www.fullcirclesuperior.org a hike around the world’s greatest great lake bringing attention to...
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FULL CIRCLE SUPERIORwww.fullcirclesuperior.org
A Hike Around the World’s Greatest Great lake
Bringing Attention to Fresh WaterCaring for the Health of:
The Great LakesThe Planet
People
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
The Expedition The expedition will take Kate
Crowley and Mike Link, both in their 60s, on a 5 month hike through 3 states (Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan) and 1 province (Ontario) in Canada covering over 1500 miles on foot around the shores of Lake Superior.
Along the way they will conduct research and help educate about this Great Lake. They will be assisted by a Sag wagon driver and educator, Amanda Hakala, helping them bring education programs to communities around the lake and beyond.
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Expedition Route
Can you imagine walking over 1500 miles at an average of 15 miles a day? That is what Mike Link and Kate Crowley are training to do starting on April 29th, 2010. Their journey around the lake will begin in Duluth, MN and move counter clockwise around the lake through Wisconsin, Michigan, Canada and back to Duluth, MN.
http://www.superiortrails.com/maps/superior-map.html
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Why Walk Around Lake Superior?
Full Circle Superior’s mission is to bring attention, education and research to the Great Lakes and to promote healthy water quality and fresh water conservation now and for future generations.
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
This adventure began for Mike and Kate with a love of walking and lakes and a desire to do something to help protect a lake that they love, so that it will be here for their grandkids and for many generations of both humans and plants and animals to come. “We hope that we can get people to see the importance of
water in their lives and the protection of this precious resource for the future.”
Who Are These Adventurers?Mike Link and Kate Crowley are two
grandparents in their 60s from Minnesota who have spent the majority of their lives caring for and educating about the natural world. They have 4 grandkids, who they want to leave a better, healthier world for. Each of us has an impact on the future of the world, their goal is to show the positive changes we can make to protect fresh water and to make the future brighter for everyone.
Kate worked at the Minnesota Zoo and the Audubon Center of the North Woods as an educator. She is a published magazine and newspaper author.
Mike was the Director at the Audubon Center of the North Woods for 38 ½ years. He has taught college classes for Northland College and Graduate School course for Hamline University and has been involved in a number of research projects.
Together they have published 22 books and touched numerous lives with their passion and vision for a better future.
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Mike Link & Kate Crowley
Copyright © Mike Link & Kate Crowley
Their Support Team
Wei Hao is a student of environmental and conservation biology at the University of Alberta in Canada. He supports the expedition from behind the scenes, designing Full Circle's website and databases, and providing technical assistance during the hike.
"I am Mike and Kate's North Western Ontario contact. I will be recruiting and coordinating sponsors in North Western Ontario. I will also be finding locations for the presentations in Thunder Bay. My main order of business will be welcoming Mike, Kate, and the team into this great country.
Wei Hao, Technical Assistant,
Webmaster (Singapore,
Canada)
Todd Starling, Canada Segment
Coordinator (Thunder Bay, ON)
Support Team (Cont.)
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Amanda Hakala, Education
Coordinator, Sag Wagon Support
(Minnesota)
“I will be creating curriculum and educational materials along with our education partners, working with teachers and classrooms through our online education programs, helping teach graduate classes with Mike, helping with the research projects and doing educational programs in communities around the Lake with Mike and Kate. I will also be navigating the Sag wagon vehicle and providing general support throughout the expedition.”
Jennifer is the official photographer of the expedition members. She owns and operates Jennifer Johansen Photography in St. Paul, MN. She will be generously sharing her wonderful photography skills to document Mike and Kate as they prepare for their hike and at points along the way as the expedition travels around the Lake.
Jennifer Johansen, Photographer(Minnesota)
Research – Shoreline Ecological and Photographic Survey
In the core natural history focus of this expedition, we will attempt to create, as completely as possible, a primary baseline inventory of the composition and diversity of flora and fauna of the coast of Lake Superior. Although there has been no such cross-state/province inventory of the entire shoreline, we certainly are not the first to undertake this kind of project.
