Lake Superior Podcast
58 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 30 ratingsWe are made stronger by story and there’s no better source than the continent's largest body of freshwater, Lake Superior. Join hosts Walt Lindala and Frida Waara as they highlight the five National Parks that ring this Greatest of the Great Lakes - meeting the people, touring the places and learning about the projects that make these parks and body of water so remarkable.
Join our podcast community! Please share your own stories, comments and podcast episode suggestions (www.nplsf.org/community).
Brought to you by The National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation (www.nplsf.org).
Theme song: King Whirl by David Huckfelt (www.davidhuckfelt.com).
Photo Credit: David Guttenfelder.
Podcast sponsored by Café Imports, a Minneapolis-based importers of fine, specialty green coffees.
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Episodes
S5 E3: Dan Fountain - Author, Shipwreck Historian and Researcher
April 03, 2024 11:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBLake Superior is home to an estimated 550 shipwrecks, with approximately half of them still undiscovered. In this episode of the Lake Superior podcast, hosts Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Dan Fountain, author, shipwreck historian, and researcher, about his lifelong passion for exploring Superior's depths and uncovering the stories behind these sunken vessels. He shares the challenges of finding shipwrecks in these vast and deep waters and explains the process of using side scanning ...
S5 E2: Phyllis Green - Former Superintendent of Isle Royale National Park - Ballast Winter
March 13, 2024 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBLake Superior tops the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem as well as the longest deep-draft inland waterway, extending from Duluth, Minnesota, to the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic Ocean. Roughly 10,000 cargo ships pass through the Soo Locks every year. When it comes to protecting the Great Lakes from invasive species, monitoring the ballast water on these cargo ships is key. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Phyllis Green, former Su...
S5 E2: Phyllis Green, Former Superintendent of Isle Royale National Park - Ballast Winter
March 13, 2024 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBLake Superior tops the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem as well as the longest deep-draft inland waterway, extending from Duluth, Minnesota, to the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic Ocean. Roughly 10,000 cargo ships pass through the Soo Locks every year. When it comes to protecting the Great Lakes from invasive species, monitoring the ballast water on these cargo ships is key. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Phyllis Green, former Su...
S5 E1: Dr. Sarah Hoy, Research Assistant Professor at Michigan Technological University - Isle Royale Winter Study Suspended
February 28, 2024 11:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBUnseasonably warm weather along Lake Superior from Sault Ste. Marie to Grand Portage has canceled a host of winter events from sled dog and cross-country ski races to snowmobile rides and ice fishing tournaments. But it’s not just tourism that has been effected by mild temperatures. After 65 years of monitoring wolf and moose populations at Isle Royale--the longest predator-prey study in history--scientists had to suspend their 7 week Winter Study because of challenges accessing the island. ...
S5 E1: Dr. Sarah Hoy - Research Assistant Professor at Michigan Technological University - Isle Royale Winter Study Suspended
February 28, 2024 11:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBUnseasonably warm weather along Lake Superior from Sault Ste. Marie to Grand Portage has canceled a host of winter events from sled dog and cross-country ski races to snowmobile rides and ice fishing tournaments. But it’s not just tourism that has been effected by mild temperatures. After 65 years of monitoring wolf and moose populations at Isle Royale--the longest predator-prey study in history--scientists had to suspend their 7 week Winter Study because of challenges accessing the island. ...
S4 E12: Craig Blacklock, Photographer & Author - Moose Lake, Minnesota
January 17, 2024 11:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBCraig Blacklock first started taking pictures when he was nine years old, following his father, Les Blacklock, a pioneering nature photographer. By the time he was 15, he had graduated to capturing images on a large format 4x5 camera. Over his career, his award winning photos have been published in books, calendars and exhibits. He has been called the "Ansel Adams of Lake Superior," and in this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Craig from his home i...
S4 E11: Karl Koster, Park Ranger - Grand Portage National Monument
January 03, 2024 11:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBGrand Portage National Monument in northern Minnesota sits right in the middle of the Canoe Capital of the World. The National Park has many boats on display, from smaller crafts used for gathering rice and hunting to huge Voyageur canoes used to haul thousands of pounds of furs to Montreal. Every summer visitors come to the park not only to learn more about the fur trade, but to also learn the secrets of how these age-old boats were built. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt ...
