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Voyageurs
Help Plant an Ethnobotanical Garden at Voyageurs N.P.
Here’s a great volunteer vacation idea… But first, what the flip is an ethnobotanical garden?
MORE
Following the Route of the Coureurs de Bois
Starting late April, Mike Ranta will be following the ghost-steps of the French Voyageurs. MORE
Phasing Out the Haze Over the BWCA
Views from this visibility monitor show how hazy it can get in the BW.
Some day, our children will enjoy clear, haze-free views of the Boundary Waters.. Or at least their kids might?
Per the Clean Air Act, state and federal agencies are beginning the first steps in reducing air pollutants which, specifically in Minnesota, cause hazy skies over the Boundary Waters at least 20% of the time.
While cleanup measures can’t happen fast enough for anybody, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is taking a lot of heat for not pushing industry harder for changes that are demanded sooner. Even by their own figures, a haze-free Northeastern Minnesota is something you and I won’t live to see:
The MPCA’s own projections show that the proposed rates of pollution reduction won’t eliminate man-made haze until 2093 in the BWCA and 2177 in Voyageurs.
If nothing else, the sheer complexity of environmental policy is something that the controversy makes crystal clear. Here’s hoping that our generation will still be around to enjoy the fruits of this labor.
Screening of Minnesota’s National Parks Documentary Tonight
SPOILER ALERT: You won’t see Voyageurs National Park in Ken Burns’ new documentary. Or the St. Croix Scenic Riverway. Or any of the other worthy NPS sites in Minnesota. You can, however, be one of the first to catch them all tonight, at a special screening of Minnesota’s National Park Legacy.
Fitting that it’s premiering at Bell Museum of History; the TPT-produced documentary looks like it could also cover the history of these places *before* the NPS came along. Images of native peoples harvesting wild rice in Voyageurs(?) and quarrying in Pipestone, were pleasant surprises as I watched the trailer. I’m glad to see their heritage and legacy recognized. I also got excited about the shot of Taylors Falls, ’cause I’ve totally been there before — like, a hundred times!!
The screening’s at 7pm; check here for details. Via Wilderness News Online.
Voyageurs’ Million-Dollar Views — on the Quarter
From big views of Voyageurs, we go to really small ones: The scenery of Voyageurs National Park is to be featured on quarters from the U.S. Mint.
The “America the Beautiful Quarters Program” will feature 56 national parks and sites from every state, on the tails side of the coin. But don’t hold your breath; the quarters will be minted following the order in which each park was established. That means you’ll have to wait until 2018 to see Minnesota represent.
At least we have plenty of time to guess exactly what’s going to be pictured. Which places/things would you like to see on the coin? Give us your two cents (sorry, couldn’t resist.) Via the Strib.
Watching New Ken Burns is This Fall’s Best Idea
2009 has been a notable year for our national parks: They’ve drawn big numbers with their ‘free’ weekends, gotten loads of PR from a vacationing President Obama, and now a documentary series produced by Ken Burns.
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea airs September 27th on PBS. Sounds like we can expect the same depth and richness that Burns is so well-known for. The stories of the people who made the parks a reality will be the focus, but of course there’s the eye candy, which Burns believes “is the most stunning cinematography in Florentine Films’ history…”
While our own Voyageurs National Park won’t be specifically featured, a park official told me earlier this year that local PBS producers were working on a show of their own. More on that when we hear it…
Arrowhead Journey Update: Paddling Through History
Knife Lake at Dawn (photo by Erik Simula)
The past three months of Erik Simula’s story have been set in his homemade birch bark canoe, circumnavigating Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region. Now, as his journey towards Grand Portage brings him at last through the BWCA, it’s easy to see how interwoven Simula’s history is with that of his stomping grounds.
Arrowhead Journey Update: Big Wakes on Border Lakes
What chance does a birch bark canoe stand against the motorboats, float planes and big waves of Voyageurs National Park?
Well, solo canoeist extraordinaire Erik Simula has lived to blog about it. We’ve been following this canoe builder/ranger/musher/wilderness guide since April, when he set out to circumnavigate Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region. Sounds lovely, but don’t be fooled by the serene photo above; it looks like one of his few peaceful moments in the last few weeks. Read on for more.
Four Free Things to Do Outdoors This Weekend
This week, President Obama proclaimed June “Great Outdoors Month,” and with good reason. There’s a slew of celebrations during the month, including National Trails Day, National Fishing and Boating Week, National Get Outdoors Day, and the Great American Backyard Campout.
But before you start Googling all those, check out our list of Five Free Things offered this weekend, both Up North and state-wide. Read on…
Eagle Fight at Voyageurs (Film at Eleven)
Count yourself lucky if you happen to spy eagles fighting for dominance. But if you chance upon an all-out air/sea battle like this — and have your camera handy — count yourself Voyageurs National Park staffer Ed Lombard.
We recently saw these photos in an Outdoor Expo presentation by Chris Holbeck, Conservation Planner at Voyageurs’. While the park’s eagle population is thriving, things like this are still a rare show (quick, pop some popcorn!)
Apparently, Lombard wasn’t even eagle-watching when he came across two males whose talon-locked plunge thru the skies, brought them crashing into the lake, where the action continued. Amazing images, Ed and Chris! Thanks for letting us share them.
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