About Us

Save the Rookery began in early 2021 as a grassroots community effort to protect a long-established great blue heron rookery in Olmsted County, Minnesota. The rookery—known for decades to nearby residents—was threatened by a proposed housing development, prompting concerned community members to organize, learn the local land-use process, and advocate for the protection of this ecologically sensitive site.

What started as a small group of neighbors quickly grew into a broad community movement. Supporters gathered information, consulted with ecologists and bird experts, attended county and township hearings, submitted public comments, wrote opinion pieces, and engaged with local and regional media. Over time, more than a thousand community members signed petitions, attended meetings, and voiced support for protecting the rookery. Students, educators, conservation advocates, and residents from across Minnesota became involved.

Save the Rookery also worked to propose constructive solutions. These included exploring the possibility of land acquisition, advocating for partial development plans that would preserve the most sensitive habitat, and encouraging designation of the site as a Minnesota Scientific and Natural Area (SNA). Although these efforts did not ultimately prevent development at the original site, they helped elevate conservation as a community priority and exposed structural challenges in how land-use decisions are made.

Beyond the rookery itself, Save the Rookery has had a broader and lasting impact. The effort increased public awareness of habitat loss and its effects on bird populations, influenced local land-use planning discussions, and helped motivate civic engagement. Conservation became a visible issue in local elections, community members ran for public office, and local planning documents were revised to better account for sensitive natural areas. People from other parts of Minnesota have since reached out to learn from this experience and apply similar approaches in their own communities.

While the future of the original rookery remains uncertain, Save the Rookery reflects what sustained, community-driven advocacy can achieve: education, engagement, accountability, and a stronger public voice for conservation. The work done through this effort continues to inform conversations about how communities balance development with stewardship of natural resources.