FOLSR Newsletter | Summer 2025

Support Starts with Your Name

Map of the number of people who have signed letter of support (as of 7/23/25).

(credit: National Estuarine Research Reserve Association)

The Lake Superior Reserve is one of 30 sites in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). NERRS's future is in jeopardy as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) faces scrutiny and restructuring. If you haven't already, please sign the letter of support linked below. It was prepared by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Association as an easy way for you to show our elected officials that you support the Reserve System.

Participants in Everyone Can Bird at Chambers Grove spot flocks of American White Pelicans along the St. Louis River. (credit: Luciana Ranelli)

What a kickoff to the Everyone Can Bird series! 60 participants gathered at Chambers Grove Park in Duluth to see a variety of spring migrants. The showstoppers were about 30 American White Pelicans that took up temporary residence along the St. Louis River before moving further north to Canada.

Besides seeing the pelicans, participants went on bird walks with experts to learn more about bird identification, partook in bird activities like "measure your wingspan", spotted birds through the scopes, and talked with event organizers about birds.

Everyone Can Bird returns on Thursday, August 21 at Woodstock Bay in Superior, Wisc. Learn more about how young birds are growing up and getting ready to migrate this fall. Registration is recommended but not required. We encourage participants to register and take the free bus from UW-Superior to Woodstock Bay to save parking at the event.

Beach Cleanups at Wisconsin Point

Volunteers pick up trash from Wisconsin Point Lot #5 as a Great Lakes ship passes through the Superior entrance. (credit: Will Mowchan)

How would you feel if someone left over 200 lbs of trash in your front yard? Superior's "front yard" is Wisconsin Point, one of the most important places ecologically to the St. Louis River estuary at the headwaters of the largest surface of freshwater on Earth.

The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve have adopted the beaches of Wisconsin Point through the City of Superior's Adopt-A-Park program, and FOLSR hosts beach cleanups twice a year ... autumn and spring. This past May, 23 volunteers gathered together to remove 216 lbs of trash from Wisconsin Point. Data was collected on the trash and submitted to the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The next beach cleanup at Wisconsin Point will take place on Saturday, September 20 from 9:30am-12pm. FOLSR will again be collecting data for the Alliance for the Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup Day and celebrating the first day of National Estuaries Week. Find more information and register below.

Celebrating Lake Superior Day!

The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve tend to celebrate Lake Superior everyday, but it is extra special when others celebrate this Great Lake, too. Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20 were filled with stewardship and revelry for Gichigami. The festivities included a volunteer event to pull spotted knapweed from Wisconsin Point and a gathering at Barker's Island for Lake Superior Day.

Lake Superior Estuarium Summer Hours

The Lake Superior Estuarium is a busy place during the summer on Barker's Island. It includes a free exhibit hall with interactive maps, information on the St. Louis River estuary, and a children's play area. It's a place that all Twin Ports community members and visitors can enjoy. The summer hours of the Estuarium are:

• Wednesdays: 10am-5pm (River Rovers program weekly from 10am-12pm)
• Fridays: 10am-5pm
• Saturdays: 10am-2pm (special activity planned for the first Saturday of each month)

Community members enjoy the interactive map in the Lake Superior Estuarium.

(credit: Lake Superior Reserve)

Community members can also participate in the River Rovers program weekly on Wednesdays during the summer from 10am-12pm (except for August 7). River Rovers is hosted by the Lake Superior Reserve education team and is free to attend for kids ages 3-7 accompanied by a parent/guardian/trusted adult. Each week provides a new nature topic that all can enjoy and learn about.

You can find more information about River Rovers at lakesuperiornerr.org/events/ .

Lake Superior Reserve staff celebrate another successful Lake Superior Day. (credit: Luciana Ranelli)

Summertime is science time!

With the 2025 summer field season, the number of staff at the Lake Superior Reserve nearly doubled. The newcomers include NOAA Holling Scholars, researchers, and educators, many of whom are students.

This edition of "What's New at the Reserve?" includes updates on summer projects, events, and a new habitat map! Look for Reserve staff around the St. Louis River estuary, from the upper estuary islands, to Wisconsin Point, and Pokegama Bay. If you find one of them, ask them what they are up to!

Meet Matt Starry!

Matt and his family have been FOLSR members for almost three years. He got involved with the Friends through a group project for the Leadership Superior Douglas County program. His group included Lake Superior Reserve staff (Karina Heim and Kirsten Rhude). Their group organized the spotted knapweed pull on Wisconsin Point as a service component to Lake Superior Day in 2023. He’s been participating in the event ever since. It’s an excellent way to help support the mission of the Friends while spending time at one of his favorite places – Wisconsin Point!

Matt became a provisional FOLSR board member earlier this year.

When you see Matt, say, "Hi, friend!"

Introduction and "Support Starts with Your Name" by Sharon Moen; Newsletter articles by Callie Grones

Cover photo: FOLSR board members and volunteers at the Wisconsin Point spring beach cleanup (credit: Kirsten Rhude)

Email us at outreach@folsr.org



Call us at 715-399-4095

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