Stories in Minnesota

Trees. Water. Soil.

Nature and Climate Solutions for Minnesota

Illustration of trees, water, soil and various wildlife.
Trees. Water. Soil. A campaign by The Nature Conservancy. ©

Nature and Climate Change

In Minnesota, where climate change is becoming evident through our warming winters and more intense rainstorms, we have a golden opportunity to lead on climate change. And we can do it with technology that already exists and can be deployed right now: nature.

Through simple actions like planting cover crops, changing the way we manage forests and installing community rain gardens, Minnesotans can make a big impact for people and nature.

In order to meet the pace and scale that effectively tackling climate change requires, we need everyone to pitch in. The good news is that we already have the blueprint—developed by Mother Nature herself!

Illustration of a person planting a tree.

Speak Up for Climate Action

Join our advocacy email list to learn about timely opportunities to speak up for nature in Minnesota. We'll keep you informed of how nature is doing at the legislature, and let you know when you can help by speaking up! Sign up for action alerts.

 

Illustration of trees, water and soil along with grazing cattle, fish and moose.

Opportunity

Nature's Solutions, Explained.

As we face the challenges and risks brought on by a changing climate, we often overlook nature’s ability to help us create conditions for life to thrive. In Minnesota, our future depends on more trees, cleaner water and healthier soils.

Watch Video
×

Our Climate Action Toolkit

  • Trees icon from the Trees. Water. Soil. logo lockup.

    Trees.

    Some of our biggest opportunities to make a difference in Minnesota lie in our forests. Avoided forest conversion, tree planting and improved forest management are all practices that demonstrate how trees can help us fight climate change.

  • Water icon from the Trees. Water. Soil. logo lockup.

    Water.

    As heavy rain events become more common, flooding and stormwater management are increasingly important issues. Tactics like rain gardens and retention ponds are essential tools to help Minnesota tackle water management in the climate fight.

  • Soil icon from the Trees. Water. Soil. logo lockup.

    Soil.

    One of our biggest untapped opportunities likely lies beneath the surface. Minnesota’s farms can lead the way with soil health practices that improve yields, clean the water and capture carbon from the air.

Nature-Based Solutions in Minnesota

In addition to reducing a significant portion of Minnesota’s greenhouse gas emissions, nature can make us more resilient to climate change. Explore all of our opportunity areas below!

Nature can offset up to 26 million metric tons of carbon in Minnesota. That's about 15% of our emissions and equivalent to taking 5.6 million cars off the road.
Cover crops could be planted to cover bare soils across 13.6 million acres in Minnesota, which would cut CO2 emissions by up to 6 million metric tons per year.
Protecting and restoring floodplains across 200,000 acres in Minnesota could save us up to $5 in flood damages for every $1 invested.
Reduced tillage (no-till and low-till farming) can cut Minnesota's CO2 emissions by up to 6 million metric tons if implemented at scale across 5.6 million Minnesota acres.
Planting trees in our forests, cities and neighborhoods could cut CO2 emissions by up to 8 million metric tons per year if implemented at scale across 3.6 million acres in Minnesota.
Rain gardens, which are installed/planted to manage stormwater, can filter up to 80% of pollution from rainwater runoff with the average garden filtering up to 36,000 gallons of water per year.
Minnesotans could protect up to 50,000 acres of existing forests and in doing so, store up to 50,000 metric tons of CO2 per year.
Protecting and restoring native grasslands across Minnesota’s 200,000 available acres could cut our CO2 emissions by up to 60,000 metric tons per year.
Restoring and improving the way we manage forests could help us withstand and adapt to climate change if implemented at scale across 4.39 million acres in Minnesota.
Protecting and restoring wetlands in Minnesota could cut up to 1 million metric tons of CO2 per year if implemented at scale across 1.1 million acres.
Nature can offset up to 26 million metric tons of carbon in Minnesota. That's about 15% of our emissions and equivalent to taking 5.6 million cars off the road.

The Power of Nature: Nature can offset up to 26 million metric tons of CO2.

Cover crops could be planted to cover bare soils across 13.6 million acres in Minnesota, which would cut CO2 emissions by up to 6 million metric tons per year.

Cover Crops: Crops grown to protect and enrich soil health.

Protecting and restoring floodplains across 200,000 acres in Minnesota could save us up to $5 in flood damages for every $1 invested.

Floodplains: Increasing a landscape's capacity to absorb heavy rains

Reduced tillage (no-till and low-till farming) can cut Minnesota's CO2 emissions by up to 6 million metric tons if implemented at scale across 5.6 million Minnesota acres.

No-Till / Low-Till: Minimizing soil disturbance increases carbon storage.

