This has been a hard year for the world. It’s been hard on St. Croix 360, too, with work and life significantly disrupted. But it’s also been an incredibly exciting year for what we’re trying to do.

At the end of last year, St. Croix 360 become fully independent, with no outside funding. We started asking for reader support in earnest, and you came through.

In August, we announced a goal to double our current number of supporters, which was 80, by the end of the year — seeking support from 160 readers in total. A week or two ago, we smashed that goal and have hit about 175 supporters. In fact, I am proud to report that St. Croix 360’s readers contributed more this year than any previous funding.

I knew I could count on you, but I am still honestly amazed. It’s an honor that so many folks find St. Croix 360 worth supporting. You make possible our river stories that inspire stewardship.

We’re still not fully funded — St. Croix 360 is published each week by a very part-time staff, operating on a shoestring budget. We will continue seeking funding next year to get to a point where we have adequate time and resources. I thank you in advance for putting up with that.

St. Croix 360 has grown significantly by every measure imaginable, and I thought I’d share a few pieces of information to show how supporters have helped the site thrive.

Website visitors

Email subscribers

Welcome, new readers! Almost 600 people signed up for St. Croix 360’s weekly newsletter this year. That represents a 32 percent increase! Thanks for entrusting us with your inbox.

Supporters

I’m not often at a loss for words, but the generous outpouring of support for St. Croix 360 this year has left me speechless. My sincere thanks.

We asked you to help us “reach the headwaters,” and you put us “over the St. Lawrence continental divide” into the Brule River (which flows north out of the same swamp the St. Croix flows south from).

Number of posts

St. Croix 360 published 202 articles this year. Compare to 193 in 2019 and 153 in 2018.

The posts represented numerous nonprofit organizations and businesses, government agencies, and all corners of this vast, fascinating watershed. Coverage is still weighted too much to the lower river, but I also didn’t travel far from home much in 2020 for any reason.

What matters most

All the numbers might not mean much, because it’s our stories and impact that matters most. It’s harder to put a number on that, but I believe St. Croix 360 has published some of its best and most important articles ever this year.

Check out the list 2020’s most-read stories

We have shared numerous stories about important conservation issues affecting the St. Croix, as well as many about finding “refuge on the river.” We’ve informed thousands, gotten people engaged and active, and educated readers about more reasons the St. Croix River is so special.

And we couldn’t have done it with you! Thanks again, and happy New Year.