Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) funds a program catering to youth as young as 11 to “explore the intersection of queerness and nature.”
The DNR gave $10,500 to Clean River Partners to fund a program called QUEERY (Queer Unity, Environmental Education, and Recreation for Youth), led by a “trans-nonbinary naturalist” named Heron Mahr, The Daily Wire first reported.
“The club aims to address the lack of environmental education and outdoor skill-building opportunities for queer and questioning youth in our rural area,” an article on Clean River Partners’ website explains.
The program is new in 2024 and is reportedly recruiting students from Faribault and Northfield schools using gender and sexuality alliances that are there.
The money was given to Clean River Partners as part of the “No Child Left Inside” grant program, the DNR told The Daily Wire. QUEERY is intended for participants aged 11 to 17. “This free monthly program provides a space where participants can learn outdoor skills, build community, and explore how queerness manifests in the natural world,” the group’s webpage reads.
In an interview with Faribault Daily News, Mahr explained, “A big part of the club will be that educational piece around queerness in nature and what examples we can find right here close to home.”
As one example, Mahr pointed to female wood-frog tadpoles, saying they “can be trans in order to survive and have a better life.”
Parents aren’t banned, but they are asked not to attend the gatherings. In emails with Daily Wire staff, Jennifer Tonko, the executive director of Clean River Partners, expressly stated, “Parents are asked not to attend. It’s a space for youth.”
1/ Tim Walz' government is paying $10,500 for a they/them and a he/they to take sexually confused kids as young as 11 into the woods to talk about “queer” animal sex and trans frogs. Parents aren't welcome. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/o9V1mNpWEt
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) October 17, 2024
In a separate communication obtained by The Daily Wire, Mahr said that students are accompanied by adults, but that parents are asked not to accompany their child. Mahr also explained that straight students are not allowed to attend. “This club is designed specifically for queer and questioning middle and high school youth, and we kindly ask that you only attend if you belong to one of those groups,” Mahr said.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
