Path of the Paddle traces route along Canadian wilderness waters
Over 680 miles of canoe route through northwestern Ontario from Thunder Bay on Lake Superior to Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba.
BWCA
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…”
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?
Microplastics found in Boundary Waters may threaten wilderness wildlife
Researchers find plastic particles at numerous sites in the wilderness, confirming another way humans are affecting the wilderness and its ecosystem.
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…”
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.”
Teenagers invited to enter wilderness essay contest for a chance to win a “no parents” Boundary Waters trip
An essay contest for high school students seeks to encourage outdoor experiences and promote paddling to a new generation.
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…
Somali youth explore winter in the BWCAW
A collaboration between Wilderness Inquiry and youth advocacy group Ka Joog takes kids into the Boundary Waters to share new experiences…
Environmental groups sue to stop PolyMet, strengthen Minnesota mining regulations
Eight organizations file lawsuits to challenge permits for the state’s first copper mine and revise rules.
The Banadad Ski Trail – from historic logging road to winter wilderness experience
Snow underfoot, dark pines above, a white path beckons cross-country skiers into the Boundary Waters and offers glimpses into its past.
Former Forest Service leader calls for continued protection of Boundary Waters
Retired leader of agency who took steps to prevent mining pollution from harming the wilderness says continued protection is important.
Canoeists test wilderness paddling and portaging stamina with Border Route Challenge
Paddlers chase 50-year-old record time for completing historic travel route through the Boundary Waters and beyond.
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…”
Report: Boundary Waters has greater long-term economic potential than mining
Harvard economist issue report comparing twenty years of wilderness protection to permitting the Twin Metals mine over the same span.
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…
Twin Metals legislation passes House, Senate support seems elusive
A bill restoring mineral rights near the Boundary Waters squeaked through the House of Representatives last week, but doesn’t yet have a Senate author.
Plugged In
Dave and Amy Freeman spent a year in the Boundary Waters, using social media to inspire others to protect the wilderness.
Video: A Day in the BWCA with Dave and Amy Freeman
Watch the Freemans’ winter routines and explain why they are spending a year in the wilderness.