Over the next several weeks Boundary Waters Connect will continue introducing you to people who relocated to the Wilderness-edge communities of northeast Minnesota. Last week you had a chance to meet Sven, who moved to a 60-acre sugarbush outside of Grand Marais to spend more time in nature with his two children.
This week you’ll meet Kes, who came to Ely from Jacksonville, North Carolina by way of the Conservation Corps. Kes set a goal to get involved in the Ely community, and ended up joining a writer’s group, volunteering at the food shelf, and participating in the Ely Field Naturalists club (to name only a few of Kes’ many volunteer engagements).
Kes’ involvement with the community gave him roots, as well as a strong network thanks to word of mouth connections. That network inspired him to tap into his entrepreneurial spirit and start his natural resource business, Growing Futures, which does fuel reduction work, invasive species removal, and other sustainability projects.