S4 E10: Beth Kirschner, Author of "Copper Divide" - Ann Arbor, Michigan
December 13, 2023 11:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBChristmas Eve, 1913, was a tragic night in Calumet, Michigan. 73 people—59 of them children--were killed when someone falsely yelled, “Fire,” at a crowded Christmas party on the second floor of the Italian Hall setting off a deadly stampede. The disaster occurred five months into a crippling labor strike between Western Federation of Miners Union workers and the Calumet Hecla Mining Company. Now, 110 years later, Beth Kirschner has written about the historic labor dispute and what has been...
S4 E9: Hannah Bradburn, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Visual Information Specialist & Emma Olechnowicz, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Ranger
November 29, 2023 11:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MB78 lighthouses circle Lake Superior, 42 of those navigational aids dot the Michigan shoreline. Au Sable Point Light Station in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore ranks one of the most popular. Built in 1874, it stands 86’ tall and the original third-order Fresnel lens could beam a light as far as 17 miles out on Superior. Pictured Rocks’ Hannah Bradburn, Visual Information Specialist, and Ranger Emma Olechnowicz often lead tours to the Light Station and in this episode of the Lake Superior ...
S4 E8: John Shepard, Associate Professor and Assistant Director at the Center for Global Environmental Education, Hamline University
November 01, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBLake Superior is one of the fastest warming lakes in the world. And when it comes to getting people’s attention about the warming, film is a powerful medium. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with film maker John Shepard about his upcoming documentary, “A Sea Change for Lake Superior.” John shares what his team at the Center for Global Environmental Education at Hamline University is doing to get the world out and ways we can be better stewards t...
S4 E7: John Mueller, Owner of the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge
October 06, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBAs daylight hours begin to wane, the darkest months of the year are ahead. For many, it means more time to get outside and pay attention to what’s happening through the night in our sky. In this episode of Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with John Mueller at the historic Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Named an official International Dark Sky Park, John shares what the Lodge has done to earn that distinction and even more important, what happen...
S4 E6: Joe Hughes, Chief Ranger at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
September 06, 2023 11:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MBPictured Rocks National Lakeshore stretches along 42 miles of Lake Superior shoreline from Munising to Grand Marais. The year-round park covers roughly 114 square miles and includes 22 back country camp grounds, many circling the 10 inland lakes and 100 miles of trails. It’s rugged and remote. So, what does it take to be Chief Ranger in the heart of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula? In this episode of Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara learn from Joe Hughes about the year-round re...
S4 E5: Tomás Sowles, Chief Pilot Isle Royale Seaplanes
August 16, 2023 11:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBIsle Royale ranks the most remote of the five National Parks on Lake Superior. Only two ways to get there; by boat or sea plane. Whether you go by air or water, weather rules. Guests of this podcast concur, "Lake Superior is always the boss.” In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Isle Royale Sea Planes Chief Pilot Tomas Sowles about the charm and challenge of flying visitors to one of the world's most remote wilderness areas.
S4 E4: Victoria Manganiello, Artist in Residence at Rabbit Island
August 02, 2023 07:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBWhen looking for a place to renew, refresh, reset, where do you go? The fresh air and endless horizon of Lake Superior have long created a place for folks to come to heal, contemplate change, and be inspired forward. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast Walt Lindala and Frida Waara meet New York artist Victoria Manganiello and learn about time alone at Rabbit Island, as the Artist in Residence.
S4 E3: Anna Deschampe, Chief of Interpretation, Grand Portage National Monument
July 19, 2023 07:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBLake Superior’s fur trade dates back to the 16th century and the best place to get an understanding of that rich history is a visit to Minnesota’s Grand Portage National Monument. For most people, the best way to learn is by doing and since 1972, volunteers have been coming together to commemorate the annual Fur Trade Rendezvous with re-enactments and workshops to experience life in the 1790’s. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara learn more about the an...
S4 E2: Jo Holt, Historian at Keweenaw National Historical Park
June 14, 2023 10:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBOn July 23, 1913, life changed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and for union workers across the country. It was on that date that roughly 9,000 copper miners walked off the job in the Keweenaw peninsula protesting working conditions and wages. The strike lasted 8 months and in this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Jo Holt, historian at the Keweenaw Historical Park, about what was happening in Calumet 110 years ago and its impact on the labor movemen...
