Outdoors

St. Cloud looks to restore old stormwater tunnel for bats
The project will build a new, rerouted storm sewer to replace an existing brick-and-mortar tunnel built in the 1920s. That old tunnel will be restored to provide critical habitat for bats facing population declines due to a deadly fungal disease.
Forest Service expands Boundary Waters closure north of Ely amid growing wildfire concerns
Superior National Forest officials on Saturday night issued a new, much larger temporary closure order for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness north of Ely amid growing concerns about the threat posed by wildfires burning just across the Canadian border.
Quetico fires being closely monitored as new Boundary Waters closure takes effect Saturday
Forest Service and firefighting personnel in the U.S. are stepping up their response to wildfires burning in Ontario that threaten to cross the international border into Minnesota's Boundary Waters.
Crews making progress on wildfire east of Ely; new BWCA closures announced near border
More than 150 firefighters continued to battle Thursday through a jumble of downed trees to contain a wildfire burning east of Ely. Meanwhile, officials announced a new slate of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closures along the Canadian border.
Nature as a healer
When you’re stressed or anxious do you go for a walk in the woods? Or do you garden or kayak? Host Angela Davis talks about the healing benefits of nature with the founder of a nature-based therapeutics program, a holistic health practitioner and therapist who sees clients outdoors.
Interest in off-roading, boating explodes during pandemic
People who make and sell motorized recreational equipment from boats to four-wheelers and other all-terrain vehicles say they’re having difficulty keeping up with demand. They say the pandemic-related desire for outdoor activities has fueled growing interest in what are called “power sports.”
Funky fish: Gar garners protections from Minnesota lawmakers
The long, slender, toothy and prehistoric-looking fish will, for the first time ever in the state, be protected in ways similar to other gamefish, the result of a bit of an outcry on social media following a series of mass killings that some saw as wantonly wasteful.
Firefighters working through challenging conditions to contain wildfire east of Ely
Authorities say the largest of several wildfires burning in or near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness didn't grow from Saturday into Sunday — but it's proving to be a very challenging fire to contain.