Photo Credit:  Benjamin Olson Photography

It‘s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.

~ Dr. Suess, The Lorax

Why Wilderness in the City? 

 Far too often, natural space in urban areas is viewed either as empty needing to be filled, or is left unmanaged and degraded.  

We have a different vision. 

These natural spaces are not empty — they are filled with opportunities for:

  • Nature-based education
  • Low-impact recreation
  • Valuable wildlife habitat

With proper management, healthy ecosystems throughout our urban natural areas and especially within our nature-based regional parks system can provide valuable support for:

Endangered Pollinators

Monarchs

Low Impact Recreation

Health and Wellbeing

Lebanon Hills Lake in Spring

The Next Generation of Stewards

Jenson Lake, Lebanon Hills

Habitat for Diverse Wildlife

bird-in-birch-lebanon-hills

Native Flora and Fauna

 

Our Mission

Wilderness in the City is dedicated to preserving and enhancing natural urban areas for future generations through:

  • Natural resource stewardship
  • Community outreach
  • Advocacy

We Envision

  • A legacy of parklands with healthy ecosystems for year-around, nature-based recreation and education opportunities.
  • Enhanced wildlife habitats in an otherwise developed urban setting.
  • Natural spaces, close to home and accessible to all, that offer respite from the built world around us.

“The value of nature as an essential aspect of our health, creativity, intelligence, and wellbeing is often overlooked.  Yet when nature is diminished, so are we.”

~Richard Louv

Where is your Wilderness in the City?

We’re building a photo gallery! 

Send us a photo and location of your Wilderness in the City and we’ll post it here.

Become A Supporting Member

Your contribution of $30 or more is vitally important to the work we do to preserve urban greenspaces for ourselves and future generations. Your donation to Wilderness in the City, a 501c3 non-profit is completely tax-deductible. Thank you for your support.

STAY INFORMED

Join our email list to be kept informed of our work on natural resource advocacy Lebanon Hills and other metro regional parks. Contact us to join our email list.

Ripple Effect!

Your support will help our efforts to restore and preserve green space throughout the 7-county metro region.  That, in turn, may directly or indirectly help other local organizations with similar missions including:    

Leave No Trace

Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water

Beez Kneez

Bee Kind MN

Neighborhood Greening

Minnesota Native Intelligence

Wild Ones Twin Cities

Save our Monarchs

U of M – The Monarch Larva Monitoring Project

Minnesota Dragonfly Society

Learn more about these urban natural areas people are working hard to preserve:

Environmental Friends of Veteran’s Park

Save the River Bottoms