S4 E1: Peggy Burkman, Piping Plovers at Apostle Islands
May 25, 2023 06:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBA walk on the beach is good medicine for the soul, and Lake Superior’s sandy shores make for the perfect place to take a stroll. But every spring and summer, sections of shoreline are not open to the public, and for a very important reason. In this episode of Lake Superior podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Peggy Burkman, biologist at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore about the work she and her team do to help a tiny shorebird, the piping plover. Join our podcast community! Pl...
S3 E10: Jonathan Pauli, Professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin Madison
February 24, 2023 22:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBStudying the wildlife of the Great Lakes Region is fascinating. The ebb and flow of populations from moose and wolves to plovers and brook trout have kept biologists circling Lake Superior for centuries. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara learn about a mammal rarely seen in our woods but key to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Jonathan Pauli, Professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin Madison has been documenting the Pine M...
S3 E9: Blake Freking, Veteran Musher
January 23, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBFor over a century, Lake Superior has been a region for sled dogs. First as a reliable way to deliver mail, and more recently as a competitive winter sport. In fact, among the five national parks, four of them team up with local volunteers to host sled dog races. Coming up at the end of January, the John Beargrease race—the oldest and largest event--takes off from Duluth, Minnesota, headed up the shore to Grand Portage. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waa...
S3 E8: Seth Stein, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University
December 13, 2022 06:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBThe rock that rings Lake Superior has fascinated visitors for centuries. From the most common Basalt, Granite and Rhyolite to Agates and the popular “Yooperlite” that glows fluorescent under black lite, the shoreline makes a rock hound’s paradise. When it comes to “Reading the Rock” and explaining the geologic story, there’s none better than Professor Seth Stein from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast with...
S3 E7: Aaron Persenaire, Ranger III Ship Captain
November 18, 2022 14:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBOut of the 63 National Parks—or even all of the 423 National Park properties--Isle Royale ranks one of the toughest to get to. It takes some planning because you can only arrive by float plane or boat. Since 1958, the 165 foot Ranger III, has been making the 73 mile journey from Houghton, Michigan, to Isle Royale’s Rock Harbor. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara learn more about the job and highlights of the 6 hour journey from Captain Aaron Persenaire...
S3 E6: Vanessa Pierce, Apostle Island Cruises Assistant Manager
October 31, 2022 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.3 MBThe Apostle Islands National Lakeshore covers 21 islands and a 12 mile stretch of mainland near Bayfield, Wisconsin. It’s a lot of territory to cover, but thanks to the Apostle Island Cruise ship, visitors can take a narrated sightseeing tour and learn about the 8 historic lighthouses, shipwrecks, sea caves and more. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara speak with Vanessa Pierce, Assistant Manager of the Apostle Island Cruises to learn more about the t...
Apostle Islands Cruises - An Interview with Vanessa Pierce - S3 E6
October 31, 2022 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.3 MBInterested in an Apostle Islands boat tour? Learn more about the types of cruises and what to expect with Vanessa Pierce, Assistant Manager of the Apostle Islands Cruises. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a National Park in Wisconsin. It covers 21 islands and a 12 mile stretch of mainland near Bayfield, Wisconsin. It’s a lot of territory to cover, but thanks to the Apostle Island Cruise ship, visitors can take a narrated sightseeing tour and learn about the 8 historic lighthouses, ship...
S3 E5: Heather Boyd, Grand Portage National Monument
October 15, 2022 16:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBGrand Portage National Monument has a new Superintendent, Heather Boyd. In 2008, Heather started with the National Park Service at Isle Royale. As a tribal member with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, she is the first Anishinaabe to head Grand Portage. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Heather shares with Walt Lindala and Frida Waara how her heart and heritage have lead her back to Minnesota’s north shore.
S3 E4: Aaron Peterson - Filmmaker, Fresh Coast Cofounder
September 19, 2022 18:00 - 34 minutes - 23.4 MBNothing tells a story like film and coming up October 13-16, 2022, is the 6th annual Fresh Coast Film Festival in Marquette Michigan. The 4-day gathering celebrates the outdoor lifestyle, water-rich environment and resilient spirit of the Great Lakes with over 80 films from around the region, as well as the world. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, co-hosts Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Aaron Peterson, filmmaker and Fresh Cost cofounder to learn how to best drink from ...
