For 20 years, the National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation (NPLSF) has championed one of the most extraordinary freshwater ecosystems on Earth. Lake Superior holds 10% of the world’s surface freshwater—more than all the other Great Lakes combined—touching three U.S. states and one Canadian province. Stewardship of this globally significant ecosystem is our shared responsibility. As the official philanthropic partner of the lake’s five extraordinary national parks, NPLSF has

By Tim Cochrane Duchess of Oldenburg apple lithograph For over five millennia people have made their way to Isle Royale. Evidence of that presence is sometimes subtle and sometimes it is like the bow of the packet freighter America looming out of the depths of Lake Superior. Whether obvious or not, each sign of human activity often can tell a remarkable story such as the rewilding Island Mine road turned into a trail or the toy left behind at the Hay Bay fishery. But evidence

UpdateS From the Field with Moose Researcher Adam Mortensen By Adam Mortensen My snowmobile stopped, but thankfully, it was not stuck! Part of being a biologist is the constant need to learn new things. Sometimes that means mastering a new statistical analysis or setting up moose collars. In the case of today’s installment of “Moose Browse,” it’s snowmobiling. Despite growing up in Wisconsin, snowmobiling was brand new to me, and I was excited to learn in such a unique way. A

Updates From the Field with Moose Researcher Adam Mortensen By Adam Mortensen Chest Deep: Taylor Velander, a PhD candidate from the University of Minnesota – Duluth, in the process of getting collars field ready. Prepping for captures: Moose captures for the joint MNDNR/1854 LCCMR (Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources) funded project began in January, with Grand Portage captures following soon after. The prep work, however, was already in full swing leading

Updates From the Field with Moose Researcher Adam Mortensen By Adam Mortensen Hello, and welcome to the first installment of “Moose Browse” . I’m Adam Mortensen and I serve as the moose biologist for the National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation . I work alongside partners in the Northern Moose Alliance – including the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Grand Portage) , the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) , and the 1854 Treaty Authority (1854) t

Learning about bats from scientist Dr. Winifred Frick For residents of the Lake Superior region, bats have long been familiar summer companions—swooping through twilight skies and occasionally taking shelter in barns and attics. But over the past two decades, these nocturnal mammals have faced catastrophic population declines, raising concerns about both ecological balance and agricultural sustainability. Dr. Winifred Frick, Chief Scientist at Bat Conservation International a

Isle Royale’s Washington Harbor/Ozaagaateng (formerly known as Windigo) is one of the busiest areas of the island. A destination for ferry services from Grand Portage, MN and Houghton, MI, and the area includes a visitor center, concessions, park offices, and staff housing. Beginning in the 2026 visitor season, those uses will be powered by solar electricity instead of diesel, thanks to upgraded solar supported by NPLSF with key funding from the National Park Foundation. An o

NEWS RELEASE Contact: Info@moosealliance.org December 3, 2025 GRAND MARAIS, MN: The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), 1854 Treaty Authority, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and nonprofit organization National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation (NPLSF) have launched a new initiative to study moose fertility and mortality in Northeast Minnesota. “Moose are a vital part of our Northern Minnesota landscape, with deep ecological and cultural connections

From budget cuts to the government shut down, 2025 brought challenges to our national parks. For National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation (NPLSF), however, it was a time of enormous progress. We rallied support for our parks at the most difficult times and launched several important new programs. Partnerships were the key to our success in 2025, and will continue to be the foundation of our work as we move into 2026, our 20 th Anniversary Year. “Two of Lake Superior’s nati

Fred Stonehouse on a Legend of Lake Superior Edmund Fitzgerald bow anchor, lost in 1974, on display at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. On November 10, 1975, the 729-foot SS Edmund Fitzgerald vanished without a distress call during a violent gale on Lake Superior. All 29 men aboard were lost. The last transmission from Captain Ernest McSorley was, “We are holding our own.” The Fitzgerald was the largest Great Lakes ship when it was launched and remains the largest and most famo

What to know about visiting, and how you can help Due to the lapse in federal appropriations, the federal government shut down at 12:01...

In early August 2025, NPLSF and its partners tackled a massive cleanup at Fisherman’s Home, a historic commercial fishing camp at Isle...