Lake Superior Podcast
We are made stronger by story and there’s no better source than the continent's largest body of freshwater, Lake Superior. Join hosts Walt Lindala and Frida Waara as they highlight the five National Parks that ring this Greatest of the Great Lakes - meeting the people, touring the places and learning about the projects that make these parks and body of water so remarkable.
Join our podcast community! Please share your own stories, comments and podcast episode suggestions (www.nplsf.org/community).
Brought to you by The National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation (www.nplsf.org).
Theme song: King Whirl by David Huckfelt (www.davidhuckfelt.com).
Photo Credit: David Guttenfelder.
Podcast sponsored by Café Imports, a Minneapolis-based importers of fine, specialty green coffees.
Episodes
88 episodes
S4 E2: Jo Holt, Historian at Keweenaw National Historical Park
On July 23, 1913, life changed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and for union workers across the country. It was on that date that roughly 9,000 copper miners walked off the job in the Keweenaw peninsula protesting working conditions and wages. T...
S4 E1: Peggy Burkman, Piping Plovers at Apostle Islands
A walk on the beach is good medicine for the soul, and Lake Superior’s sandy shores make for the perfect place to take a stroll. But every spring and summer, sections of shoreline are not open to the public, and for a very important reason. In ...
S3 E10: Jonathan Pauli, Professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin Madison
Studying the wildlife of the Great Lakes Region is fascinating. The ebb and flow of populations from moose and wolves to plovers and brook trout have kept biologists circling Lake Superior for centuries. In this episode of the Lake Superior Pod...
S3 E9: Blake Freking, Veteran Musher
For over a century, Lake Superior has been a region for sled dogs. First as a reliable way to deliver mail, and more recently as a competitive winter sport. In fact, among the five national parks, four of them team up with local volunteers t...
S3 E8: Seth Stein, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University
The rock that rings Lake Superior has fascinated visitors for centuries. From the most common Basalt, Granite and Rhyolite to Agates and the popular “Yooperlite” that glows fluorescent under black lite, the shoreline makes a rock hound’s paradi...
S3 E7: Aaron Persenaire, Ranger III Ship Captain
Out of the 63 National Parks—or even all of the 423 National Park properties--Isle Royale ranks one of the toughest to get to. It takes some planning because you can only arrive by float plane or boat. Since 1958, the 165 foot Ranger III, has b...
S3 E6: Vanessa Pierce, Apostle Island Cruises Assistant Manager
Interested in an Apostle Islands boat tour? Learn more about the types of cruises and what to expect with Vanessa Pierce, Assistant Manager of the Apostle Islands Cruises.Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a National Park in Wisconsi...
S3 E5: Heather Boyd, Grand Portage National Monument
Grand Portage National Monument has a new Superintendent, Heather Boyd. In 2008, Heather started with the National Park Service at Isle Royale. As a tribal member with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, she is...
S3 E4: Aaron Peterson - Filmmaker, Fresh Coast Cofounder
Nothing tells a story like film and coming up October 13-16, 2022, is the 6th annual Fresh Coast Film Festival in Marquette Michigan. The 4-day gathering celebrates the outdoor lifestyle, water-rich environment and resilient s...
S3 E3: Shawn Sitar - Fisheries Biologist, Michigan DNR
Lake Trout are a prized sport fish, but they are also considered a keystone species to the health of Lake Superior—now the only Great Lake where you can still find this critically important fish. Without Lake Trout, the ecological balance of La...
S3 E2: Susan Reece - Chief of Interpretation and Education, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Making vacation plans? No matter what the season, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, spanning 43 miles of some of the Lake’s most dramatic shoreline, has plenty to satisfy every adventure appetit...
S3 E1: Dave Lorenz - Vice President of Travel Michigan
From Native Americans to modern day travelers, Lake Superior has welcomed summer visitors with cool, clear water and wooded escapes. Dave Lorenz, Vice President for Travel Michigan understands the lure of the Lake, especially since Michigan, as...
S2 E13: Carl Hansen - Pictured Rocks Kayaker
Planning on kayaking in Lake Superior? Learn how to prepare for a safe and successful trip with kayaker Carl Hanson.A Pictured Rocks kayak trip can include wild and rugged shoreline, forested islands and endless stretches of remote sandy...
S2 E12: Fred Schlichting – Ranger, Lighthouse Keeper, & Historian
Since opening the Soo Locks in 1855, lighthouses have been a part of Lake Superior’s most dramatic landscape signaling rocky shoals, cliffs and dangerous passages. Many of those towers are still visible today. In fact, on the Lake Superio...
S2 E11: Ian Planchon - Filmmaker
At 31,700 square miles, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in North America. When measuring surface area, it ranks as the largest freshwater lake on the entire planet. How has climate change affected that much water? Filmmaker...
S2 E10: Tom Wright - Quincy Mine Hoist Facilities Manager
The Quincy Mine operated in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for nearly a century. Today, visitors can learn more about the copper boom and tour the mine in Hancock as one of the 22 Heritage Sites of Keweenaw National Historical Park. In this episode...
S1 E9: Tim Cochrane, Author & Former Grand Portage National Monument Superintendent
People have lived along Lake Superior since the glaciers retreated 10,000 years ago. For the last 500 years, the Anishinaabe have called the region home. Their history is rich with stories of hunting, gathering, fishing, and trading. Tim Cochra...
S2 E8: Anna Deschampe and Briand Morrison
George Morrison grew up a member of the Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in a rural fishing village on Lake Superior. The first highway opened from Duluth to the Canadian border at about the same time. As one of 12 children, l...
S2 E7: Musician Penny Menze and Calumet Theatre President Dan Jamison
On March 20, 1900, life in Michigan’s Copper Country forever changed with the opening of the Calumet Opera House. As one of the first municipal theaters in the country, it attracted some of America’s finest actors and performers including Sarah...
S2 E6: Stephanie Pearson, Author & Journalist
When it comes to storytelling, few writers in the Great Lakes have logged in as many words about the outdoors as Stephanie Pearson of Duluth, Minnesota. Her career began at Outside Magazine, where she was on the editorial staff for mor...
S2 E5: Ross Anthony, Board Member, Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association
Lake Superior ranks as one of the planet's best snowmakers, and communities around the Lake celebrate winter with gusto. Snow and terrain make the region the perfect playground for a variety of marathons and festivals, including so...
S2 E4: Bill Thompson - Michigan Ice Fest organizer.
Some of Lake Superior's five National Parks are closed for the winter. But Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has become one of the most visited winter recreation areas in the Great Lakes. Headquartered in Munising, Michigan, Pictured Rock...
S2 E3: David Huckfelt - Folk Musician & Lake Superior Podcast Theme Music Composer
We spend much of our daily lives indoors, and for a professional musician yearning for inspiration, the chatter and distraction of life can dull the creative process. For mid-west based Folk Musician David Huckfelt, his Artist-In-Residence stay...
S2 E2: David Gerth - Chairman, Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society
Lighthouses have long been key to development and safety around the Great Lakes, guiding ships along nearly 11,000 miles of coastline. From the original 267 lighthouses constructed, more than 200 are still active. According to Lake Superior Mag...
S2 E1: Denice Swanke, Superintendent, Isle Royale National Park
Learn about Michigan’s Isle Royale, the most remote national park in the Midwest, with Park Superintendent Denice Swanke.Isle Royale's isolation and primitive wilderness have challenged humans for centuries. Ironically, today they have b...