S3 E3: Shawn Sitar - Fisheries Biologist, Michigan DNR
August 22, 2022 05:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBLake Trout are a prized sport fish, but they are also considered a keystone species to the health of Lake Superior—now the only Great Lake where you can still find this critically important fish. Without Lake Trout, the ecological balance of Lake Superior would suffer, and that’s why Fisheries Biologist Shawn Sitar with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has such a passion for the study and preservation of Lake Trout. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and F...
S3 E2: Susan Reece - Chief of Interpretation and Education, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
August 01, 2022 05:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBMaking vacation plans? No matter what the season, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, spanning 43 miles of some of the Lake’s most dramatic shoreline, has plenty to satisfy every adventure appetite, from a boat cruise out of Munising along the cliffs, to a rugged multi-day hike beginning at the Sand Dunes in Grand Marais. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Chief of Interpretation and Education, Susan Reece, shares with Walt Lindala and Frida Waara some planning tips to make the mos...
S3 E1: Dave Lorenz - Vice President of Travel Michigan
June 27, 2022 17:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBFrom Native Americans to modern day travelers, Lake Superior has welcomed summer visitors with cool, clear water and wooded escapes. Dave Lorenz, Vice President for Travel Michigan understands the lure of the Lake, especially since Michigan, as a state, has the most Superior shoreline at an estimated 917 miles, and three of the five National Parks on the Big Blue. In this episode of Lake Superior Podcast he shares with Walt Lindala and Frida Waara the importance of public lands along the Lak...
S2 E13: Carl Hansen - Pictured Rocks Kayaker
June 08, 2022 16:00 - 29 minutes - 20.7 MBLake Superior ranks one of the planet’s most magical places to sea kayak. Wild and rugged shoreline, forested islands and endless stretches of remote sandy beaches lure newcomers as well as veteran paddlers to adventure. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Carl Hansen, the man who brought commercial kayaking to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore over three decades ago. Carl has extensive experience paddling not only his home shore in Munising, ...
Pictured Rocks Kayaking - An Interview with Carl Hansen - S2 E13
June 08, 2022 16:00 - 29 minutes - 20.7 MBPlanning on kayaking in Lake Superior? Learn how to prepare for a safe and successful trip with kayaker Carl Hanson. A Pictured Rocks kayak trip can include wild and rugged shoreline, forested islands and endless stretches of remote sandy beaches, luring newcomers as well as veteran paddlers to adventure. It ranks as one of the planet’s most magical places to sea kayak. Carl Hansen, the man who brought commercial kayaking to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore over three decades ago, is inter...
S2 E12: Fred Schlichting – Ranger, Lighthouse Keeper, & Historian
May 23, 2022 05:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBSince opening the Soo Locks in 1855, lighthouses have been a part of Lake Superior’s most dramatic landscape signaling rocky shoals, cliffs and dangerous passages. Many of those towers are still visible today. In fact, on the Lake Superior circle tour--which covers 3 states and the province of Ontario Canada--you can see 56 lighthouses or towers; some you can actually tour. The greatest concentration of lighthouses in a National Park is in the Apostle Islands headquartered in Bayfield, Wisc...
S2 E11: Ian Planchon - Filmmaker
April 25, 2022 05:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBAt 31,700 square miles, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in North America. When measuring surface area, it ranks as the largest freshwater lake on the entire planet. How has climate change affected that much water? Filmmaker Ian Planchon of Minneapolis, Minnesota, started out making a film about surfing on Lake Superior, but what he found out has become a much bigger story. In this episode of Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara speak with Ian and learn more abou...
S2 E10: Tom Wright - Quincy Mine Hoist Facilities Manager
April 11, 2022 18:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBThe Quincy Mine operated in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for nearly a century. Today, visitors can learn more about the copper boom and tour the mine in Hancock as one of the 22 Heritage Sites of Keweenaw National Historical Park. In this episode of Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Tom Wright, Quincy Mine Hoist Facilities Manager, about the fascinating industrial geohistory of the area and the crucial role copper played in the development of our country. Sponsore...
