Record-breaking 2026 Boundary Waters Gala

On Thursday, May 7, hundreds of people gathered — in person and online — to celebrate, connect, and recommit to protecting America’s most visited Wilderness. The 2026 Boundary Waters Gala was a night none of us will forget.

More than 500 guests filled the room, plus virtual attendees joined from all across the country. Hundreds more participated in our silent auction. And together, we raised more than $445,000 for our Boundary Waters Defense Fund.

[o] Aleutian Calabay

The gala came at a consequential moment. The fight to protect the Boundary Waters is as urgent as ever. On Thursday, April 27, 2026, H.J. Res. 140, a devastating bill that overturned protections for the Boundary Waters watershed, was signed into law. This revoked Public Land Order 7917, which was signed in January 2023 and protected over 225,000 acres of federal land in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park from the threat of sulfide-ore copper mining for 20 years.

We were honored to be joined by U.S. Senator Tina Smith, a fierce champion for the Boundary Waters in Congress, including in our recent battle against the Congressional Review Act.

“We are not done defending the Boundary Waters. In fact, we are just getting started. And we will not rest until this sacred and precious place is protected forever from copper sulfide mining.” - Senator Tina Smith

Our keynote speaker, Baratunde Thurston, Emmy-nominated storyteller and host of PBS’s “America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston,” challenged the room to see this movement for what it truly is: a practice of democracy in action. His words cut through to something essential — protecting wild places isn't separate from civic life. It is civic life.

“I love this place because I love the people of this place and something that is much bigger than myself…. You are out here on bad political soil, planting seedlings of a future you may not live to see. And you keep doing it. Because you believe in a future. That is what a Boundary Waters defender is… You are the reason a kid yet to be born will walk down to the shore of a lake in northern Minnesota, dip a cup in, and drink. That kid will never know your name. That is the entire point.” - Baratunde Thurston

The overwhelming interest in this event and presence that night — in the room, on the livestream, in the auction — sent a clear message: this coalition is larger, more connected, and more determined than ever.

The fight to protect the Boundary Waters is far from over And nights like this one are exactly why we know we're going to win.

None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary generosity of our sponsors. Their commitment to the Boundary Waters makes events like this — and the fight behind them — possible.