam Reed, joined WTIP to discuss climate impacts in the Boundary Waters, making research accessible, and how communities can prepare for a changing landscape. Listen: https://wtip.org/ecologist-encourages-action-hope-in-the-bwca-amid-climate-change/

4 July

Nature’s fireworks show 🌌 If you’re in the Boundary Waters this summer, take a peek at the night sky after the sun goes down… It’s one of the best places to see the Milky Way, meteor showers, and Northern Lights. 📸 Will Schultz • Ethan Allen • Mara Stewart • Mark Tade