An unforgettable night for the Wilderness: 2025 Boundary Waters Gala recap

Last week, Boundary Waters defenders gathered in community with over 480 of our closest paddling friends for an unforgettable evening: the 2025 Boundary Waters Gala. Surrounded by passionate supporters, storytellers, and leaders, we celebrated the beauty of Canoe Country and recommitted ourselves to protecting it permanently.

Thanks to the generous support of our attendees, we raised more than $340,000. These funds will power our work into the challenging road ahead. Fighting in the courts, lobbying in Congress, conducting high-quality and innovative science, and educating communities across the country.

We were deeply honored to be joined by two powerful voices for the Wilderness: Terry Tempest Williams and U.S. Senator Tina Smith.

Terry Tempest Williams is a writer, conservationist, and activist whose words have long been a rallying cry for those who love wild places. Her work has inspired generations to stand up for public lands, and that night, her message reminded us that protecting places like the Boundary Waters is not just environmental work, it is spiritual, emotional, and deeply human work.

U.S. Senator Tina Smith is a steadfast champion for the Boundary Waters in Congress. A longtime advocate for public lands, she has stood with our movement through thick and thin, fighting for permanent protection of this one-of-a-kind wilderness. Her powerful remarks reminded us how critical it is to have leaders in Washington who listen, who care, and who act. This year, she introduced historic legislation that would protect the watershed of the Boundary Waters permanently.

Together, they brought storytelling, urgency, and inspiration to the stage. They helped us remember what is core to the fight for the Boundary Waters: legacy, belonging, and future generations.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this important evening at Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis. If you weren’t able to attend we would love to see you next year, in the mean time you can still make a gift and help us continue this critical work to protect the Boundary Waters.