July: An Update From Director Travis Entenmen

Friends,

Partnerships are essential to the work we do and are a cornerstone of our organization. It is useful and productive to leverage the resources different organizations possess to protect air, land and water. Partnerships can help develop and advocate for policy, increase fundraising successes, provide increased land and water protection projects, and grow awareness and education on how all environments are interlinked and affect agriculture, economic development, habitat stability and climate change.

An example of a productive partnership is our relationship with Northern Prairies Land Trust (NPLT). We work with NPLT to advance land and water conservation and to promote a conservation ethic. NPLT is committed to the proposition that private lands can be managed in a way that achieves the goals of private landowners while simultaneously serving the public need to conserve natural resources and sustain rural and agricultural communities. We agree with this philosophy.

Another partnership example: We teamed up with Remedy Brewing in Sioux Falls to brew a special beer for Earth Day using Big Sioux River surface water. We pumped over 300 gallons of surface water to make 120 gallons of clean, drinkable water perfect for brewing a tasty Kolsch. By using beer as the subject, we educated the community on how we were able to brew a beer using surface water and what it took to make the water safe.

The staff, directors, and volunteers of Friends of the Big Sioux River value the partnerships we have established that unite and deploy people from all walks of life in our community, including in government and the private sector who share a stake in the improvement of the Big Sioux River. Community involvement is critical to achieving this vision, and FBSR seeks win-win solutions through strong partnerships and coalitions.

Yours in health,
Travis Entenman | Managing Director