Resource Symposium Day 1 Articles

Articles about day 1 of the 2021 Resource Symposium.

Gaylord Nelson: mover, shaker, deal-maker

Gaylord Nelson: mover, shaker, deal-maker

Gaylord Nelson, who served both as Senator from Wisconsin and Governor of the state, is often described as “the father of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.” The characterization is apt, but barely scratches the surface in conveying the difficulties involved in transforming a dream dating to the late nineteenth century to reality in the turbulent 1960s. During eight years of proposals and counter-proposals, debate, maneuver, and compromise, Nelson faced and overcame obstacles including procedural bottlenecks, local resistance, Native American suspicion, and a National Park Service that...

Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle Islands

Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle Islands

Fish are an important part of the local culture and fisheries management has faced many challenges over the past 50+ years. Declines in fisheries due to invasive species and over-harvest began in the 1950’s and by the formation of the Apostle Island National Lakeshore in 1970 the fish populations were at historic lows. Fisheries management successfully focused on Lake Trout restoration goals thorough cooperative management of all users in Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior. Current management is focused on monitoring and setting safe harvest limits for fisheries through fisheries management...

Underwater Landscapes of the Apostle Islands

Underwater Landscapes of the Apostle Islands

In the upper Great Lakes region, the NPS protects diverse coastal environments in Lakes Michigan and Superior. Until recently, very little information existed with respect to the bathymetry, geomorphology, or benthic habitat features of these areas. Since 2010, NPS and partners have developed high resolution benthic habitat maps for six coastal parks in the Great Lakes, using a novel combination of LiDAR, multi-beam sonar, and satellite imagery. In addition to high resolution bathymetry, we collected photo and video imagery to validate substrate and benthic features documented in our mapping...

Emerging Water Resource Issues in the Apostle Islands

Emerging Water Resource Issues in the Apostle Islands

Unique among the world’s waters, Lake Superior lays an impressive foundation for our collective experience of the Apostle Islands. The lake is big, omnipresent, and seemingly resistant to change. However, a closer look reveals a variety of emerging issues and threats. High lake levels and increasingly intense storms have caused significant coastal erosion and damage to coastal resources. Historic rainfall events have delivered excess nutrients and sediments to the lake, affecting its clarity and interacting with warming water temperatures to cause unprecedented blooms of harmful algae....

Past, Present and Future of Fire in the Apostle Islands

Past, Present and Future of Fire in the Apostle Islands

Part 1 with Damon Panek, Apostle Islands NL “For generations, Native people in the Great Lakes region utilized prescribed fire to improve habitat, increase blueberry production, and clear the understory of vegetation. These frequent, low-intensity fires promoted fire adapted and dependent ecosystems. The medicines, species abundance and diversity, and foods created are what our Anishinaabe culture is rooted in. Our way of seeing the world was developed here around this lake and with fire,” said Damon. “Damon integrates Ojibwe culture, language, and history into the park’s education and...

Apostle Islands Flora

Apostle Islands Flora

Situated at the transition from northern hardwoods to sub-boreal forest, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore’s vegetation is a signature of both broad-scale physiographic processes and localized coastal and maritime influences. A variety of human uses and stewardship is also key to the natural history and vegetation patterns in the park. Diverse physical landforms and a variety of habitats contribute to the high total plant diversity of 810+ species documented within the Lakeshore. In this talk, I will provide a virtual tour of the predominant or unique plant communities and species in...

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Traditional Ecological Knowledge is all around us. In some circuits it’s a trending buzzword. What is TEK? How does it relate to scientific knowledge? Traditional knowledge is embedded within the very fabric of our existence as Anishinaabeg. Come learn a little about Ojibwe history in the upper Great Lakes and how these knowledge systems have been both maintained and revitalized to help many tribal nations with environmental relationships and environmental decision-making. Recording of this presentation is not available. Presenter biography Dylan Jennings, Great Lakes Indian Fish and...

50 Years of Archeology at the Apostle Islands

50 Years of Archeology at the Apostle Islands

Archaeological investigations at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore started in earnest shortly after the Lakeshore was designated in the early 1970s. Investigations have continued in the intervening years. This talk will share the stories of human use of the islands that archaeological work has illuminated for us thus far. The archaeological record at the Apostles is diverse, including sites related to fishing, logging, farming, and occupation from 5000 years ago to the mid-20th century. The information gained through archaeological excavations helps us appreciate the many ways in which...

Fifty Years of Cultural Resource Research at Apostle Islands NL

Fifty Years of Cultural Resource Research at Apostle Islands NL

The earliest evidence of human presence on the Apostle Islands dates to approximately 5,000 years ago when seasonal fishers utilized the cluster of islands that we call the Apostles and that the Ojibwe people call the Wenabozho Islands. From these early peoples to the park visitors of today, successive generations have left their imprint on the islands, resulting in a rich tapestry of cultural resources and human experiences. This presentation will look at the Lakeshore’s half century of efforts to study, understand, and steward these resources as well as the constant interplay between the...

A Retrospective – Research and Resource Management at Apostle Islands NL

A Retrospective – Research and Resource Management at Apostle Islands NL

The Apostle Islands are a homeland, a place of adventure, solace and beauty, afascinating natural laboratory, habitat for diverse plant and animal communities, a refuge for those that are rare, and a place of national significance. Over time there have been many who have worked tirelessly and passionately to learn, understand, and uncover secrets of this “special collection of islands.” During this presentation, I will provide an overview of the history of natural resource management and research at the national lakeshore over the past 5 decades – highlighting changing issues and needs; the...