North Notes
Minnesota’s forestry-related business sectors contribute $17.1 billion annually to the state’s economy and provide 86,775 jobs, according to a new DNR report. Minnesota’s native forests, plantation forests, community forests and urban trees not only help maintain a healthy environment, provide clean water and enhance our quality of life, they are also a cornerstone of the state’s economy.
Better Map for Eagle Mountain
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Until recently, hikers wanting to scale Eagle Mountain to reach Minnesota’s highest point have had to rely on two canoeing maps.
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Make a Masterpiece
If you’ve ever dreamed of celebrating the beauty of the Great Lakes and having your creativity immortalized on a beer coaster (who hasn’t?), here’s your chance. Biodiversity Project’s Great Lakes Forever program has again partnered with Budweiser to sponsor the 7th annual photography and art contest that celebrates the beauty of the Great Lakes through the talent of local photographers and artists.
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If you’ve ever dreamed of celebrating the beauty of the Great Lakes and having your creativity immortalized on a beer coaster (who hasn’t?), here’s your chance. Biodiversity Project’s Great Lakes Forever program has again partnered with Budweiser to sponsor the 7th annual photography and art contest that celebrates the beauty of the Great Lakes through the talent of local photographers and artists.
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Most recreational boats in the US are “trailer” boats. Stored in the backyard or driveway, they are trailered to the water and enjoyed for the day. They are also refueled at your local gas station or minimart, which may soon offer a fuel, E15 (or 15 percent ethanol), that is prohibited by the federal government for use in boat motors and violates engine manufacturer warranties.
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Duck, Duck, More Ducks!
This one’s for the birds. Improved conditions in much of the waterfowl breeding habitat in Canada and the prairies of the north-central United States have contributed to higher populations of many species of ducks, including a record abundance of blue-winged teal, according to breeding population estimates released by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
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This one’s for the birds. Improved conditions in much of the waterfowl breeding habitat in Canada and the prairies of the north-central United States have contributed to higher populations of many species of ducks, including a record abundance of blue-winged teal, according to breeding population estimates released by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Scouts Build North Shore Trails
Got trails? In late June, Boy Scouts and adult Scouters from the Boy Scouts of America’s honor society—called the Order of the Arrow—traveled to Grand Marais to build new trails and improve existing ones in different areas of the North Shore.
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Got trails? In late June, Boy Scouts and adult Scouters from the Boy Scouts of America’s honor society—called the Order of the Arrow—traveled to Grand Marais to build new trails and improve existing ones in different areas of the North Shore.
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On Jan. 20-23, 2011, over 400 athletes, coaches and managers from across Ontario will gather in Thunder Bay for the 2011 Special Olympics Ontario Winter Games. Competitions will take place in six sports: curling, figure skating, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, speed skating and snowshoeing. Social events and activities will augment the athletic events.
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The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon—a prequalifying race for the Iditarod—now includes a week’s worth of events. The race itself starts on Jan. 30 at a location yet to be determined. Mushers and their dog teams race an out-and-back route along the North Shore that totals nearly 400 miles.
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The Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center collected a “Community Effort” award from the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota this September. Betty Hemstad, past president and museum chairperson for the Gunflint Trail Historical Society accepted the award on behalf of the Gunflint Trail Historical Society and US Forest Service.
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High-Tech Tools, Games to Teach about New Lake Reserve
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High-tech educational tools and games will help people understand and get excited about the newly designated Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve (LSNERR). At least, that is the hope of the University of Wisconsin and University of Minnesota Sea Grant programs, which are funding the development of the tools to the tune of $166,000. The tools, available online in about two years, will include place-based games delivered through handheld mobile devices, an online “deep map,” geo-tours of the estuary and an array of complementary online resources.
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Mountain biking enthusiasts, rejoice! With the Cook County board acting as fiscal agent, a Gunflint-area mountain biking club called Velo Marais (aka “Team Bike Swamp”) has been awarded a Federal Recreational Trails grant through the Minnesota DNR to lay down an additional 20 miles of single track on county land at Pincushion Mountain—meaning the available single track mileage on Pincushion will increase by nearly an order of magnitude.
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