Welcome to the Listening Point Foundation

Located in Ely, Minnesota, we are the Sigurd F. Olson legacy organization. Founded in 1998, Listening Point Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to keep his legacy and philosophy alive in the world today while preserving the properties where he lived, wrote, and reflected on the relationship between wilderness and the human spirit.
Listening Point was a place of connection for Sig, continually renewing his sense of wonder and gratitude for the natural world. Honoring that, our vision is to foster people’s connection to wild places by inspiring them to find their own listening point.

Sigurd F. Olson

Sigurd Olson (1899-1982) was a well-known environmentalist, award-winning conservation activist, and best-selling author. Though he lived in Ely, Minnesota and took numerous trips within the Quetico-Superior wilderness, he traveled widely and influenced the creation and preservation of natural areas across the country. Learn more about Sigurd Olson here.

Listening Point

Sigurd Olson created Listening Point in 1956 as a private retreat on the shores of Burntside Lake. It became widely known and celebrated after Alfred Knopf published Olson’s book, “Listening Point” in 1958. Learn more about Listening Point and how to visit here.

The Foundation

Founded in 1998 by Sig’s younger son, Robert K. Olson, the Listening Point Foundation continues to promote Sigurd F. Olson’s legacy. Located in Ely, MN, the Foundation headquarters in the Olson family homestead, and continues to preserve Sig’s Writing Shack and the Listening Point property, along with providing educational tours and opportunities to the community. Learn more about the Listening Point Foundation here.

If we can move into an open horizon where we can live in our modern world with the ancient dreams that have always stirred us, then our work will have been done.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Open Horizons, 227

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Everyone has a listening-point somewhere. It does not have to be in the north or close to the wilderness, but some place of quiet where the universe can be contemplated with awe.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Listening Point

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The movement of a canoe is like a reed in the wind. Silence is part of it, and the sounds of lapping water, bird songs, and wind in the trees. It is part of the medium through which it floats, the sky, the water, the shores.

—Sigurd F. Olson
The Singing Wilderness, 77

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When one finally arrives at the point where schedules are forgotten, and becomes immersed in ancient rhythms, one begins to live.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Reflections from the North Country, 27

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I think the loss of quiet in our lives is one of the great tragedies of civilization, and to have known for a moment the silence of the wilderness is one of our most precious memories.

—Sigurd F. Olson
The Singing Wilderness

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Beautiful country, unspoiled country today is something sacred. It is so easy to rob a wilderness of its charm, so hard to bring it back.

—Sigurd F. Olson
From draft of untitled speech, ca 1934

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We should preserve our silent sanctuaries, for in them we perpetuate the eternal perspectives.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Of Time and Place, 18

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The solution to man’s probing and puzzlement is really as simple as sitting outdoors and looking at a sunset, feeding squirrels and chickadees, or caring for trees and flowers.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Reflections of the North Country, p. 51

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Silence is one of the most important parts of a wilderness experience; without it the land is nothing more than rocks, trees, and water.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Reflections from the North Country, 40-41

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Joys come from simple and natural things, mists over meadows, sunlight on leaves, the path of the moon over water.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Open Horizons, 170

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The same sun shines everywhere and the same moon and the wind. One place is as wild as the other and as beautiful if one can only see with eyes that understand.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Journal, February 20, 1940

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If you lose the power of wonder, you grow old, no matter how old you are. If you have the power of wonder, you are forever young—the whole world is pristine and new and exciting.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Wilderness World of Sigurd Olson DVD

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Unplanned contemplation comes softly as falling mist, or the first snows of autumn.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Reflections from the North Country, 148

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We cannot all live in the wilderness, or even close to it, but we can, no matter where we spend our lives, remember the background which shaped this sense of the eternal rhythm, remember that days, no matter how frenzied their pace, can be calm and unhurried.

—Sigurd F. Olson
Reflections from the North Country

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We are dedicated...

To preserving Listening Point and advancing Sigurd Olson's wilderness philosophy.

Listening Point Foundation works to create strong connections with our community and supporters near and far. Our volunteer tour guides take visitors to Ely out in all seasons to experience the coziness of the Olson family home, the historic Writing Shack, and the wonder and beauty of Listening Point. Here in Ely, we now offer annual scholarships to the local high school and community college. We enjoy welcoming teachers and student groups to guided tours that explore Sig's national impact on wilderness preservation in Minnesota and across North America.

