Preserving Peninsula Shoreline & Riverbanks:
The Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Conservancy based in Marquette last week announced the purchase and protection of an ecologically unique 226-acre parcel along the western shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula. It features more than 3,100 feet of Lake Superior shoreline and more than 3,000 feet of the wild Gratiot River.
The purchase was made in part through a $600,000 grant via the U.S. Forest Service Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Community Forest Program. Plans include the SWP field staff and the Great Lakes Climate Corps creating a trail network with interpretive signs for hiking, skiing and K-12 environmental education. The property’s Lake Superior coastline also complements existing water trails and kayaking routes.
“As a truly local land conservancy the SWP protects important coastal and riparian habitats working with local stakeholders, local organizations, local communities and local tribes across the Upper Peninsula. Projects like the Gratiot River Community Forest help support a sustainable nature tourism economy and further local climate resiliency goals,” says Carl Lindquist, executive director of the SWP Land Conservancy.
In addition, the SWP acquisition will permanently link five local conservation areas to create a contiguous 1,300-acre block of wilderness preserve. This linkage is especially significant to the overall protection of the lower Gratiot River watershed and miles of Lake Superior coastline and nearshore habitats, according to the group.The Gratiot River Community Forest contains a variety of important habitat types including numerous rare, protected or endangered plant and animal species such as the gray wolf, Canadian lynx, and the long-eared bat. The project is in the Great Lake Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Terrestrial Habitats and Connectivity Priority Area and furthers the goal of protecting forests that are considered important for habitat connectivity.
“This SWP acquisition serves as the keystone piece linking five other public access parcels in the contiguous Gratiot River Recreation Area, providing critical habitat connectivity,” says Neal Bungard, community forest program manager for the U.S. Forest Service’s Eastern Region.
“This is truly a wild place.” adds Carl. “It has that feeling of walking back in time.”
For more information on this site or other SWP-protected properties that open to the public here.
Everybody Loves Pie
Thursday, Mar. 14 (3-14) was Pi Day, imagined in order to celebrate Pi, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter that results in an endless stream of numerals starting with 3.14 and, thanks to modern technology, is now tracked to 31 trillion digits, according to PiDay.org.
That’s the excuse for the day, but for all of us – non-mathematicians and mathematicians alike – the real reason is to eat pie, which is usually
formed into a circle, so it’s legit. Once the pie starts, just like that endless stream of digits in "Pi," we see no reason to stop. So for your pie-making weekend, we’re linking you to our Recipe Box writer Beth Dooley’s “Everybody Loves Pie” story with five riffs off the basic Heartland Fruit Pie: Apple Black Walnut • Pear Ginger • Plum & Early Apple • Apple Cranberry • Rum Whipped Cream. This tasty photo of a pie version is from food photographer and stylist Mette Nielsen. Find those pie recipes here.
As a bonus pie, we’re sending you waaaay back to our 2011 Holiday Recipe Contest with a wonderfully simple Sunday Pie submitted by Beverly Lee. Says Beverly of the treat, “The lemon flavor and lightness of this pie is a great dessert after a big holiday meal.” Find that recipe here.
Fire by the Lighthouse
A lack of snow cover has led to an early start to fire season this year all around Lake Superior. Fire danger warnings are out in several areas and authorities urge folks to pay attention to burning bans and restrictions.
On Tuesday, a small wildfire near Split Rock Lighthouse led to an evacuation of the facility at about 2:30 p.m. By about 4:30 p.m, responding authorities doused the fire, which burned 4 to 6 acres, but did not damage any historical structures, according to the Split Rock Lighthouse Facebook page. Quick action by the lighthouse staff, the Lake County Sheriff's Department, Silver Bay Fire Department and Minnesota DNR are credited with quelling the blaze.
Local authorities say the dry conditions have led to an early start to spring wildfires, which generally don’t happen until May. Because the fire was extinguished quickly, Split Rock opened as usual by Wednesday.
Northland College Needs Donations to Avoid Closure
Northland College in Ashland, a 132-year-old private college now with an environmental focus, needs $21 million by April 3 or faces closure, it announced on Monday (Mar. 11). "The Northland College Board of Trustees has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to raise $12 million by April 3, 2024 to save the nation’s first environmentally-focused liberal arts institution and support its evolution. If the funding goals are not met, the College will be forced to begin the closure process at the end of this academic year."
