Engeseth-Rinde Restoration Fund

To learn more about the application process and to apply for an Engeseth-Rinde Grant, CLICK HERE.

The Engeseth-Rinde Restoration Fund was established in 2016 by Don Nelson. In establishing the fund, Nelson worked with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Northfield Shares to arrange the sale of his property, the Engeseth-Rinde Farm. Nelson sold the farm to the DNR and donated the proceeds to Northfield Shares to create an endowment that would support restoration, research and education activities.

When originally asked about this donation, Nelson said, “I didn’t grow up on a farm, but I visited this farm often. I wanted to keep the farm in the family. Since there is no one in my family who would like to farm the land, I had to find another way to protect it. Selling the land to the DNR was the best way to make sure that the land would be protected.”

The fund was named after Nelson’s ancestors who originally owned the land, Hans and Randi Rinde and Anders and Helena (Rinde) Engeseth. Distributions​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Fund​ ​are​ ​used​ ​primarily​ ​for​ ​the​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​restoration,​ ​research,​ ​silviculture and​ ​related​ ​educational​ ​activities​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Engeseth-Rinde​ ​Unit​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Prairie​ ​Creek​ ​Wildlife​ ​Management Area.

Secondarily, disbursements​ ​from​ ​the​ ​fund​ ​can be​ ​used​ ​for the​ ​restoration,​ ​research, silviculture​ ​and​ ​related​ ​educational​ ​activities​ ​on​ ​the​ ​other​ ​units​ ​of​ ​Prairie​ ​Creek​ ​Wildlife​ ​Management Area​ ​and​ ​other​ ​properties​ ​within​ ​a​ ​defined​ ​corridor​ ​between​ ​Nerstrand​ ​and​ ​Dennison,​ ​Minnesota.​ ​Currently, ​the​ ​only​ ​other​ ​unit​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Prairie​ ​Creek​ ​Wildlife​ ​Management​ ​Area​ ​is​ ​the​ ​Koester Prairie​ ​Unit. Over the coming years, the current crops and woods will gradually return to prairie, wetland and oak savanna as restoration activities supported by the Engeseth-Rinde Restoration Fund take effect.

Since 2018, the Engeseth-Rinde Restoration Fund has awarded $104,675. Grant recipients include the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (planting and invasive species control), and the University of Minnesota Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior (balancing local adaptation and evolutionary potential), and St. Olaf College. For more information about the application process for this fund, CLICK HERE.

Please note: The Engeseth-Rinde Restoration Fund has a separate grant application process managed by an independent advisory committee that reviews applications and makes grant recommendations to Northfield Shares. The committee is comprised of​ ​representatives​ ​of​ ​each​ ​of the​ ​following​ ​groups: the​ ​Don ​Nelson​ ​Family, Minnesota​ ​Department​ ​of​ ​Natural​ ​Resources, St.​​Olaf​ ​College, Carleton​ ​College, Friends​ ​of​ ​Prairie​ ​Creek​ ​Wildlife​ ​Management Area and Northfield​ ​Shares. The​ ​Committee​ ​may​ ​invite​ ​members​ ​of​ ​the​ ​public​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​goals​ ​of​ ​the​ ​fund to​ ​attend​ ​and​ ​participate​ ​in​ ​its​ ​meetings.