Where the River

Meets the Lake

FOLSR Newsletter | Spring 2023

Hello Michael,

Welcome to the spring edition of the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve's newsletter. After an exceptionally snowy winter, it is exciting to see flocks of birds winging through the area on their way to northern breeding grounds. As you'll read below, FOLSR is helping to make the simple pleasure of watching migrating birds accessible to everyone, starting the 2023 season with an event on May 6.

FOLSR has also been busy with bees. Our April bee-box making workshop filled to capacity. With a bit of wood, glue and gumption, workshop participants made "hotels" for native bees such as miner and mason bees. These bees will hopefully lay eggs in the boxes and pollinate nearby flowers.

We're rolling up our sleeves for some spring cleaning, too. Join our annual Wisconsin Point spring cleanup on May 20. This FREE fun family activity could earn you a prize. But before the cleanup, come on out to our May 4 trivia night hosted by Cafe Scientifique Twin Ports from 6:30 to 7:30 at Dovetail Cafe in Duluth, Minn.

Read on for details and for FOLSR's latest news.

Your Friend,

Sharon

Sharon Moen, FOLSR Board Chair

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Do Bit of Bird Watching

When: May 6, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Where: Boy Scout Landing

11 Commonwealth Ave, Duluth, MN

People of all ages and ability levels are welcome to attend this FREE accessible birding event at Boy Scout Landing in Duluth. Observe waterfowl from the comfort of the landing with bird enthusiasts and beginners alike. Binoculars will be available and light refreshments will be provided. Stay for the whole time, or come and go as you wish.

Sponsored by FOLSR, the Lake Superior Reserve, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Minnesota Land Trust.

Click here for details.

Homes for Bees

"It was wonderful to see how enthusiastic participants were about local bees!" said workshop leader Kate Murray.

Find out what happened at FOLSR's April 8 bee-box building event. Check out directions for making your own bee house. Learn why native pollinators are an important part of the St. Louis River estuary.

Catch the buzz here.

Wisconsin Point Beach Cleanup Spring 2023

When: May 20, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m

Where: Wisconsin Point Lot 1

FOLSR is gearing up for the annual springtime beach cleanup on Wisconsin Point. Families and community members are welcome. This is a FREE event.

In addition to beautifying the Point by picking up litter, participants will be asked to help identify hotspots of spotted knapweed, an invasive plant.

Snacks will be provided and some lucky person will win a prize. We hope to see you there!

Registration is encouraged but not required.

Details on the FOLSR website.

St Louis River Summit 2023

The annual St. Louis River Summit took place from March 8 - 10, 2023, on the University of Wisconsin-Superior campus with over 300 attendees congregating to share and discuss their work in the St. Louis River area.

In support of the Summit, FOLSR members staffed a booth, organized a listening session, gave a presentation, participated in the arts exhibition, and helped secure sponsorships.

This was the first year since 2020 that attendees were able to talk with each other face-to-face. From 2020 - 2022, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted in-person gatherings and the Summit was exclusively online.

Annual Member Meeting 2023

Did you make it to the annual member meeting in February? Guest speaker Ariel Bonkoski of Ariel's Mushroom Co. gave a talk on foraging for mushrooms in the estuary.

Bonkoski shared her experiences learning how to forage for edible mushrooms while steering clear of the sickening varieties. She says that online communities and accredited field guides were instrumental in her fungi foraging journey. If you're interested, check out the library and groups in your area, or contact Ariel at her website!

One of Your Friends

Meet Mike Koutnik!

Mike is a founding board member of the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, but his involvement with the Reserve runs deeper than that! During the process of creating the Reserve, Mike volunteered to apply his skills and background in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the area to support the designation committee's work. Mike has always had a strong place in his heart for the area, and felt it was only natural to want to help out. He enjoys organizing and participating in FOLSR's events, from beach cleanups to bird outings to activities that get people out and involved. Over the years he has found it rewarding to see the capacity of FOLSR grow and its ability to do more things to help the Reserve.

Next time you see Mike say, “Hi, Friend!”