A similar study, the Michigan Natural Features Inventory - a joint project between the Nature Conservancy and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality - analyzed the journals of men who first surveyed Michigan in preparation of it becoming a state. Among other things, they contained detailed observations of flora, fauna and the natural features of Michigan's shorelines before settlement, dating back to the 1830s. It may be interesting to contrast those observations with what we find, how much has changed in the past 180 years. Aided by digital technology, we hope to accomplish this within the summer of 2010.
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Shoreline Ecological and Photographic Survey (slide 2)
Traditional methods of vegetative surveys will be supplemented by high-resolution photography towards each cardinal compass point of each sample plot, creating a detailed photographic survey of the terrain.
More conventional plot samples will be conducted at evenly spaced intervals throughout the circumnavigation, at which we will record the following observations: •Date & Time•GPS Coordinates•Species present•Species relative abundance•Animal sightings, tracks or sign•Other notable observations, e.g. environmental anomalies, land use, particular landscape features
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Research – Invasive Species
In collaboration with the Invasive Species Research Institution at Algoma University (Canada), members of the circumnavigation will be on the lookout for a number of invasive species throughout the hike with GPS receivers. The locations, extents and types of the populations encountered will be entered into a geographic database for study; it is hoped that with the first survey of its kind covering the entire coastline of Lake Superior, researchers and managers on both sides of the border can use the information gathered to raise awareness of, contain, and mitigate the threats that invasive and noxious species face to local ecosystems and communities.
Copyright © Mike Link & Kate Crowley http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/
fact/cyro1.htm
http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/eues1.htm
Invasive SpeciesFocal invasive species for shoreline hikers Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)Spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe)Japanese knotweed (Spiraea japonica)Common reed (Phragmites australis)Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Focal invasive species for the land SAG group Blueweed / Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare)Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)Dog-strangling vine / Pale swallowwort (Cynanchum rossicum)Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
The species surveyed were chosen by ISRI coordinators based on the following criteria: Known distribution & habitatNoxious Weed lists for provinces and states around Lake SuperiorInvasive Alien species lists for provinces and states around Lake Superior
Copyright © Mike Link & Kate Crowley
http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/phau1.htm
http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/cest1.htm http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/cest1.htm
Research – Streams and Water Quality Sampling
We are collaborating with Minnesota Seagrant and the Natural Resources Research Institute at UMD on the Lake Superior Streams project. In essence, while "out in the field" conducting our shoreline circumnavigation, we will be recording the measurements and locations of all the streams/waterways that we cross, as well as collect water samples from them. These samples and data will be forwarded to our partner laboratories to undergo water quality and chemical data analysis.
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Research – Human Dimensions of Lake Superior’s Shoreline
What do people actually know about the lake? What are their concerns? Do attitudes change around the lake or is this a similar feeling among all who live around its shores?•A questionnaire will be designed with help from Michigan Tech, Lakehead, and SeaGrant. •Our interviews will be random as we travel around the shoreline creating a cross section on peoples’ relationship to this Great Lake.
Copyright © Amanda HakalaCopyright © Amanda HakalaCopyright © Amanda HakalaCopyright © Amanda Hakala
Education and the Future
Education is a very important element in our expedition. Before, during and after the expedition we will be providing:• Online education resources for schools like yours •And education programs in parks and communities around the lake and throughout Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario •To be a part of this adventure and to learn about importance of this Great Lake and fresh water join us in learning more about Lake Superior as we travel its shores•And learn what we can all do to help protect its health
Copyright © Mike Link & Kate Crowley
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Copyright © Mike Link & Kate Crowley
Copyright © Amanda Hakala
Partners
Audubon CenterOf the North Woods
Sigurd Olson InstituteCenter for Water
& Society
Sponsors
Advisory Panel
Dr. Rolf Peterson, a professor with the School of Forestry at Michigan Technological University, is one of the world's foremost wolf biologists. He has been conducting wolf and moose research studies on Lake Superior's Isle Royale since 1970.
Lonnie DupreDuring an arctic career spanning over 20 years, Lonnie Dupre has travelled over 14,000 miles throughout the high arctic and polar regions by dog team, ski and kayak. His path has often followed in the footsteps of the Arctic explorers of the last century - Robert E. Peary, Roald Amundsen and Knud Rasmussen - to the North Pole, circumnavigating Greenland, and beyond. Like them, Lonnie has lived and travelled with the Polar Inuit, learning from these hardy people and developing a deep appreciation for their culture and way of life.