S1 E9: Tim Cochrane. Author & Former Grand Portage National Monument Superintendent
March 22, 2022 19:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MBPeople have lived along Lake Superior since the glaciers retreated 10,000 years ago. For the last 500 years, the Anishinaabe have called the region home. Their history is rich with stories of hunting, gathering, fishing, and trading. Tim Cochrane knows many of those stories. He has spent his career with the National Park Service, beginning as a backcountry ranger, adding historian, anthropologist, and ultimately Superintendent to his experience. He has been a faithful steward of Superior’s h...
S1 E9: Tim Cochrane, Author & Former Grand Portage National Monument Superintendent
March 22, 2022 19:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MBPeople have lived along Lake Superior since the glaciers retreated 10,000 years ago. For the last 500 years, the Anishinaabe have called the region home. Their history is rich with stories of hunting, gathering, fishing, and trading. Tim Cochrane knows many of those stories. He has spent his career with the National Park Service, beginning as a backcountry ranger, adding historian, anthropologist, and ultimately Superintendent to his experience. He has been a faithful steward of Superior’s h...
S2 E8: Anna Deschampe and Briand Morrison
February 28, 2022 06:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MBGeorge Morrison grew up a member of the Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in a rural fishing village on Lake Superior. The first highway opened from Duluth to the Canadian border at about the same time. As one of 12 children, life was a struggle, but George showed remarkable talent as an artist at an early age. George graduated from Grand Marais High School at the height of the depression. After high school, he went to the Minnesota School of Art, where he earned scholarship...
S2 E7: Musician Penny Menze and Calumet Theatre President Dan Jamison
February 14, 2022 06:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBOn March 20, 1900, life in Michigan’s Copper Country forever changed with the opening of the Calumet Opera House. As one of the first municipal theaters in the country, it attracted some of America’s finest actors and performers including Sarah Bernhardt, Harry Houdini, and John Philip Sousa. Now, as one of the 21 Heritage Sites of the Keweenaw National Historical Park, work is underway to celebrate that history and in this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara t...
S2 E6: Stephanie Pearson, Author & Journalist
January 24, 2022 06:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBWhen it comes to storytelling, few writers in the Great Lakes have logged in as many words about the outdoors as Stephanie Pearson of Duluth, Minnesota. Her career began at Outside Magazine, where she was on the editorial staff for more than 13 years. Her assignments circled the globe, and her work has earned four Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers. Her book, "100 Great American Parks," will be published by National Geographic in May 2022. In this episode of the...
S2 E6: Stephanie Pearson, Author & Journalist
January 24, 2022 06:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBWhen it comes to storytelling, few writers in the Great Lakes have logged in as many words about the outdoors as Stephanie Pearson of Duluth, Minnesota. Her career began at Outside Magazine, where she was on the editorial staff for more than 13 years. Her assignments circled the globe, and her work has earned four Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers. Her book, "100 Great American Parks," will be published by National Geographic in May 2022. In this episode of the...
S2 E5: Ross Anthony, Board Member, Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association
January 10, 2022 06:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBLake Superior ranks as one of the planet's best snowmakers, and communities around the Lake celebrate winter with gusto. Snow and terrain make the region the perfect playground for a variety of marathons and festivals, including some of the nation's premier sled dog races: John Beargrease in Duluth, Minnesota; Apostle Islands in Bayfield, Wisconsin; Copper Dog in Calumet, Michigan; Tahquamenon County in Newberry, Michigan; and UP 200 in Marquette, Michigan. Since 1990, Michigan's central...
S2 E4: Bill Thompson - Michigan Ice Fest organizer.
December 27, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBSome of Lake Superior's five National Parks are closed for the winter. But Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has become one of the most visited winter recreation areas in the Great Lakes. Headquartered in Munising, Michigan, Pictured Rocks is home to trails for snowshoeing, skiing, and snowmobiling. The park also ranks as one of the nation's premier ice climbing venues. Coming up February 9, the 30th annual Michigan Ice Fest—the longest-running ice-climbing event in the country—kicks off in...
S2 E3: David Huckfelt - Folk Musician & Lake Superior Podcast Theme Music Composer
December 13, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBWe spend much of our daily lives indoors, and for a professional musician yearning for inspiration, the chatter and distraction of life can dull the creative process. For mid-west based Folk Musician David Huckfelt, his Artist-In-Residence stay at Isle Royale National Park made a difference in his songwriting. He shares his experience with Walt Lindala and Frida Waara, underlining the power of landscape and the power of song to fuel energy back into art and message. David is also the Lake Su...
