Listening Point Foundation, Inc.

09/01/2026

We welcomed our final Road Scholars group of the summer to Listening Point last week. Doug Wood serenaded us in the cabin during a rain storm. As his song ended, the sun came back out. It was a perfect moment of beauty and peace in Sig’s cabin.

08/27/2026

The Ely Folk School is hosting a writing workshop at the Listening Point headquarters (the Olson family home) on September 5th. Visit their website to sign up!

08/26/2026

Sigurd F. Olson was the President of the National Park Association from 1951-1959, served on the Department of the Interior’s Advisory Board on National Parks and as a consultant to Secretary of the Interior Udall, and from 1968-1971 he was President of the Wilderness Society. Sigurd F. Olson was also instrumental in the creation and naming of Voyageurs National Park.

At a gathering of Park Service master plan teams in the 60’s he advised, “No matter what we are called, no matter what political pressures are brought to bear on you, every time a new development is proposed, look at it carefully and don’t be too tolerant…What you have a is a sacred trust, a trust that future generations will hold you accountable for…Look ahead to a time when due to the Service itself and its ideals, these places will remain intact.”

Love of the land is the basis
for the unending struggle of those
who really care against those
who see only material rewards.
Without love of the land, conservation lacks meaning or purpose, for only in a deep and inherent feeling for the land can there be dedication in preserving it.
-Sigurd Olson, Reflections from the North Country

Happy Birthday National Park Service!

08/24/2026

Last week, a few of Elizabeth Uhrenholdt Olson’s grand nieces came to visit the House, Writing Shack, and Listening Point. It was a joy to watch them go through Sig and Elizabeth’s photo albums that are still in our care.

08/20/2026

For most of his life, Sigurd F. Olson advocated relentlessly for the preservation of what is now the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In 1977 at a congressional hearing in Ely he testified: “Some places should be preserved from development or exploitation for they satisfy a human need for solace, belonging and perspective. In the end we turn to nature in a frenzied chaotic world, there to find silence, oneness, wholeness, spiritual release.” His work is now carried on by others who also recognize the sacredness of these important places.

For years, we’ve been in a battle over the future of the Boundary Waters. Minnesotans have watched nervously as lawmakers and regulators have wrestled over whether or not to allow this beautiful place to be spoiled.

I’m proud to say that uncertainty ends today.

08/19/2026

We hope you can join us! Book your ticket on our website!

08/03/2026

Young children are notorious for collecting rocks wherever they go. I am sure some people continue this habit past childhood, but I think the practice is more commonly forgotten as we grow up. This photo captures a child’s sense wonder at encountering an impressive rock collection and is proof that Sigurd Olson never lost his sense of curiosity and wonder. As evidenced by his rock collection in the Writing Shack rivaling that of most young children’s.

07/24/2026

We hope you can join us this fall for our Annual Northwoods Dinner! Our keynote speaker is Stephanie Pearson, a National Geographic Explorer and the author of “100 Hikes of a Lifetime U.S.A.” You can buy a ticket online at www.listeningpointfoundation.org/events. Join us for an evening celebrating the legacy of Sigurd F. Olson.

07/20/2026

The current and the first LPF Directors helped paint the new mural today! Thank you Nancy Scheibe for facilitating such an amazing community-focused art experience!

07/15/2026

Ash is falling from the sky and still the butterflies are out doing their important work.

We are grateful for all the people working to address the wildfires in our area. Thank you for all you do.