Kelly Dupre Lonnie Dupre's wife, has worked with youth in a variety of positions and age ranges for more than 20 years, in jobs as diverse as outdoor educator, naturalist, camp director, science teacher, coach, juvenile probation officer, and special education teacher.
She is deeply passionate about art and writing in addition to the outdoors.
Dr. Alex MayerDr Alex S. Mayer is a Professor of Geological and Environmental Engineering at MTU. His research and teaching focuses on groundwater flow and transport, a challenging and exciting interdisciplinary field at the confluence of a multitude of topics, issues and scales, ranging across disciplines from geology and mathematics to engineering and conservation. A variety of other topics capture and engage his interests in addition to the latter, including sub-surface remediation and the environmental and social aspects of water as a vital resource. Dr. Mayer is the Director of Michigan Tech's Center for Water and Society.
Advisory Panel
Dr. William RoseBill Rose is a volcanologist and professor with 38 years experience living on Lake Superior. He studies actively erupting volcanoes, especially in Latin America. He has focussed on volcanoes and their atmospheric effects, using remote sensing tools. One driving objective has been to inform and protect international aviation from drifting volcanic clouds. He teaches meteorology, volcanology and intercultural hazards communications. His research is funded by the National Science Foundation. He works closely with outdoor and parks education efforts which use Lake Superior as an educational focus.
Dr. Dan DeweyDan grew up in Sandstone, MN and has been an outdoor enthusiast from an early age. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a degree in biology before working for the MN Department of Natural Resources, the Arizona Game and Fish Department then two years of service with the US Peace Corps. The Peace Corps inspired him to go to medical school at the University of MN. He worked for American Field Service as well while applying for medical school. He completed a residency in Family Medicine then worked for Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Africa for 1 1/2 years before returning to the US to complete a fellowship in Emergency Medicine. Dan is the founder and president of the international medical benevolence organization World Altering Medicine.
He has had the opportunity to travel and work in North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. He is inspired and humbled by Mike and Kate's goal of walking around Lake Superior. He will provide medical guidance during the expedition.
Jerry PhillipsIn 1974, Mary and Jerry Phillips had no idea what a success their dreams of opening Wisconsin's first bed and breakfast would become. They simply wanted to "test the waters," to see if their business plan was viable. Today the Phillips are still living the dreams they started out with 30 years ago with the Rittenhouse Inn in
Bayfield, Wisconsin.
Advisory Panel
Steve Hoecker Steve was formerly with the Superior National Forest and worked with Mike and Kate on his ground breaking Resort Naturalist program. He has been the guiding force for the creation of northern Wisconsin's premier great lake visitor center.
No Photo Available
Beth and Bill BlankBill and Beth are retired owner-operators of the Solbakken Resort at Lutsen, MN and the small-but-good Solbakken Bookshop. They have lived in Lutsen since late 1979. While at the resort we initiated development of the North Shore Mountain Ski Trail and the Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association.
Beth served briefly on the founding board of the Superior Hiking Trail Association and the advisory board for the Audubon Center; Bill was founder and president of the Gitchi Gami Trail Association, a non-motorized trail flanking Lake Superior.
Beth is a prolific quilter, originally making quilts for all the beds in her resort; and both are enthusiastic readers. Their interests include both Alpine and Nordic skiing, hiking, canoeing, and camping. Bill does running and inline marathons and long distance biking. Beth loves both birding and wildflowers. As Highpointers Club members they have visited 36 of the 50 state highpoints.
Dawn ElmoreDawn Elmore was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario and currently resides in Goulais River, Ontario on the north shore of Lake Superior near Sault Ste. Marie. She loves the outdoors and is an active volunteer with the Voyageur Trail Association, a hiking club dedicated to developing and maintaining a continuous hiking trail for public use across Northern Ontario, from Manitoulin Island to Thunder Bay.
Dawn graduated from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology, and currently acts as Academic Development and Project Coordinator at Algoma University, facilitating new program development and writing grant proposals.
Since relocating back to northern Ontario in 2004, Dawn and her husband Kirk have enjoyed exploring the wilderness north of Superior from their home base on the Goulais River. World-class hiking, canoeing, and snowshoeing are all located minutes from home.