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Leaf Recognition Software
Could a new mobile app help to chronicle changes in the flora of the north woods?
Painter Tom Uttech’s “Boreal Conversations”
See the work of an artist whose hauntingly beautiful landscapes inspire… and alarm.
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UpNorthica Reads: A Place In the Woods
We’re inspired by people who uproot themselves from the normal cadence of life to carve out their own livelihood in the woods. Lucky!
Helen Hoover, and her husband, Adrian left their busy Chicago lives to live in a cabin off the Gunflint Trail. In A Place in the Woods, Helen chronicles their first year of surviving in the woods with a clarity that causes you to feel like you’re at her table, hot homemade bread in hand.
Emily Gray Koehler: Printmaker
We discovered these lovely woodcuts created by Emily Gray Koehler, an artist who hails from Minnesota. They are careful studies of nature. Her prints of soft sedges, quiet bays and painted turtles remind us why its so good to live here.
Find one for your wall here.
“Play Again” Documentary Takes Teens Offline… and Into the Woods
What happens when you unplug six tech-savvy teens, and take them on their first wilderness trip? You know the answer already… so telling you wouldn’t quite be a spoiler, would it?
“Play Again” promises to carry a redemptive, much-needed message. Sadly, the documentary doesn’t appear to have any scheduled screenings in the lecture halls or art-house theaters of Minnesota – for now. But of all people, it’s the kids who need to see this the most. So do the next generation a solid and pass along the “Hold a Screening” link to any teacher friend you know.
Via Trailspace.
Photo Friday: Newpost Falls
It’s not often enough that even a good photo will seize you, drawing you into its world.
Newpost Falls in northern Ontario is the subject of this week’s Photo Friday pick. And look at that; it’s also suddenly appeared on our list of places to visit before we die!
Flickr user Markus J.Clement posted this and several other shots of the falls. He also has great photo sets of waterfalls elsewhere and various wildlife.
Thanks, Markus. We very, very much like your world.
Alex Horner’s “The Boundary Waters”
The faster the leaves change colors, the more we must slow ourselves down to fully enjoy them before they’re gone.
There’s a lot of that truth in this short video by Alex Horner, one of our fave filmmakers. His study of shapes, shadows, and stillness makes us all the more appreciative of a gorgeous time of year in the Boundary Waters. Plus, Alex’s choices in music are always fresh; nice to see an artistic piece like this that’s not set to tired-out, folksy 12-string guitar pickin’.
More of Alex’s commercial and personal work, here.
Do the Northern Lights Make Noise?
The aurora borealis made an appearance last night, which brought to mind a recent debate we’ve had amongst ourselves: Do the northern lights make noise?
While the web holds up many personal accounts of ‘crackling hisses’ and ‘swishing’ sounds, there seems no conclusive scientific proof that they’re audible – to the unaided ear.
This Minnesota Planetarium video, however, features the fittingly ethereal sounds of solar particles hitting Earth’s magnetosphere, captured using special recording equipment. Sound artist Steve McGreevy travels to Canada to be there for the auroral show. We especially liked his descriptive names for the sounds: “growlers,” “howlers,” and “hissy whistlers.”
What about you; have you ever felt you’ve heard the northern lights audibly? Tell us your story.
Meet America’s New Favorite: Bear Head Lake State Park
North America has a new favorite vacation destination. And it’s right in our backyard.
Thanks to an internet poll by Coca Cola, Bear Head Lake State Park in Ely edged out better known parks, like the Great Smoky Mountains, by a land slide. 1.7 million votes secured the $100,000 prize for Bear Head.
It became popular because of two well known research bears, Lily and Hope. We suspect that many of those polled, however, are unfamiliar with the park itself.
If you can’t get to the Boundary Waters, check out why you’ll want to make a trip here.
Two Must-See Movie Showings Tonight
Dude, drop what you’re doing. Cancel all your evening plans (as if you have anything important on a Thursday night.)
There are two great outdoorsy films showing tonight in Minneapolis. Both are at cool venues. Both offer Super Extra Bonus incentives to attend. Your challenge will be picking which one to see. That’s right, they overlap (life’s just full of tough decisions.)
Skiing in the Shadow of Ghenghis Khan will introduce you to an ancient culture that literally skis, to live. Lakes: A Love Affair will bring you back to Minnesota to explore our own culture that lives to be ‘on the lake.’
Here, you click on through for trailers and synopses; I’ll get in the line for some Junior Mints…
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