A passion for bettering habitat makes Craig DeJong Minnesota Outdoor News’ Person of the Year

In late April, at his home near Glenwood in west-central Minnesota, Craig DeJong was asked to reflect on the many wildlife habitat projects he’s helped come to fruition.
“Would you want to see one?” DeJong asks. “I’d like to show you one because a picture is worth a thousand words on that.”
An hour later, DeJong is standing along a shoreline overlooking a small wetland on a state wildlife management area that’s been completely revitalized during the past few years. A mix of birds sing on this cloudy afternoon, a bit of mist in the air. The honking of Canada geese overwhelms the songbird chorus. It’s a completely different scene from only a handful of years ago, before work was done on the property.