MCV Turns 85!

In October 1940, the first iteration of Minnesota Conservation Volunteer arrived in mailboxes around Minnesota. Eighty-five years and a few names changes later, the DNR's flagship publication is thriving, still presented in the same digest-size format it launched with, still educating readers about the importance of conservation.

How does this print magazine remain so durable in an era dominated by digital? Our subscribers provided some insight to this question in our last reader survey. According to the survey results from a few years back, the typical recipient of the Volunteer has subscribed to the magazine for 15 years. That number jumps to 19 years for annual donors of the magazine. Not only are MCV readers loyal, they're also highly engaged. Nearly 90 percent of survey respondents reported reading half or more of each issue. Perhaps the most surprising revelation was the fact that 83 percent of our readers prefer the print version of the magazine to its digital counterpart.

In short, the typical MCV subscriber is a print-loving nature nerd who savors each issue. If you fall into this category, thank you so much for your support. If you're not a subscriber, consider becoming one, as science journalism is more important than ever. Either way, I appreciate your picking up this edition of one of the longest-running publications in the state of Minnesota. Happy fall!