Planting trees in our forests, cities and neighborhoods could cut CO2 emissions by up to 8 million metric tons per year if implemented at scale across 3.6 million acres in Minnesota.

Tree Planting: Increasing carbon storage and protecting communities.

Rain gardens, which are installed/planted to manage stormwater, can filter up to 80% of pollution from rainwater runoff with the average garden filtering up to 36,000 gallons of water per year.

Rain Gardens: Green infrastructure that filters urban stormwater.

Minnesotans could protect up to 50,000 acres of existing forests and in doing so, store up to 50,000 metric tons of CO2 per year.

Protect Forests: Keeping forests as forests limits land-use emissions.

Protecting and restoring native grasslands across Minnesota’s 200,000 available acres could cut our CO2 emissions by up to 60,000 metric tons per year.

Protect Grasslands: Keeping grass in grasslands limits land-use emissions.

Restoring and improving the way we manage forests could help us withstand and adapt to climate change if implemented at scale across 4.39 million acres in Minnesota.

Restore Forests: Improved forest management can store more carbon.

Protecting and restoring wetlands in Minnesota could cut up to 1 million metric tons of CO2 per year if implemented at scale across 1.1 million acres.

Wetlands: Helps with flood mitigation and carbon storage.

Two hands holding several pine seedlings, to be planted.
Reforestation One of our biggest opportunities, both globally and locally, is the reforestation of areas where forests have been lost. © David Bowman

A Solution With Multiple Benefits

Investing in nature's potential is essential for navigating our way out of the climate crisis. It also comes with some other compelling benefits. Here are just a few:

  • 01

    Air Quality

    In addition to capturing and storing carbon dioxide, trees and other plants also filter particulate matter and other pollutants out of the air that would otherwise put vulnerable communities in harm’s way.

  • 02

    Water Filtration

    Increasing plant cover on our farms and other working lands will be key to both carbon capture and protecting Minnesota’s waters. By preventing erosion and providing natural filtration, we can keep our waters safe for drinking, recreation and wildlife.

  • 03

    Community Resilience

    As severe weather events become more commonplace in our state, so too does property damage as well as impacts on human health. Urban tree planting, retention ponds and rain gardens can not only beautify urban spaces but also make them more habitable in the face of climate change.

  • 04

    Quality of Life

    Of all the wonderful things nature does for us, the most notable benefit might also be the most intangible. Between the benefits listed above and the improved psychological outcomes of being around nature, we have plenty of reasons to invest more in nature’s potential. Put plainly, nature makes our lives better.

Climate Insights Delivered to Your Inbox

Whether you’re looking for updates from the Capitol or just want to stay informed about climate change in Minnesota, we’ve got you covered! Sign up below to get more of the news you want.

action alerts nature news
Four people standing in a farm field planted with cover crops.
Soil Health for Climate Action Minnesota’s farms can lead the way with soil health practices that improve yields, clean the water and capture carbon from the air. © Jason Whalen / Fauna Creative
Headshot of Matt Tentis, wearing a blue shirt that reads: White Barn Acres.
Matt Tentis Co-Owner, White Barn Acres LLC. © Dudley Edmondson

Matt Tentis, White Barn Acres LLC

Along with his brother Seth and their mother Kathy, Matt operates White Barn Acres, LLC, a 300-acre farm near Kellogg, in southeastern Minnesota. The White Barn Acres farm lies within the Mississippi River Valley and includes a wooded area and a stream that connects to the Zumbro River.

Farming runs in the family; Matt’s father and uncle were farmers too and raised dairy cattle, pigs and turkeys. Over time, they transitioned to corn and soybeans. The Tentis family now grows corn and soybeans and raises cattle. And they've made some additional changes, like switching no-till system and incorporating cover crops. These changes have not only helped with the management of the farm, they've also helped improve water quality and store more carbon on the farm.

We are learning as farmers that these conservation practices are profitable.

Two green gloved hands measuring the circumference of a pine tree in winter.
Soil Health Matt and Seth Tentis, brothers and farmers in Minnesota, have worked to improve soil health on their farm using no-till and cover cropping. © Dudley Edmondson

In addition to doing right by the environment, Matt and Seth have also learned that switching to regenerative farming practices helps keep the farm profitable by eliminating the need for certain inputs and saving them time in the fields.

Mission and values are central to how White Barn Acres operates. Their values influence their decisions about no-till and cover crops, as well as how they manage land they rent from other landowners. Over time, as a result of no-till and other practices, White Barn Acres has seen their soil health improve.

Matt's story, continued...

