GREAT WATERS EXPEDITION
MAY 13-22, 2004

OVERVIEW

Water-related themes unified this expedition to Wisconsin, Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the shores and islands of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.

The program examined issues of industrial development, fishing, logging, shipping, tourism and recreation that affect the economic and ecological health in the entire Great Lakes Basin.

Fellows assessed regional issues of lakeshore development, pollution, invasive species, climate change, fisheries management, endangered species and the prospect of tapping Great Lakes water for export to the Sun Belt.

Camping for two nights in the moose habitat of Isle Royale National Park was a special highlight.

FIELD REPORT

They Sorted Moose Bones On Isle Royale
Great Waters Fellows Also Encountered Tribal Forests, Exotic Fish,
Proposed Mines...and Camp Cuisine by the ‘Other Martha’

Green Bay's poor immigrants from Latin America often land large fish from the Fox River, which is heavily contaminated with PCBs. IJNR photo by Andrew Weegar.

Except for the first day of the trip, the weather couldn't have been more cooperative during the 2004 Great Waters Institute, as 14 journalists trekked through northern Wisconsin and remote parts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. IJNR Associate Director Peter Annin, who invented of the Great Waters program in 2002, organized and led this expedition, assisted by Chris Bryant and Andrew Weegar. (Frank Allen came along to puff on his pipe, sing to cows and talk about storytelling.)

On that first day, the Fellows wore rain gear constantly as they hiked in the 234,000-acre Menominee Reservation’s handsome forestlands west of Green Bay. Menominee Tribal Enterprises harvests white pine, hemlock and other species on a highly unusual rotation of 180 years. Along the trail and later in the tribe’s logging museum, the journalists learned about issues of forest certification and the cultural importance of the forest to tribe members.

By the second day, the sun had returned for the group's exploration of the heavily polluted Fox River valley, home to one of the largest concentrations of paper mills in the world. Regulators, scientists, industry leaders and conservation advocates helped the journalists delve deeper into the most persistent issues, such as whether extensive sections of the river bottom should be capped rather than dredged and how to dispose of the contaminated sediment.

Later in the program, the journalists pondered a fundamental issue facing the entire Great Lakes Basin: a growing concern among public officials, environmentalists, and some businesses in the Great Lakes Basin that thirsty outsiders will soon be turning to the Great Lakes for water. The lakes hold one fifth of the world’s fresh surface water.

The trip also devoted time to what has been called American agriculture's "crisis of the middle." Steve Stevenson, who directs an agriculture research center at the University of Wisconsin, shared his findings with the journalists: The number of small farms (with fewer than 50 acres) and the number of large farms (larger than 2,000 acres) are on the rise. But medium-sized farms have seen steep declines in recent years as significant numbers of farmers have decided to leave the business.

Prof. Stevenson's talk was part of the group's visit to the 160-acre farm of Rick Adamski and his wife Valerie Dantoin, with its 90 certified-organic, grass-fed milking cows. Though the farm has remained in the same family for generations, last year the owners came close to selling out and changing careers. But healthy prices of organic milk and specialty cheeses are keeping them in the dairy business—at least for now.

As the journalists traversed Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, they saw many examples of recreation-driven rural sprawl. They also learned why sport fishing continues to thrive throughout the Great Lakes Basin. Lake Erie’s walleye fishery is world-class, lakes Huron and Michigan have vibrant Pacific salmon fisheries, and the Lake Superior white fish and lake trout fisheries are as healthy as they have been in decades. Even so, many fish-management challenges persist throughout the region. Airborne mercury is an increasing concern, as are the so-called emerging contaminants. New and alarming exotic species such as Asian carp are knocking on the door.

Journalist Rachel Ehrenberg surveys a small sampling of moose antlers from the Rolf Peterson collection. IJNR photo by Andrew Weegar.

The highlight of the journey was the group's encampment in Isle Royale National Park, a wilderness archipelago of about 400 islands. The remote location (in Lake Superior) and the short tourist season (April 15 to October 31) help to explain why Isle Royale is the least visited National Park in the U.S. Most of this park’s 20,000 annual guests show up in July and August, so the Park Service seeks better ways to manage that intense impact.

Gourmet camp food created by outfitter Martha Schouweiler left the Fellows well-fed and sometimes in awe. A camp fox with a long, fluffy tail hung around the cook stove. He showed plenty of moxie. But Martha’s refusal to let him taste the cuisine left the little guy terribly frustrated.

After one memorable breakfast, the Fellows were shuttled in Zodiac boats (steered by Peter and Andrew) to the research camp of Rolf and Candy Peterson. With Candy’s patient assistance, Rolf has been studying the relationship between the island’s wolves and moose for nearly three decades.

Before the wolves arrived (probably about five decade ago), moose roamed without threat from any predator. They severely over-browsed the island’s forests, ultimately bringing a crash in their own population. The wolves have helped to bring an off-kilter ecosystem into balance—although that balance remains fragile. Rolf continues to investigate many questions: What if the wolves die off? Should they be replaced? If not, what will the booming moose population do to the island’s flora?

One of Rolf 's methods of research is to collect and analyze the skulls and other bones of dead moose and wolves that he finds on the island. He has quite a collection, as the journalists discovered that day. They helped him empty and sort through a large shed crammed to the rafters with antlers and other remains. The journalists formed a relay line to pass along the remains and set them on racks in the sun. Each set of antlers evoked a lively explanation from Rolf: This moose was about 12 years old. It had a severe arthritis. That moose starved to death a couple of winters ago. Rolf could tell from the depleted bone marrow. And then here was one that had a broken leg but fought valiantly as the wolf pack brought him down. He had cracked the broad pans of both his antlers—and probably had given a few of the wolves a hard kick in the ribs.