The Superior National Forest has replaced the 12-year-old video that was shown to Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness visitors before entering the wilderness.
A series of three videos, two intended to be sent sequentially to visitors by email before their trip, has replaced the single video everyone who picked up a permit was required to watch.
The first video is sent soon after a permit is reserved, and focuses on trip planning. It covers the right gear to pack, and steps to take with loved ones at home. Trip leaders are encouraged to send it to the other members of their party.
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A second video, sent a few days before the trip entry date, “shares useful tips for packing and preparing for your upcoming visit to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. You will also learn about rules and regulations that will help you to have a safe trip while protecting wilderness values.”
The final video will be shown to visitors when they pick up their permit at an outfitter or National Forest ranger station. It reiterates some of the previous information, and covers topics like navigation and wilderness etiquette.
Minnesota film producer Mark Norquist was responsible for creating the video. It was filmed last summer on East Bearskin Lake, near the Gunflint Trail just outside the wilderness. The actors are volunteers, and it is narrated by Ely-based ranger Nancy Moundalexis.
Norquist told WTIP in an interview recorded when he was passing through Grand Marais on the way to record the videos, that his communications company was awarded the contract by the Superior National Forest.
“They really wanted to look at ways that they could update it,” he said. “If you are familiar with the film that you watch before you go in, it’s rather dated at this point. Very well-produced in its day. Technology has changed, and some of the issues have evolved, so it’s time to update it.”
He pointed out that the previous video was not filmed in the modern wide format used on most screens, and not in high definition. He also said the style is dated, “both in the way the narrator speaks to the viewer, and the way the message is delivered.”
Topics like technology, and why visitors shouldn’t rely on cell phones or GPS devices, are also included this time. Visitors are encouraged multiple times to use the BWCAW Trip Planning Guide.
One big difference in the new video series is what’s not included: the lumbering black bear that was a popular part of its predecessor.
“I loved watching peoples’ body language while they watched the bear walk right up to the couple in camp, then they chase it away,” David Seaton, owner of Hungry Jack Outfitters, told the Star Tribune. “Many very nervous reactions to that one, from nervous giggles to jaws dropped. Still, almost no BWCA paddlers will ever see a bear, so it’s really a bit of overkill. People need to protect their food, but mostly it’s from mice and squirrels.”
With more than 150,000 visitors each year, recreation remains one of the biggest impacts on the Boundary Waters. The new videos are intended to minimize harm, while ensuring safety.
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