Stanchfield Creek Park Preserve

An ambassador of the outdoors is someone that enjoys sharing their love of nature with their friends, family, and community. In Isanti County, Carol Urness can be considered such ambassador. For more than 40 years, she’s shared her deep love of the outdoors with friends, family, and community—and wanted to ensure more Minnesotans could benefit from being in nature.

In 1964, Carol first purchased 40 acres of beautiful wetlands, birch and tamarack forests in Maple Ridge Township, Isanti County to observe wildlife and study botany. Slowly, she protected more land around this natural refuge and by 1980, acquired more than 730 adjoining acres to share with an ever-growing audience.

This land was her haven for birding, wildlife observation, and botanical exploration. It included sweeping scenic vistas, vast grasslands, inviting forests, and over two miles of shoreline along Stanchfield Creek, a tributary of the Wild & Scenic Rum River. Carol details the incredible flora and fauna of the space in her book, Critters, Creeks, Neighbors, and Woods: A Natural History of Isanti County, and writes, “the land provides a retreat and sanctuary for those who need a respite from too much noise and action.”

Today, Isanti County is a fast-developing area in need of parkland. Recognizing this need, Carol worked with Trust for Public Land to preserve their acres as a space that everyone could enjoy in perpetuity.

With our partners at the Isanti County Parks Department, we helped make her dream a reality by turning this space into the county’s first park preserve. Once open, the park will be an ultimate destination for hiking and wildlife enthusiasts to enjoy the spender of nature. It’s staying true to its natural state, which will help prevent floods, preserve the water quality of its namesake creek, and contribute to vital carbon storage for generations to come.

Funding for this project came from a grant from the Minnesota DNR’s Natural and Scenic Area Program which in turn received funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.