Red Lake DNR Employee Wins McKnight Foundation Award for Work With Youth

A Red Lake DNR worker who has spent the past several years building an outdoor work program for youth recently received a 2025 Virginia McKnight Binger Heart of Community Honor from the McKnight Foundation.

Bemidji’s Joshua Jones understands how much of an impact getting out into nature can have on someone’s life, which is why he created an outdoor youth work program focused on helping Red Lake youth from ages 15 to 25.

“You don’t really expect someone to know what they want to do for the rest of their life when they’re still an 18-year-old kid,” he explained. “A lot of the kids that are in the foster care system or in the juvie system, they kind of get the first pick on if they want to work on the program, getting youth out and building things for the community.”

The program doesn’t have an official name yet but is run through the Red Lake DNR. For his work with the community, Joshua recently was named a 2025 Virginia McKnight Binger Heart of Community honoree, one of only seven throughout Minnesota.

“The awards have been around for 40 years.” said McKnight Foundation Communications Director Jacques Hebert. “They recognize incredible everyday heroes in every corner of the state of Minnesota who are doing really tremendous work to help their neighbors, strengthen their communities, and overcome divides.”

“I love the work I do and I don’t really want or need the credit,” said Jones. “You know, I wouldn’t be getting that award if it wasn’t for the youth that I do work with and all the different work that we do.”

The programs allow Red Lake youth to work in building parks and trails outdoors and holds cultural learning workshops. Along with working with nature and giving kids jobs, Jones also aims to be a mentor for youth in their personal lives and prepare them for the future.

“He’s someone who’s incredibly giving of himself and deeply cares for his community and the next generation,” Hebert added. “And so the nomination of Josh really spoke to that.”

“There’s an easier way through life and you don’t have to make all these really bad decisions that just make your life way more complicated than it needs to be,” said Jones. “And there’s a happier life out there. And I’m, you know, whatever I can do to try to help some of these youth that I work with, to not make those same mistakes that I did and hopefully have a happier life earlier than I did. That’s really a big motivator for me.”

Jones was awarded the honor for the Northwest region of the state. Five of the other honorees come from all regions of Greater Minnesota, and one person was recognized from the Twin Cities.