Great Lakes Heritage
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Tulip Time and the Dutch Roots of a Michigan Tradition
One of the oldest, most deeply rooted community festivals in the country starts this week, Tulip Time.
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The History of the Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener
Half a million people on the water before noon. Boats launched in the dark. Coffee in thermoses, walleyes on stringers, and a sitting governor somewhere in the mix, rod in hand, cameras rolling.
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Stewarding the Great Lakes: Five Ways You Can Make an Impact This Earth Day
As the largest freshwater system on Earth, and holding 20% of the world’s freshwater, the Great Lakes are a spectacle to behold and a resource to protect for generations to come (Michigan Sea Grant, n.d.). Over the years, there have been several threats to the well-being of our Great Lakes. Recent threats include waves of…
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Exploring the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
What makes the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) unlike anything else is its continuity. Today’s paddlers cross the same lakes, follow the same portage trails, and camp on the same granite ledges that Anishinaabe travelers, voyageur fur traders, and conservation pioneers like Sigurd Olson used for centuries. This tradition is simultaneously recreational, spiritual, and…
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Keepers of the Light: The Heroines of the Great Lakes Beacons
Across the Great Lakes, more than 60 women officially held the title of Head Keeper or Assistant Keeper. These steel-nerved group of women kept our shores safe, ensuring the lights never went out.
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Ice Sailing: A Cherished Winter Pastime in the Great Lakes
Ice sailing is a deeply cherished winter sport that has been passed down through generations in the Great Lakes region and is as entertaining to watch as it is to participate in.
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Keepers of the Light: A Journey to Iconic Beacons of Lake Superior
There is a specific kind of silence found at a Lake Superior lighthouse. It is not the absence of sound, but rather the steady presence of the water against the shore.
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Winter Traditions of the Great Lakes: Games, Gatherings, and Long Nights
Winter has always shaped life in the Great Lakes region. Long before central heat and plowed roads, the season arrived early and lingered well into spring, bringing deep snow, frozen waterways, and long, quiet nights.