National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation

10/23/2026

Thank you National Park Foundation!

When NPLSF helped Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore move to battery powered trail maintenance equipment it was a smashing success, with clear benefits for worker health, noise reduction, and park efficiency.

Thanks to a new National Park Foundation innovation grant, we will be able to expand the use of battery-powered equipment across Isle Royale National Park, Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Grand Portage National Monument, and Keweenaw National Historical Park to improve worker safety, operational efficiency, and visitor experience.

Stay tuned for updates, and check out the park innovations across the country that will be supported through the program!

The National Park Foundation (NPF) is the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service.

10/21/2026

What if you could send a little piece of your Lake Superior experience to someone you love?

At Letteracy Deck in Grand Marais, visitors are invited to sit by the water, choose a postcard, and write a message—all for free, including postage.

On the latest Lake Superior Podcast episode, Anne Brataas of Minnesota Children's Press talks with Walt Lindala and Frida Waara about handwritten letters, screen-free moments, and the connections that can begin with a few words on paper.

Listen here: https://www.nplsf.org/anne-brataas-episode

10/19/2026

Isle Royale National Park is closest to Canada, so how did it end up part of the United States? Historian, author, former park superintendent, and NPLSF board member Tim Cochrane unpacks various governmental claims about Isle Royale in his latest story about the island’s fascinating history.

As the Canada–United States relationship is topical today, it is instructive to look at a recurring theme of Canada supposedly claiming Isle Royale. Certainly, the geography of the Island and its proximity to Canada seem to play on Americans' minds. Isle Royale or Minong’s isolated location in L...

10/18/2026

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10/15/2026

Moose Madness begins today! October 15-16 Visit Cook County MN is hosting its annual Moose Madness Family Festival in Grand Marais. Our own moose biologist Adam Mortensen will be serving as “moose correspondent” and answering questions about his work with the Northern Moose Alliance! Check out the full schedule of events here!

This annual event is the ultimate family-focused celebration of all things moose. Enjoy the outdoors and learn a few facts about our celebrated mascot along the way with activities, scavenger hunts, quizzes and more.

10/12/2026

Exciting to see that the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is restoring lake sturgeon on the Pidgeon River!

https://wtip.org/grand-portage-restores-lake-sturgeon-to-pigeon-river/

On a beautiful fall day in Grand Portage, students from Oshki Ogimaag Community School gathered along the Pigeon River to release young lake sturgeon into the water. The fish, about 7 inches long, are part of a longer story — one that stretches back centuries and potentially forward for generation...

10/07/2026

Have you seen the new exhibits at the Hat Point Ferry Building? NPLSF Executive Director Tom Irvine takes you on a quick video tour of this exciting project to share the story of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s long term connection to Minong (Isle Royale).

Step inside the new Hat Point Ferry Building in Grand Portage, Minn...

09/30/2026

More than 1,300 feet below the surface of Lake Superior, scientists are finding something unusual: siscowet lake trout that should be stout and fatty are instead severely emaciated. They’ve been nicknamed “zombie fish,” but the real story is about careful science.

On the latest episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara dig into this mystery in Lake Superior’s deepest waters with returning guest Shawn Sitar, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries research biologist and science officer aboard the RV Lake Char.

https://www.nplsf.org/shawn-sitar-podcast-episode

09/28/2026

Northern Moose Alliance scientists are planning ahead for collaring season — including getting a set of comfortable collars ready for use. The weight and shape of the collar, as well as size and padding, make a big difference. Collars also include a “remote blow-off” feature allowing scientists to send a command via satellite or hand held devise to remotely release the collar.

"We know that putting GPS collars on moose can be invasive, and we don’t take the responsibility of making them wear a collar lightly,” says NPLSF moose biologist Adam Mortensen. "It’s our job to make the collars as comfortable as possible.”

You can learn all the details in Adam’s latest installment of “Moose Browse” now available on the Northern Moose Alliance website!

In this installment of Moose Browse, I wanted to highlight the ways in which we try to make moose collars have as little impact as possible on the lives of the moose we study.

09/22/2026

NPLSF is thrilled to welcome Kevin Spreng to our Board of Directors. A corporate finance lawyer and Senior Partner at Fredrikson & Byron in Minneapolis, Kevin’s expertise will be important for NPLSF as we continue to grow our programs and partnerships. Thank you to Kevin, and our other board members, for your service!!

https://www.nplsf.org/post/kevin-spreng-joins-nplsf-board