In the announcement, the college quoted Ted Bristol, chair of the Northland College Board of Trustees. “Northland College has reached a critical crossroad. We believe we can reinvent Northland, carrying forward our legacy and advancing our mission in a meaningful way. But that will only be possible with the funding in place."
Corrinne Hess and Danielle Kaeding of Wisconsin Public Radio filed a story about the fundraising effort. The college's president, Chad Dayton, told WPR in an email: “This is a difficult time for all of us who love Northland and are committed to its mission. Northland has evolved many times since its original founding, and we hope this will be the beginning of our next evolution. It will take all of us working together to secure and define Northland’s future.” Read the full story here.
To read the full Northland announcement and learn about options to help here.
All Saints Weekend – Real, Imagined & Roundly Celebrated
Those of Finnish and/or Irish heritage have real reasons to celebrate all weekend. The rest of us just join in to be supportive.
Saturday, Mar. 16, is the official day celebrating an unofficial saint, St. Urho. The legend of St. Urho, who has his own Wikipedia page, was the invention of a Finnish American named Richard Mattson, who worked at Ketola's Department Store in Virginia, Minn., in the spring of 1956. Richard says that he invented St. Urho when questioned (we suspect "teased") by coworker Gene McCavic about the lack of a Finnish saint like the Irish St. Patrick, whose feat of casting the snakes out of Ireland is remembered on St. Patrick's Day, Mar. 17. The duo seems to have raised St. Urho, first believed to have banished the frogs from Finland and later acknowledged to have chased off the grasshoppers, thus saving the widely popular Finnish vineyards. He's said to have shouted, "Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, mene täältä helveteen!" which is to say, "Grasshopper, grasshopper, go from hence to Hell!" (This fiberglass statue is found in Menahga, Minn.)
However he got here, St. Urho is celebrated everywhere you find Finnish Americans. A sampler from this year in the Big Lake neighborhood includes:
• The Finlandia Co-operative of Thunder Bay is bringing back the St. Urho's Day Parade and Variety Show, as well as Mrs. Urho's Tori Market on Saturday. The parade starts at noon at the Bay Credit Union and follows a skewered grasshopper to the Prince Arthur Hotel; the variety show starts 12:30 p.m. in the Prince Arthur Hotel Provincial Room. And the variety show is noon-4 p.m. also in the Provincial Room. (This poster with St. Urho near the Thunder Bay tourism pagoda was posted by Paula Haapanen.)
• Finland, Minn., also has a full day of St. Urho activities planned for Saturday, much of it centered at the Clair Nelson Center. It starts with a pancake breakfast, features a parade and includes delicious Mojakka (plus sourdough bread, grape juice and coffee). The celebration actually opens on Friday with the Outdoor Urho Celebration at the Four Seasons that goes all weekend! Tent, heaters, firepit, music, games, outdoor bar and food, plus a 6-8 p.m. Miss Helmi Talent and Beauty Contest making various stops around town and an 8 p.m.-midnight session of a DJ and Karaoke at the Four Seasons by Upbeat Entertainment. On Sunday at the Four Seasons, there is live music from the Southpaw Band starting at noon, door prizes and raffle drawings plus other fun.
• Overlapping a little on to St. Patrick's Day, the Carlton County Historical Society hosts the Mojakka Cook-off, noon-4 p.m. at the Northeastern Hotel and Saloon in Cloquet. All attenders are also judges, enjoying a variety of soups and bread. Vote on your favorite for first, second, and third prizes. You can get a $10 ticket here.
Lest we forget St. Patrick, here are just a few ideas …
• The Dubh Linn Irish Pub (where the musicians are playing in the photo) in Duluth will have things to celebrate both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, a Bagpipe and Drum Band performs, there will be an Irish menu and green beer, green beads and prizes, plus a performance by Midwest Emmy-award winning comedian David Harris. On St. Patrick’s Day Sunday, the pub opens at 10 a.m. with a special made-from-scratch St. Patrick’s Day menu, family-friendly live Irish music all day featuring Teague Alexy and Friends, The Terrance Smith Band and John Agacki. Ceili dancing lessons, green beer, contests and prizes.
