Young creators know their fish, inspire others to go fishing, combat invasive species
A fish art contest invites K-12 students to learn about fish, fishing, and the threats of Aquatic Invasive Species in their region and around the world.
Features
Snowshoes to Hok skis, exploring the Boundary Waters in winter
Snowshoes, boots or Hok skis? Enthusiasts share tips for heading off the beaten path so you can get the most out of canoe country in winter.
Icy Wonderland
“I could hear the ice shattering like panes of glass as it came ashore… One moment you can see an endless expanse of skim ice and with a shift of the wind it can be gone, waves lapping the shoreline – sculpting ice as far as the eye can see.”
For the Love of Loons
“As twilight descended and the fire settled to glowing embers, the stillness of the night was shattered by the unmistakable tremolo of the common loon. Within moments, loons from other territories and adjacent lakes began to respond, and the air came to life with the reverberating echo that we long to hear…”
Orchids of the Northwoods – Lady’s Slippers and beyond
“It all began by happenstance…The trail was overgrown, littered with fallen boles, when I noticed a glimmering iridescence unlike anything I had seen before. I had stumbled upon on one of Minnesota’s most common orchid species, the stemless (pink) lady’s slipper, glimmering with rain drops…”
Flashback: A New Yorker tried to mine copper inside the Boundary Waters
George St. Clair’s efforts to exercise mineral rights he had inherited set off battles in the courts, the newspapers, and legislative bodies from St. Paul to Washington, D.C.
Boreal Birding in the Bogs of Northern Minnesota
The sun casts its auburn spell on the red osier dogwood of a sedge meadow…we head to a bog that attracts many boreal winter birds to the area, particularly in Cook, Minnesota. Why do they come to the bog? How do they live here? What attracts birds to this habitat in northern Minnesota?
Ghosts of the Northwoods
Photojournalist Ben Olson shares his trek to find Minnesota’s elusive lynx. “My obsession with Canada lynx stems from a series of unexpected events and chance encounters…”
Minnesota’s newest state park: Lake Vermilion – Soudan Underground Mine State Park
Preserving ten miles of glistening shoreline, 15 islands featuring old growth pine forests, 3,900 acres of freshwater, and 4,000 acres of park, trails and campsites, this park is a gateway to the northwoods and the result of community collaboration and innovative planning.
Sugarloaf Cove – lots to discover just steps off the north shore drive
Worth stopping for – a one-mile nature trail, a DNR Scientific and Natural Area, and a beautiful stretch of undeveloped Lake Superior shoreline. Preserved by dedicated stewards and harboring rare species and unique geology…
Choose Your Own Adventure – Fall Hike on the Upper Gunflint Trail
A fall hike along the edge of the Boundary Waters. Ada Igoe shares one of her favorite trails, easily accessible from the Gunflint, on marked ski trails through aspen and jackpine to incredible vistas…
Wilderness Voices: Kelly Beaster
“While I create each drawing, I get to re-visit past trips and adventures, and I notice things from the drawing itself that I didn’t from the photograph, details that were always there, but the drawing has brought out new details…”
Federal government renews mineral leases near Boundary Waters wilderness
Trump administration overturns Obama decision and provides Twin Metals with access to publicly-owned minerals located near Ely.
Wilderness Voices: Travis Novitsky
“Some of my most unforgettable moments are sitting on the shores of a boreal forest lake on a calm night with no wind, watching the northern lights dance overhead while the haunting calls of loons echo across the water.”
Ely Folk School creates and maintains small town culture on the edge of the Boundary Waters
Ely residents and visitors enjoy learning traditional crafts in a wilderness setting. Build a birch bark canoe, bake a traditional dish, sew a beaver hat, or explore night sky photography, classes connect to the past and to each other…
Winter Patrol in the Boundary Waters
How is the BWCAW patrolled in the winter? When snow covers Boundary Waters lakes and portages, wilderness rangers turn to sled dogs, snowshoes, and cross-country skis to complete their work…
Wilderness Voices: John Ratzloff
Photographer reveals the role of people in wilderness, from cliff-rimmed lakes in Quetico to ancient trees in the Boundary Waters…
What is Wilderness? Examining tree rings, researchers reconsider the history of human influence in the Boundary Waters
“By examining annual growth rings in increment cores taken from tree trunks, we found that many pines at this site were more than 250 years old. Distinct injuries recorded within their rings denoted the passage of multiple low-severity surface fires that damaged but did not kill many of these trees…”
Honoring Veterans with a Boundary Waters wilderness experience
In July, five veterans of our US armed forces gathered to celebrate Independence Day in the BWCAW. The group had never met and most had never paddled before, but they were all ready to leave civilization behind to enjoy peace and serenity, and hopefully some good fishing.
The State of the Boundary Waters Report
How healthy is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness really? Will the Boundary Waters survive climate change, mining, invasive species and the myriad of issues faced today? The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness released an extensive and revealing report…