Headshot of Kenya McKnight Ahad, wearing a beige suit and white scarf.
Kenya McKnight Ahad CEO of the Black Women's Wealth Alliance and active member at the Masjid An-Nur 'Eco-Mosque' © Alora Jones/TNC

Kenya McKnight Ahad, Masjid An-Nur

A woman of faith and action, Kenya McKnight Ahad is truly a leader in her community. When her beloved Minneapolis mosque was experiencing flooding from Minnesota’s increased heavy rainfalls, she didn’t waste time. Kenya knew there were nature-based solutions that could help alleviate the water issues her mosque was experiencing, so she got right to work.

As a result of Imam El-Amin’s involvement, we are now recognized as an environmental leader in the Muslim community...

Back of the Masjid An-Nur mosque with bioswale (rain garden) in the foreground.
Bioswale Stormwater diversion projects like rain gardens and bioswales can make a big impact in communities bracing for climate change © Alora Jones/TNC

McKnight Ahad saw the flooding as an environmental justice issue and used her experience in transportation policy and her professional contacts to develop a plan to address it. Working with Masjid An-Nur's Imam, Makram El-Amin, she led the implementation of a new stormwater system that is also beautifying the neighborhood.

Kenya's story, continued...

Kevin DuPuis headshot.
Kevin DuPuis Tribal Chairman for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. © Dudley Edmondson

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Fond du Lac doesn't manage their forests, they're in relationship with them — a relationship that is foundational to their culture and ways of life. Their approach to the land is based in the concept that trees and other plants preceded humans in the order of creation. As an expression of their relationship with the land, the Fond du Lac Band act as stewards, with responsibilities not only to plants and animals, but also to their ancestors. Kevin DuPuis, the Band's Tribal chairman, underscores that there is no distinction between the Tribe and its land.

This land is part of my being, every part of my being. It’s a birthright, and it’s part of the natural world. If we don’t have woods, fish, wildlife and rice, we cease to exist as a people.

Rancher shoveling hay toward a row of feeding cattle in winter.
Tribal Lands and Waters Natural lake near the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation. © Stan Tekiela

As part of the Band's climate action plan, they have taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint, install renewable energy projects and enroll their forests in the National Indian Carbon Coalition. In addition to the carbon project, the Fond du Lac Band manages other forestland on which they promote sustainable forest management practices that help protect and encourage forest regeneration.

Fond du Lac's story, continued...

  • Trees icon from the Trees. Water. Soil. logo lockup.

    3.6 M

    The number of reforestable acres across Minnesota.

  • Water icon from the Trees. Water. Soil. logo lockup.

    3.4"

    Average annual precipitation increase in the past 100 years.

  • Soil icon from the Trees. Water. Soil. logo lockup.

    26 M

    How many metric tons of CO2 we can draw down with nature.

Let's Invest in Nature's Potential

Despite all that we know about the power of nature to help us both mitigate and adapt to climate change; we still are not employing nature at the scale and pace needed to meet our climate goals. We know that reducing emissions alone will not get us to where we need to be. We must also begin the work of sequestering carbon from our atmosphere and storing it—in forests, on farms and within our soils.

As we tackle climate change in our corner of the world, we must look at more of our most promising solutions if we are to meet the task at hand—including nature! According to scientific research, nature has the power to contribute 30% of the global solution to climate change. We already have the tools we need to get started, now we need them to be deployed rapidly and at scale.

Illustration of a cover cropped farm field controlling erosion with its healthy soils.

Science

Harnessing the Power of Nature

In the face of climate change, nature’s multi-million-year track record of providing stable conditions for life is worth paying attention to. Through simple actions, we can harness nature-based solutions for a more sustainable future.

Watch Video
×
Two young people planting a tree on a slope in front of a fence.
Tree Planting Increasing tree cover in places where people live is one step we can take toward improving people's lives in the face of climate change. © Caroline Yang

Ways You Can Help

  • Have a Connected Conversation

    Even though more than seven in 10 Americans believe climate change is happening and six in 10 are worried about it, two-thirds of Americans rarely, if ever, talk about climate change with the people they care about. Let's Talk Climate.

  • Speak Up for Nature-Based Solutions

    In order to preserve our lands, waters and our ways of life in Minnesota, we must be willing to speak up for nature. Join us! Speak Up for Nature.

  • Share Our Report

    Our recent report on nature and climate offers an in-depth look at Minnesota’s multiple pathways to climate resilience. Read up on nature’s potential in our state and share with your nature-loving friends! Download and Share.

Use Your Outside Voice!

Ready to start speaking up? Join our advocacy list to learn about timely opportunities to speak up for natural climate solutions and nature-based adaptation strategies at the state level.

speak up for nature