
Hundreds watched day 1 of the Apostle Islands 50th Anniversary Resource Stewardship Symposium event live. Now you can watch, learn and enjoy hearing from experts in all aspects of the national lakeshore, as we celebrate the past and look to the future.
We invite you to watch all of the wonderful sessions. The video icon in the headline signifies that video is available for that session. We’ll be adding questions and answers to individual session pages as we get those responses from our presenters. When you’re done, let us know what you think! Share your ideas and feedback here.
Alan Brew, Director of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College and Lynne Dominy, Superintendent of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, start us off with their opening comments.
This online event is supported by Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Northland College, the Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy, the National Park Foundation, the National Park Service and the Bayfield Heritage Association.
DAY 1 SESSIONS
- Welcome to the SymposiumWelcome to the Apostle Islands 50th Anniversary Resource Stewardship Symposium. We’re pleased to present the web edition, which follows our 2-day virtual event.
- A retrospective – research and resource management at Apostle Islands NLAn 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 collaborative relationship between the park, researchers, and partners; and how technology has transformed our ability to read the pulse of the resource.
- Fifty years of cultural resource research at Apostle Islands NLThis 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 island landscape, Lake Superior, and the islands’ human inhabitants.
- Human presence on the landscape: 50 years of archeology at the Apostle IslandsAs we look to the future of the Lakeshore, this knowledge will inform preservation planning and further study for the archaeological treasures of the Apostles.
- Traditional Ecological KnowledgeWhat is TEK? How does it relate to scientific knowledge? Traditional knowledge is embedded within the very fabric of our existence as Anishinaabeg.
- Apostle Islands floraDiverse physical landforms and a variety of habitats contribute to the high total plant diversity of 810+ species documented within the Lakeshore.
- Past, present and future of fire in the Apostle IslandsWe reconstructed fire history from fire-scarred red pine stumps collected on Stockton Island tombolo to better understand the fire history of the landform.
- Our changing lake: emerging water resource issues in the Apostle IslandsThe lake is big, omnipresent, and seemingly resistant to change. However, a closer look reveals a variety of emerging issues and threats.
- The Earth is not flat – and neither is the Lake! Underwater landscapes of the Apostle IslandsSince 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.
- Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle IslandsNew challenges are emerging and will direct fisheries management for the future.
- Gaylord Nelson: mover, shaker, deal-makerWithout Gaylord Nelson’s unmatched political acumen and years of commitment to public service, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore would not exist.
If you love the park as we do, and feel inclined to invest in the work of the Friends, thank you. We appreciate your support at any level of giving. Suggested support levels include:

$1,000+ Legacy
$500 Stockton Island
$250 Oak Island
$100 Sand Island
$50 Golden Anniversary
$25 Friend

To invest in your park through the mail, download and print a donation form. It’s a PDF file (the free Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software is required.) Enclose the form and your check made out to Friends of the Apostle Islands and mail to: Friends of the Apostle Islands, PO Box 1574, Bayfield, WI 54814.
We welcome business memberships too!