600+

Annual Visitors

$10,000+

In Scholarships

2000+

Volunteer Hours

Keep the legacy alive by donating

We are working hard to create a sustainable financial future for the Listening Point Foundation.

Your donation helps us keep the mission alive and the Foundation moving forward. You can also make a lasting impression by donating a brick to our patio engraved with a message of your choice. Learn more by clicking below!

Donate Now Donate Engraved Brick

Upcoming Events

Women’s Writing Workshop 2023

Start on: 5:00 PM

2714 Van Vac Ln

Renew with us on Burntside Lake in September! September 14-17 in Ely, Minnesota. Registration opening this summer. Updates will be posted in our upcoming newsletter and on our social media. Watch this space for registration and pricing details! Longing for a deeper connection with nature? Craving a creative and growth-oriented community of women? Desiring support […]

Our Community & Volunteers

We are grateful!

Tour guiding, service projects, building maintenance, garden tending, office organization, event volunteering, and so much more! Giving their time, efforts, and energy, Listening Point Foundation volunteers are an important and cherished part of our organization.

Learn more about what is going on in our community and how to volunteer!

From the Guest Book

We love the quiet of Listening Point. We heard a pileated woodpecker, and then saw it fly by. The landscape and the soundscape are just what we need to fortify ourselves before going back to everyday life.

Connie & John, Guests

What a great tour, with all the personal history and insights! Thank you so much for making the area come alive. We got many interesting pictures, even if only with our phones! But in our minds’ eye and memories, we carry so much more away from here.

Jim, Keith, & Peggy, Guests

Wow! It’s magical – I’d love to stay…

Linda, Guest

Amazing visit and it was full of inspiration for a young naturalist!

Stewart, Nathan, & Shirley, Guests

So great to see other folks still talking about Sig. Thank you for sharing this beautiful place with us.

YMCA Camp Widjiwagan – Summer Staff 2016, Guests

Thank you, Listening Point Foundation and Patsy! It was just wonderful to finally get out here and see Sig’s property.

Jason, Guest

The breeze, the quiet, the joy – Thank you.

Emily, Guest

First time here, first time in MN. Beautiful and inspiring.

Thomas, Guest

I love the sound of the winds in the pine trees.

Ellie, Guest

Now we know why we are here!

Kathy, Guest

Thank you for the legacy and preserving this important time & place in history. So peaceful, one cannot help but listen!

Joy, Guest

Thank you Phil & Listening Point Foundation for preserving Sigurd’s legacy. May his memory continue to inspire us to preserve and protect the natural world because once it’s gone it’s gone. Listening Point is that type of place to listen, understand, and perhaps be moved to experience the awe and reverence of the natural world.

B.S. Kessler, Guest

Here at last! Thank you Alanna for the tour. Precious place, preserved for all to be aware of our natural world. This is awesome.

Dave & Jane, Guests

Each trip here is inspiring…a journey for refreshing the spirit…a time for learning.

Dennis & Martha, Guests

The Wilderness Field Station’s “Conservation in the Wild” course has studied Sigurd Olson’s work on conservation, but seeing how he lived his life has made his words come alive. Thank you for this experience!

Roarke, Amelia, Jess, Leah, Walt, & Michaela, Guests

This place is inspiring. There is something to be said for those things still wild.

Grace, Guest

Once again it is wonderful being here at Listening Point. We feel Sig and Elizabeth here with us.

Andy & Jackie, Guests

I pulled the book Listening Point off my parents’ bookshelf in about 1968, and it set me on a course to become a streams fish ecologist and to write For the Love of Rivers which won the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. This place provided the inspiration for that touchstone for my entire life.

Kurt Fausch, Guest

May places like this be ever kept.

Jeanne & Steven, Guests

Can’t wait to pick up one of Sig’s books. Coming to Listening Point touched my soul.

Listening Point Short Film

Watch our new short film that follows the first chapter of Sigurd F. Olson's book, Listening Point. Narrated by Douglas Wood.

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View Film

Explore the World of Sigurd F. Olson

Keep the Legacy Alive

Introducing: Gusty Island