No mammal represents Minnesota’s north shore better than the moose. The winter of 2026 has been busy and significant for these majestic animals. Through the Northern Moose Alliance (www.moosealliance.org), a joint effort between Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 1854 Treaty Authority, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation, 60 juvenile moose were collared to launch a study on why the moose population has seen a 60% decline in recent years. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Michelle Carstensen, Wildlife Health Group Leader for the Minnesota’s DNR about the project and the partnerships that have come together to better learn about the region’s moose.

We’d love to keep you updated as this work evolves and share ways you can help protect moose as opportunities arise.

Join the Northern Moose Alliance’s quarterly newsletter for exclusive updates, expert moose insights, and actions you can take: https://moosealliance.org/subscribe/

Quotes

“It's been a very moose-filled winter for us, which, if you ask me, is a great way to spend the winter.”

“What we want to know is how many can survive over winter and at what age they become reproductively contributing to the population.”

“We were missing that middle cohort of animals, which is a huge driver if you want to have a population that’s going to grow.”

“We’re trying to understand why the moose population has been kind of stagnant.”

“It’s our role as stewards to try to help this population thrive.”

Connect With Us:

• Northern Moose Alliance Website – https://moosealliance.org
• Lake Superior Podcast Page – https://nplsf.org/podcast
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NationalParksOfLakeSuperiorFoundation

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports – Minneapolis-based importers of specialty green coffees since 1993, focused on sustainability. Learn more: cafeimports.com
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation – Donate to protect Lake Superior’s five national parks: nplsf.org/donate

What started on March 1, 1872, when Yellowstone became the first National Park in the world, has grown to over 433 units covering over 85 million acres in America. Tagged "America’s Best Idea," we celebrate National Parks Week every year in April. Roughly 20,000 people work either full-time or seasonally with the National Park Service but the system also relies on over 130,000 volunteers. The National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation--sponsor of this podcast--is one of those volunteer organizations.

In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Carol Brady, founding board member and long-time Chairman of NPLSF, about the organization’s mission and projects that have developed over the last two decades.

5 Quotes

• “In 2026, this will be 20 years since we became an actual official 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation.”
• “National Park Service unbelievably has over 400 units in the country, and the government budget for the National Park Service is a finite number.”
• “There’s only so much budget to go around. In order to keep all of these places as special as folks expect them to be when you go there, they need help. They need outside help.”
• “That is an ongoing thing that will last much longer than I will, I’m quite sure.”
• “You’re not going to really notice that this is not the coast of an ocean. The lake could be calm, it can be just wild, but the best thing is it’s clear and cold. You dip it in there and take a drink, it’s just great. It’s fresh water. It’s just amazing. People think it’s going to just look like a big lake, and then when they realize it looks like the ocean, they forget that it’s clear and cold and fresh.”

Connect With Us:

• Lake Superior Podcast Page – https://nplsf.org/podcast
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NationalParksOfLakeSuperiorFoundation

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports – Minneapolis-based importers of specialty green coffees since 1993, focused on sustainability. Learn more: cafeimports.com
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation – Donate to protect Lake Superior’s five national parks: nplsf.org/donate

While some parts of the country can count on crocus and daffodils to signal spring in March, Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula is still measuring snowbanks. Over 300” has fallen across the region and more is expected, possibly into May. From the looks of future forecasts, the area is sure to surpass last year’s total of 315.25” and may be on track for the all-time high of 390.4” set back in the winter of 1978-79. What do you do with over 32’ of snow in a season? In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Jesse Wiederhold, Managing Director of Visit Keweenaw, about what makes this area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula such a mecca for snow lovers and tips on how they survive cabin fever.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Extraordinary Snowfall Totals In The Keweenaw Peninsula: Jesse Wiederhold says the Keweenaw had already passed 200 inches of snowfall by early January and notes that the historical snowfall record in Keweenaw County is about 390 inches in a single season recorded in the late 1970s.
2. Lake Superior Drives The Region’s Heavy Snowfall: Wiederhold explains that Lake Superior acts as a “snow machine,” producing lake-effect snow because the Keweenaw Peninsula is surrounded by the lake on multiple sides.
3. Winter Recreation Draws Visitors To The Keweenaw: Visitors come to the region for winter activities including skiing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow biking, with ski areas such as Mount Ripley and Mount Bohemia operating during the winter season and drawing large numbers of visitors, including days when more than a thousand people ski at Mount Bohemia.
4. Groomed Trail Systems Support Winter Sports In The Region: Wiederhold highlights several groomed trail networks located within about a 30-minute radius of Houghton and Hancock, including the Michigan Tech trails in Houghton, the Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids trails in Hancock, the Swedetown trails in Calumet, and the East Bluff trails in Copper Harbor.
5. Finnish Heritage And Sauna Culture Remain Strong In The Keweenaw: Wiederhold notes that about one in three people in Houghton County are Finnish and explains that sauna culture remains an important part of local life, with both home saunas and public sauna experiences such as those at Mount Bohemia and Taka Saunas available in the region.

Helpful Links:

• Visit Keweenaw – https://visitkeweenaw.com
• Mount Bohemia – https://mtbohemia.com
• CopperDog 150 – https://copperdog.org
• Michigan Tech Trails – https://www.mtu.edu/recreation/outdoor/trails/

Connect With Us:

• Lake Superior Podcast Page – https://nplsf.org/podcast
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NationalParksOfLakeSuperiorFoundation

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports – Minneapolis-based importers of specialty green coffees since 1993, focused on sustainability. Learn more: cafeimports.com
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation – Donate to protect Lake Superior’s five national parks: nplsf.org/donate