Former teacher spent 30 years turning 150 acres into a wildlife wetland

Mike Niziolek, a former AP biology teacher decided that he did not want to limit his impact in the world to his classrooms and wanted to do something for the planet he loves so much. This is why he has spent the past thirty years, returning his 150-acre property Elk River, Sherburne County, Minnesota to the state it was in hundreds of years ago, before humans intervened with their lives and presence on it. He has spent decades working to recreate the condition of the land hundreds of years ago.For Niziolek, this is a critical mission. Scientists estimate Minnesota has lost 50% of its original wetlands. In the southern part of the state, it's more than 90%. “In this case, we’re trying to restore them, which is a much more difficult task than saving the ones that we already have,” Niziolek said.