S2 E2: David Gerth - Chairman, Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society
November 29, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBLighthouses have long been key to development and safety around the Great Lakes, guiding ships along nearly 11,000 miles of coastline. From the original 267 lighthouses constructed, more than 200 are still active. According to Lake Superior Magazine Circle Tour, 56 of those lighthouses are still operating on the Big Blue, each rich in history. Rock of Ages Lighthouse, located 22 miles from Minnesota and 4 miles out into western Lake Superior from Windigo Harbor at Isle Royale, ranks one of t...
Isle Royale National Park - An Interview with Superintendent Denise Swanke - S2 E1
November 15, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBLearn about Michigan’s Isle Royale, the most remote national park in the Midwest, with Park Superintendent Denice Swanke. Isle Royale's isolation and primitive wilderness have challenged humans for centuries. Ironically, today they have become Isle Royale’s main attractions. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, there’s a whole new wild world to explore when you do arrive. Snow is falling at Isle Royale and the park has closed for the season, but that doesn’t mean work is done for the year ...
S2 E1: Denice Swanke, Superintendent, Isle Royale National Park
November 15, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBSnow is falling at Isle Royale and the park has closed for the season, but that doesn’t mean work is done for the year on this remote archipelago. After her first full season at the park, Superintendent Denice Swanke shares with Walt Lindala and Frida Waara her plans for 2022, and a look back at what the summer—including a wild fire—brought to the islands. Sponsored by Cafe Imports, a Minneapolis-based importer of fine, specialty green coffees. Independently owned and operated since 1993,...
S1 E13: Frida Waara & Walt Lindala, Hosts of the Lake Superior Podcast
September 20, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBLake Superior is a magnet for some, and it's not just the rich iron ore that draws so many to the shores. As Podcast Hosts Walt Lindala and Frida Waara explain, "it's more complicated than that." Walt, a veteran Upper Peninsula broadcaster, grew up in Chassell, MI. This "Copper Country" boy's roots run deep in the mining and Finnish heritage of the Keweenaw. Frida grew up in downstate Michigan near a Finnish community in Wixom. The members always talked with reverence about Lake Superior and...
S1 E12: John Arnold - Historical Architect, Keweenaw National Historical Park
September 05, 2021 19:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBOur National Parks tell so many stories. Some of those stories are about wild places and the natural landscapes. Other parks reveal stories from the cultural landscape, the people and professions that built communities. John Arnold is the new Historical Architect at Keweenaw Historical Park, headquartered in Calumet, Michigan, the heart of Copper Country. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, John shares more about his job preserving the buildings and industrial sites that help us al...
S1 E11: Nell Holden - Business Operations Director, Wilderness Inquiry
August 16, 2021 05:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MBEverything gets better when you get outside. But how do you make that bridge to the woods and waters for kids in metro areas or folks with mobility challenges? Wilderness Inquiry has been on a mission since 1978 to do just that: make sure everyone, regardless of their abilities, has access to the outdoors. Whether those experiences are day hikes with elementary-aged children or month-long expeditions, it's Nell Holden's job to put fulfill that mission statement. In this episode of the Lake ...
S1 E10: David Guttenfelder - Photographing The Apostle Islands
August 02, 2021 05:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBIf you follow Artifact Uprising founder Katie Thurmes, you may know her quote, “We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” For anyone who has left home in search of a story, an experience, a memory, those words have resonance. David Guttenfelder is such a spirit. He is not only an award-winning National Geographic Photographer, but with an estimated 100 countries on his passport, he has also earned the title National Geographic “Explorer." In this episode of Lake Superi...
S1 E9: Drew Rush - Capturing Images on Isle Royale National Park (Part 2)
July 20, 2021 19:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBWhen it comes to remote “camera traps” for capturing wildlife images, Drew Rush is world renowned. His patience and perseverance to find the perfect plant for his lens make him a true stand out in the field of nature photography. Earlier this season, we learned about this National Geographic award-winner’s travels to Isle Royale in the fall of 2020, to stage cameras through the winter. In May 2021 he returned to the park to retrieve those memory cards. In this episode, Drew shares what his i...