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Sigurd Olson
Listening Point
The Foundation
SIGURD OLSON
Sigurd discovered his love of nature growing up in northern Wisconsin.
Moving to Ely, MN with his wife and two children he taught high school & junior college in Ely, MN for 24 years. In 1936 he became dean of the Ely Junior College, a position he held until 1947 when he resigned to devote himself to writing and conservation.
Sigurd traveled and guided others through Quetico-Superior (several million acres of lake land wilderness) for many years, convinced that wilderness provided spiritual experiences vital to modern civilization.
He helped draft the Wilderness Act, which became law in 1964 and established the U.S. wilderness preservation system.
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Sigurd Ferdinand Olson (April 4, 1899 - January 13, 1982) was born in Chicago, Illinois and spent most of his childhood in northern Wisconsin, where he formed his life-long attachment to nature and outdoor recreation.
He married Elizabeth Dorothy Uhrenholdt in 1921 and later had two sons; Sigurd Jr. and Robert.
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Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Sigurd was a scholar.
Beginning with a bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1920, he returned to school focusing his graduate work in geology and later earning his master’s degree in animal ecology from the University of Illinois in 1932.
He taught from 1923 to 1936 when he became the dean of Ely Junior College, a position he held until he retired in 1947.
He has a humanistic philosophy showcased in nine books, speeches, interviews and magazines. His writing is known to evoke emotion from his audience, connecting their internal experience with the natural world.
W.H. Hudson, John Burroughs, Henry David Thoreau, Aldous & Julian Huxley, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Lewis Mumford and C.G. Jung and many more made an influence on Sigurds work.
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The Singing Wilderness (1956)
Listening Point (1958)
The Lonely Land (1961)
Runes of the North (1963)
Open Horizons (1969)
The Hidden Forest (1969)
Wilderness Days (1972)
Reflections From the North Country (1976)
Of Time and Place (1982)
Songs of the North. Howard Frank Mosher, ed. (1987)
The Collected Works of Sigurd F. Olson: The Early Writings, 1921–1934. Mike Link, ed. (1988)
The Collected Works of Sigurd F. Olson: The College Years, 1935–1944. Mike Link, ed. (1990)
The Meaning of Wilderness: Essential Articles and Speeches. Edited and with an Introduction by David Backes. (2001)
Spirit of the North: The Quotable Sigurd F. Olson. Edited and with an Introduction by David Backes. (2004)
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Residing in Ely most of his life, he traveled and guided the Quetico-Superior; several million acres of lake land wilderness spread and shared between Canada and the United States. It was here that Sigurd was convinced the wilderness provided spiritual experiences vital to modern civilization, kick-starting his conversation & writing careers.
His conservation work began in the 1920s as he defended the Quetico-Superior area from development. Thrusting Sigurd into the frontlines of conservation work in the 1940s, he fought to ban airplanes from flying into this wild and thriving area of northern Minnesota.
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He held many roles as he advocated for conservation efforts.
Wilderness Ecologist ~ Izaak Walton League of America ~ 1948 - 1982
Vice President ~ National Parks Association ~ 1951 - 1953
President ~ National Parks Association ~ 1953 - 1959
Vice President ~ Wilderness Society ~ 1963 - 1968
President ~ Wilderness Society ~ 1968 - 1971
Advisor ~ National Park Service ~ 1959 - Early 1970s
Advisor ~ Secretary of the Interior Office ~ 1959 - Early 1970s
In addition to his impressive resume, he contributed to the draft of the Wilderness Act which became law in 1964. He helped establish Alaska’s Arctic Wildlife Refuge and assisted in identifying & recommending Alaskan lands that were preserved in the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980.
He was also pivotal in the establishment of Point Reyes National Seashore in California and Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota.
In recognition of his amazing works and efforts, he was given the highest awards from four of the five largest U.S. conservation organizations:
~ Sierra Club
~ Wilderness Society
~ National Wildlife Federation
~ Izaak Walton League
LISTENING POINT
“Everyone has a
listening-point
somewhere.”
Sigurd F. Olson
Experience Listening Point through Sig's own words.
The short film above features the first chapter of Sigurd F. Olson’s book Listening Point, published in 1958, and is narrated by Douglas Wood. Produced in collaboration with Wolvenwood Studio in Ely, MN, the film features the stunning natural beauty and peace of Listening Point through artful cinematography and spectacular drone footage.
The Listening Point property was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
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Listening Point, located on the south arm of Burntside Lake, was Sigurd and Elizabeth Olson’s retreat in the north woods of Minnesota. They initially purchased 26 acres, and eventually enlarged their property to about 36 acres. The property, less than ten miles from their home, included a small beach, a cove bordered with alder and willow, upland stands of second-growth birch and pine, and large boulders dropped into place during the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age ten thousand years ago.
Most important, however, was the westward-facing point itself: glaciated greenstone rock fringed with weathered pines and partly covered with a patch of bearberry and juniper. Sitting on the end of Listening Point, Sigurd could look out over the wide-open spaces of Burntside Lake, listen to the birds, watch the sunset, and regain some balance in a life that had become more and more hectic at an age when many people were beginning to think about retirement.
Sigurd Olson created Listening Point in 1956 as a private retreat. It became widely known and celebrated after Alfred Knopf published Olson’s book, Listening Point in 1958.
THE FOUNDATION
Listening Point Foundation is dedicated to preserving
Listening Point and advancing Sigurd F. Olson's wilderness philosophy.
The Listening Point Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Ely, a small town in northern Minnesota on the edge of the wilderness, where Sigurd Olson and his wife Elizabeth lived for several decades.
Founded in 1998 by Sig’s younger son, Robert K. Olson, the foundation was named after Listening Point, the rugged northern Minnesota lake shore property that inspired Sig and became his continued place of connection to the vast wild places he knew and loved so well.
Listening Point was donated by the Olson family when the Listening Point Foundation was established in 1998.
Our vision is to foster people's connection to wild places by inspiring them to find their own listening point.
Listening Point was a place of connection for Sig, continually renewing his sense of wonder and gratitude for the natural world. A central theme throughout his written works and speeches is the idea that wilderness is important to the well-being of the human spirit.
Now headquartered there, the Listening Point Foundation provides public education via tours & events in addition to maintaining the land, properties & assets of Sigurd F. Olson.
Meet
Freja
Meet Heather
Freja serves as the Executive Director of Listening Point Foundation.
She began her journey with LPF in 2020 as the Program Director and has led over 100 tours and events for members of our community and beyond.
When she’s not out in the woods with her two dogs, you can find her exploring new restaurants and local breweries with her husband or hanging out at home with her 4 cats.
Heather serves as the Operations Manager of Listening Point Foundation.
She joined Freja on the mission to share Sigurd’s wilderness philosophy in early 2024 and is most looking forward to spend more time in the boundary waters.
She owns a candle company in Ely, MN and spends her time hiking in nature with her dog, Minnie, expanding her knowledge of history & exploring nature.
Board of Directors
Patsy Mogush, President
Cori Mattke, Secretary
Alan Brew, Interim Treasurer
Sue Duffy
Chris Fink
Kathleen Floberg
Claudia McBride
Suzie O’Gorman
Carolyn Sundquist
Bill Teft
