Zegrahm Expeditions recently published a list of favorite/important non-profits to support, based on suggestions from a number of the company’s expedition leaders: https://www.zegrahm.com/notable-non-profits-we-love
My contribution to the list is Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, a leading voice (since 1976!) for the ongoing protection, preservation and restoration of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. Carved by glaciers and sculpted by water, there are countless reasons why the Boundary Waters is the most popular Wilderness Area in the United States. At over 1.1 million acres, the BWCA contains more than 1,100 lakes, 1,200 miles of canoe routes, a dozen rugged hiking trails, and endless opportunities to explore.
When anyone asks me my “all-time favorite place to travel to” on the planet, my answer is the Boundary Waters. To be in the presence of wolves (the largest population in the Lower 48 states!), moose, lynx, eagles, otters, mink, and snowshoe hares while immersed in such a wild place is a privilege. Also, nowhere else have I experienced such silence as I have in the Boundary Waters. One time, on a 12-day solo canoe trip across the Boundary Waters in 2007 (as part of a fundraiser for cancer research), I found myself one (absolutely still) evening hearing what can only be described as the beeping sound of a large truck backing up on a road somewhere. But there were no roads for tens of miles, so I was confused. Then I realized what the sound was: it was SO quiet that I was hearing was the sound of blood rushing through the blood vessels of my ears!
Two copper-sulfide mines are currently proposed on the edge of the Boundary Waters. If approved, it’s all but guaranteed that Acid Mine Drainage from these mines will contaminate the groundwater and seep into surrounding lakes and streams. Read more about this story (here); and about how Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness is involved in raising awareness about the magnificence of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, in the hopes of keeping this magical place pristine for generations to come.
