The bald eagle has been the patriotic symbol of America for 250 years. Most folks can remember the first time they saw this majestic bird soaring in the wild. There was a time when sighting them, even on Lake Superior, was rare, but today these birds of prey are making a comeback. Their return represents one of America’s most visible conservation successes. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Ed Hahn, Director of Advancement and Marketing Communications at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, about the bald eagle’s recovery, how to recognize young eagles and what visitors can learn by meeting an eagle ambassador face to face.

Quotes

1. Ed Hahn says the species has made "a complete and total recovery" and calls that "a truly incredible accomplishment for Americans to take some pride in," adding, "We accomplished that through public action."
2. “But just like everyone else, we truly do wish that they could be living their full lives as intended as wild eagles out in the wild.”
3. “We have to work with them to educate the public and we have to be sharing those birds with the public.”
4. “Bald eagles are covered in approximately 7,000 feathers.”
5. “There's always new things to learn about eagles.”

Helpful Links

Learn more about the National Eagle Center:
https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/

Plan a visit to the National Eagle Center:
https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/visit/

Meet the National Eagle Center’s eagle and raptor ambassadors:
https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/the-ambassadors/

Watch the EagleWatch Cam overlooking the Mississippi River:
https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/eaglewatch-cam/

Learn what to do if you find an injured bird:
https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/found-an-injured-bird/

Learn about bald eagle recovery and management from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
https://www.fws.gov/program/eagle-management

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

Sailing Season on Lake Superior is busy. Approximately 4,500 ships travel through the Soo Locks. One boat, the Blue Heron, docked in Duluth, Minnesota, spends the summer season as a Research Vessel for the University of Minnesota’s Large Lakes Observatory. Captain Rual Lee has been at the helm of the 87’ vessel since 2014. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with him about what it takes to operate a floating science lab on the Greatest of the Great Lakes.

Quotes:

1. “We're still working on the boat, trying to make it a better tool for science.”
2. “The lake is humbling. It really doesn't matter what boat you're on. It will put you in your place as it were.”
3. “One of the great parts of my job is that the crew and I get to hang around with some really smart people doing some really clever research, looking at different parts of the lake.”
4. “The science comes and goes according to the individual projects. So we're the platform. We're a useful tool to get the science done.”
5. “Out in the middle of Lake Superior, you can see the results of a policy change that showed up in the mid-70s. And that's really a great thing I think.”

Helpful links:

• Learn more about the R/V Blue Heron:
  https://scse.d.umn.edu/large-lakes-observatory/vessels/blue-heron
• Learn more about the Large Lakes Observatory:
  https://scse.d.umn.edu/large-lakes-observatory
• Learn more about Science on Deck events:
  https://scse.d.umn.edu/large-lakes-observatory/news-events/science-deck
• Track Great Lakes vessels with BoatNerd AIS:
  https://ais.boatnerd.com/
• Learn more about “The Freshwater Everest” / Superior Shoal livestream:
  https://inspiredplanet.ca/live/

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

There’s nothing like sitting around a camp fire telling Lake Superior stories. Imagine the tales you could collect spending almost three decades gathering the news, features and photographs for the region’s most popular magazine. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Konnie LeMay, long time editor of Lake Superior Magazine, published in her home town of Duluth, MInnesota, to find out more about her career-long favorites.

5 Episode Quotes

“Lake Superior has always been part of my horizon.”

“It has given me one of my frequently noted phrases, which is big lake, small world.”

“There isn't one place that I've been around the lake that I wouldn't want to visit again.”

“Our bodies are more than 50% water, and my body happens to be probably about all Lake Superior water, so I carry Lake Superior with me wherever I go.”

“It is a resource not just of the moment, but a resource of the future.”

Helpful links:

• Learn more about Lake Superior Magazine:
  https://lakesuperior.com/
• Learn more about Lake Superior Writers:
  https://lakesuperiorwriters.org/

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