• St. Paddy's Day Bar Crawl in Duluth starts at 4 p.m. Saturday and includes a number of local establishment, including, of course, Carmody Irish Pub. Get your ticket and get moving.
• Red Lion Smokehouse in Thunder Bay starts celebrating with the music by the Gin Tonics and also by TBay Trad with its Celtic tunes, jigs, reels and the occasional songs.
• The Bonfire in Houghton, Mich., brings Highway 41 to celebrate St. Paddy's weekend on Saturday with rock-n-roll plus a special Irish-themed menu and such beverage options as Mini Guinnie Shots or Boozy Shamrock Shakes.
Make Plans: Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list:
Michigan
Thru Saturday, Mar. 16 & Mar. 18: The Peter White Public Library in Marquette continues its used book sale on today and Saturday. Then on Monday, Mar. 18, take in the showing of "Anatomy of a Murder," the 65th anniversary celebration of the Academy Award-winning film shoot locally and inspired by author John Voelker. Starts 5:30 p.m., register here.
Saturday, Mar. 16: Sunflower Books and Coffee in Hancock hosts a meet-and-greet with author Emorie Cole, who will sign books from noon-2 p.m.
Saturday, Mar. 16: It's Lasers at the Planetarium on Saturday at the Shiras Planetarium in Marquette. Enjoy either the Laser U2 (7 p.m.) or Laser Bowie (8:30 p.m.) versions of the show, depending on your musical preferences.
Saturday, Mar. 16: The Marquette County Polar Plunge takes place at 2:30 p.m. at the UP North Lodge in Gwinn. It leads off with a parade of costumes and then the plunging begins, all for a good cause: Special Olympics Michigan.
Minnesota
Today-Sunday, March 15-17, 21-23: Northern Lakes Arts Association presents "Fiddler on the Roof," with 7 p.m. evening performances; 1 p.m. Mar. 16 and 2 p.m. Mar. 17 matinees; and a special pay-what-you-can performance at 7 p.m. Mar. 21. All shows are in the Vermilion Fine Arts Theater in Ely.
Today, Mar. 15: Renegade Late Night presents "Beware the Ides of March" improv starting 10 p.m. at Zeitgeist in Duluth.
Saturday, Mar. 16: Shake out the winter doldrums and celebrate community diversity at Winter Pride Day in the Log Building of the Cook County Community Center, Grand Marais. Doors open at 2 p.m. and there will be games, presentations working up to the free vegan/gluten-free dinner from the Angry Trout Café at 6 p.m.
Wisconsin
Thru Mar. 30: The Chequamegon Bay Arts Council’s open call spring show, "Let 'Er Rip," continues through the end of the month at the Washburn Cultural Center. See a virtual view of the exhibit here.
Saturday, Mar. 16: The one-man-band Ghost the Coyote takes the stage at The Portage in Cable with original music, rock, bluegrass, classic country and beyond. Music starts at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Mar. 17: The Groomer Barn Fundraiser takes place at the Valhalla View Pub & Grill in Washburn, starting at 1 p.m.
Ontario
Thru Saturday, Mar. 16: Take in the Bushplane Kids March Break Fun through Saturday at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. Activities, movies, all you need to keep little hands and heads occupied.
Saturday, Mar. 16: Schreiber Senior Centre Committee is hosting a Schreiber Senior Active Living Fair in the town’s Rec Centre from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. It’s one of 103 fairs funded by the provincial government. There will be exhibitors, presentations, demonstrations, prizes and a free lunch. Register at the Township Municipal Office.
Saturday, Mar. 16: Black Fly Jam is pleased to present the award-winning independent film, “500 Days in the Wild” with filmmaker Dianne Whelan. It's a fundraiser for the Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy at 7 p.m. in the Sault Community Theatre Centre.
Sunday, Mar. 17: Thunder Bay presents its final Winter FunDay of the season with a St. Patty's Day themed Barbecue with kids activities including: Healthy Kids, Youth Move, and Neighbourhood Recreation Program. Starts noon in Minnesota Park.
Photo & graphic credits in order of appearance: Superior Watershed Partnership; Split Rock Lighthouse; Mette Nielsen; Beverly Lee; Dubh Linn Irish Pub; Skvader/Wikipedia; Paula Haapanen; Spotlight from left: Lasers at the Planetarium/Northern Lakes Arts Association/Ghost the Coyote/Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre