NorthStar Trail Travelers: In The News

Awards banner — Order your awards banner now!

This year’s award banner to attach your awards to is one of the two Yurts at Afton State Park. Don’t let your awards lie in a drawer unappreciated for what they represent — your participation in our great walking events! Only $12!
Click below the graphic for a fill-in order form — type in information, print, attach your check and mail it in.

Click here to order your own awards banner.
Fill out form, write check and send to address on the form.

Thanks to NSTT volunteers!

None of what makes NSTT events so much fun would be possible
if it weren't for our many volunteers who help make our events happen.
These are the folks who step up to volunteer at events to add a
smiling face at our registration table, or a helping hand at the food table.
They're the ones who make sure you get started on the right trail,
or hand you a walking stick to make sure you navigate the park trails safely.
Or they're the behind the scenes crew without whose help,
you'd never know when to come to our events. The volunteers who keep
the NSTT Facebook page content current; or sent out email reminders
to you so you don't forget to put our events on your calendar.
They're the ones who spend days at our parks walking and scouting trails
to be used at upcoming events or putting mailing labels on your booklets
to make sure you have all the details in your hands.

Here's a list of the volunteers who helped with 2026 events —
hopefully we didn't forget anyone because you're ALL important to us!

Current Board members: Julie Bjorklund, president; Donna Seline, treasurer, event booklet/web page; Peter Cartwright, secretary, transports supplies; Lynne Grigor (organizes brat lunches/trail scouting/marking), Jim Swenson (registration, trail scouting/marking), Wally Swanson, (cooks/trail scouting/marking), Ellie Eskuri and Mary Waller (both scouting trails/marking/trail take down).

Additional volunteers: Evi Teachout organizes and stores supplies; Bonnie Lindenfelser produces the Ramblings newsletter; Maureen Mahowald does the email news blasts and takes photos at events; Crystal Meriwether writes a walking column for Ramblings; Ken Johnson is our regional chair, and takes down trail markers; Tom and Dianna Rogers do trail marking and take down; Wayne Heath is our hobo soup cook and 10 km leader; Bruce Gravelle is our trails trainer; Todd Johnson and Anita Kern do trail marking and take down; Diane and Linda Valen do trail marking/take down.

Thanks to all our volunteers for your service to NSTT!

NSTT and DNR renew formal partnership agreement

NSTT has been “partners” with Minnesota DNR State Parks and Trails for all 27 years of our club’s existence. We’ve worked closely with staff at parks and the Central Office in St. Paul to offer quality events in Minnesota State Parks.

In December 2025, NSTT and the DNR signed a new Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) for a formal partnership between the two organizations for the next five years. The MOU basically allows us to continue doing what we’ve been doing in the state parks for our events. What’s changed is that, as official partners, the DNR now will provide a number of services to NSTT at no cost, including use of facilities, as well as advertising in their printed material and on their website.

NSTT will provide from three to 10 events per year at various state parks. We will continue to do the work we’ve done in the past, providing workers to mark trails and remove signage, registration, cook food and clean up after our events.

NSTT has always worked closely with park staff to plan our events and contacted the Central Office when we’ve needed to. The additional credibility the MOU lends to NSTT events will be very important as we work to increase participation and membership in our family fun activities.