Meet the Save the Boundary Waters staff!

Nov 18, 2025
Save the Boundary Waters
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We’re highlighting a few of the amazing people behind Save the Boundary Waters. 

Our staff come from different backgrounds, with different journeys that led them to the Wilderness, but they all share a deep belief in what this place means to Wilderness lovers across the country. This blog will introduce you to some of the individuals and their personal stories that fuel this movement and remind us why this fight matters. 

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Megan in the Boundary Waters

Name: Megan Wind 
Title: Creative Content Manager

"I love this place so much. It makes me feel whole and connected to who I am. 

After almost nine years with Save the Boundary Waters, this work has connected me to the Wilderness in a way that goes far beyond simply visiting or paddling through it. The Boundary Waters isn’t just a magical place. It’s the soul and identity of this region.  It sustains clean water, supports local communities, and inspires people to slow down, explore, and connect deeply with the natural world.

When I moved to Ely almost three years ago, that connection grew even deeper. Living here, surrounded by people who love this place so fiercely and either move here or stay here, has truly changed my life. I love this place more than words can express, and I love the people who live here even more. Every day, I am reminded of what we’re fighting for."

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Name: Gillian
Title: Northern Regional Organizer

"The first trip I ever guided in the Boundary Waters, I remember sitting in a bed of red pines on Indiana Lake during sunset and thinking 'this is what love feels like.' I spent my first few years of travelling in the Boundary Waters through the lens of taking kids to experience this magical, yet challenging, wilderness. Now, I get to work every day to protect it from the threat of copper mining. Living in Ely, I’m lucky enough to be reminded every day of why I love this place so much, and that love continues to inspire me in this fight to protect it forever."

Name: Ingrid Lyons
Title: Executive Director

"Every day is different at Save the Boundary Waters and re-emphasizes just how grassroots this movement truly is. Whether I’m advocating in Washington and talking to coalition partners or connecting with community members on the wilderness edge and managing our incredible team, it is a daily honor to work alongside an incredible community of advocates who serve as an inspiration, even in the most challenging moments."

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Name: Maddie Holman
Title: Individual Gifts Officer

"What I’ve discovered is that the Boundary Waters means so much to so many people. For some, it’s the place where they learned to paddle, camp, and fall asleep under the dark skies. For others, it’s a place they’ve never set foot in, yet they understand that it’s a public land so rare and worth protecting. My favorite part of this work is hearing those stories about childhood canoe trips, first-time camping magic, or simply how someone can appreciate the pristine landscape from afar. I personally love that protecting this Wilderness means protecting those stories and memories, too."

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Name: Ben Karlgaard
Title: Duluth Community Organizer

"The Boundary Waters has been a part of my life since I was about six years old. After my family’s first trip to the backwoods, we’ve come back every year- whether that be summer, spring, fall or winter (brrr). This is the place where I have learned to slow down and connect with the people around me and the land we share. The BWCA has become a part of my identity, and through my work, I have discovered that it is a part of many Minnesotans’ identity, too. When I fight for the Boundary Waters, I am also fighting to protect our shared Wilderness identity."

Name: Lisa Pugh
Title: Water Quality Operations Manager

"Clean water, clean air, and the healthy boreal forest ecosystem sustain life in Northern Minnesota and beyond. We live at the headwaters of multiple major waterways that flow out in different directions across the country and I believe that we have a special responsibility not only to the Wilderness itself, but to make sure that when the water leaves our watersheds for the next one, that it is just as clean, safe, and drinkable as it is here. We have a responsibility to our own neighborhood but also to the communities downstream of us and to generations yet to come."

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Name: Sam Chadwick
Title: Associate Director

"The Boundary Waters has been my favorite place on earth since I was 10 years old. It’s an amazing place unlike any other. Sometimes we take for granted that this wild place is only protected because of leaders who came before and against great odds, set this place aside from development. We carry that work forward. Even in our current climate of impending rollbacks to the protections we’ve worked so hard for, I remain relentlessly optimistic because of the enduring love for and dedication to the Boundary Waters that I encounter every day in Minnesota and across the country, from community events in rural Minnesota to the halls of the U.S. Congress. I know we can protect this place forever, for everyone."

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Name: Mira Tomten
Title: Development Associate

"I learned the importance and value of public lands long before I ever visited the Boundary Waters. Growing up in Idaho, public lands were my playground, shaping who I am today. Now, working to protect the Boundary Waters, I’m inspired by how deeply this Wilderness lives in people’s hearts. Everyone has their own story here, yet we’re all connected by the same love for wild places and the community they create."

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Name: Lacey Squier
Title: Boundary Waters Connect Manager

"Since moving to Ely I have found a profound sense of community and joy. It is an honor and a pleasure to do good work for the benefit of people who have a heart home along the edge of the Wilderness."

Learn more about Boundary Waters Connect >>

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Name: Jess Kulik
Title: Boundary Waters Connect Administrator

"I grew up visiting Ely and the Boundary Waters. While the trips to the Wilderness were fun, my favorite part was spending time in Ely. Moving here, I’ve learned that a large part of what makes this place special to so many of us is the community we find in Ely. Whether that’s dinner in town with other people on your trip, watching the sunset over a lake, or wandering around Sheridan and Chapman Streets, the sense of community and connection to each other and nature is a part of what brings us to the edge of the Wilderness."

 

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