A major online event honoring the 50th anniversary of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore will be held on March 30th and 31st. The Resource Stewardship Symposium, which is free and open to the public, will feature expert presentations on a wide variety of topics concerning the national lakeshore – from shipwrecks and the role of wildfire on the landscape to piping plovers, underwater photography, fisheries, songbird migration, and political history. To register, go to https://www.northland.edu/centers/soei/apostleislandssymposium. The registration deadline is March 28.
“The Apostle Islands has long been a landscape of stories, a place where humans and nature meet,” said Jeff Rennicke, Executive Director of Friends of the Apostle Islands which is sponsoring the event.
“This important symposium brings together experts in each field of study to offer the public both a retrospective view of what has occurred in these islands over the last 50 years and to set the stage for the next half century in the park. It is an important milestone for anyone who cares about the Apostle Islands.”
The short presentations (20-45 minutes each) include such topics as “Gaylord Nelson and the Creation of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore” by retired NPS historian Bob Mackreth, “A Singing Wilderness: Songbirds of the Apostle Islands” by Ted Gostomski of the NPS Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network, and “Under the Surface and Zaaga’igan Ma’iinganag (Lakewolves)” by Toben Lafrancois of Northwest Passage.
Other agencies represented in the lineup include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, the University of Wisconsin, the Midwest Archeological Center, and Great Lakes Ecological Services. All of the presentations will include a Question and Answer session and will be recorded for later viewing on the Friends of the Apostle Islands website.
“Having this 50th anniversary symposium online this year offers a chance for everyone who loves these islands, from near and far, to register, log on, and participate in this one-of-a-kind event.”
Jeff rennicke, executive director
Thanks to sponsorship by the Friends of the Apostle Islands, Northland College, the National Park Service, the Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy, the Bayfield Heritage Association, and the support of the National Parks Foundation “Strong Parks/Strong Communities” program, this historic event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
- To register by March 28th, go to the Northland College website at
- For more events honoring the 50th Anniversary of the park, go to https://friendsoftheapostleislands.org and join us in celebrating the Apostle Islands.
