Nature Northwest Project Receives Recognition from U of M
The Nature Northwest Project, an inventory and economic analysis of nature-related recreation in Northwest Minnesota, has received an Award of Distinction from the University of Minnesota’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnership for its work on nature-based recreation and tourism. Dave Arscott, John Loegering, Dan Svedarsky, and Tyler Janke from the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) accepted the award from University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks at a reception held recently at Eastcliff, the president’s home.
Linda Kingery at the podium,
University President Robert Bruininks, Ingrid Schneider, John Loegering,
Dave Arscott, and Tyler Janke. Photo by Dan Svedarsky.
“Nature Northwest is a terrific example of what communities and the University can accomplish by working together,” said Linda Kingery, Executive Director of the Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership. “Communities are recognizing treasures in their own back yards, and realizing benefits for health, livability, economic activity and natural resources.”
The Nature Northwest Project has developed an inventory of nature-based recreational opportunities in the 21 counties of Northwest Minnesota. It encompasses the counties in the Red River Basin and Lake of the Woods. The inventory or “sourcebook” contains nearly 1000 entries of nearly every aspect of nature-related recreation. It has assembled in one convenient location a list of federal, state, county, city, and private lands with recreation potential. Each site also has the recreational opportunities listed. Most importantly, the web-based companion database is completely searchable.
“Recreational users could search for all the biking opportunities in Marshall County, for example, and come up with a list of locations,” said Dave Arscott, Nature Northwest Program Associate and Assistant Research Professor at the University of Minnesota. The current inventory is available at the project’s website www.nature-northwest.org.
“The Nature Northwest Project has far exceeded earlier expectations,” notes Dan Svedarsky, project advisor, professor, and program manager for UMC’s Natural Resources Department. “It is not only showcasing the natural amenities of northwest Minnesota, but has provided a connecting, synergistic umbrella for all sorts of nature-related initiatives in the region.”
The project also conducted a survey of visitors to the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail to assess visitation and economic impact from visitors to the trail that runs from Fergus Falls to Warroad. This work is in collaboration with Ingrid Schneider, a recreation specialist in the Department of Forest Resources at the University. Although analyses are ongoing, the preliminary survey results (available on the web site) indicate that the trail has attracted visitors from across the country that have been a source of income to local communities.
“We have made great strides in the first phase of this project,” said John Loegering, project director and University of Minnesota wildlife ecologist. “We hope to continue this work as we turn our attention to producing the Nature Guide to Northwest Minnesota.” The guide will be a full-color publication featuring 100 or more sites from the region. It is scheduled for completion late in 2004.
The Nature Northwest Project is funded by the Frank W. Veden Fellowship, the Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, and the Northwest Minnesota Foundation.
For more information about the Nature Northwest Project visit www.nature-northwest.org, or contact John Loegering, University of Minnesota, 2900 University Avenue, Crookston, MN 56716, phone: 218-281-8132, e-mail: jloegeri@umn.edu.
Posted 06/13/2003
Contact: Andrew Svec,
218-281-8435