Braiding Visions for an Enduring Future - 14th Annual St. Louis River Summit Wrap Up
The 14th Annual St. Louis River Summit has come to a close after taking place on March 6-8 this year, with greater attendance than ever before! Knowledgeable presenters, storytellers, artists, and event partners made the experience unforgettable, and we couldn't have done it without you!
This year, the Friends worked closely with the Reserve to make the Summit a success, especially when it came to fundraising. A total of 25 organizations sponsored the 2024 St. Louis River Summit with help from the Friends, which allowed us to go above and beyond for what has become many attendees’ “all-time favorite conference!”
Summit advertising and programming was made all the better with beautiful artwork from Kate Murray, a previous AmeriCorps member serving the Friends. Kate’s artwork is pictured above, next to our inspiring opening speaker, Ricky Defoe, Fond Du Lac Ojibwe Elder.
The Reserve hosted their second ever Poster and Art session (pictured right) at the end of the first day of the Summit, and it was a huge hit! Talented students, researchers, and artists showed off their hard work while enjoying refreshments and great company. Attendees had a chance to vote on their favorite poster, and a group of talented 5th graders and their teacher, Matthew Peck, went home with the grand prize with their poster, “Water Quality through a 5th Grade Lens.” Thanks for everyone who participated and attended, and we look forward to doing it again next year!
The third day of the Summit was dedicated to field trips around the estuary with Reserve staff, inspired by similar topics represented in presentations. The experiences to choose from included “Where the water goes: Tour the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District,” “Snowshoe the Superior Municipal Forest,” “Grassy Point Restoration” and “Depicting the history of West Duluth: Art Fleming’s Murals at the Kom-on-Inn.” These trips took lessons we learned at the Summit and applied them in person to the area we live in, and was a fantastic way to round out the week. Read an article about the special Kom-on-Inn visit here by Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Marie Zhuikov!
If you attended the Summit this year, you received an email from Reserve staff asking about your experience. This feedback is taken very seriously, and inspires plans and changes for future summits. If you did not attend the Summit and are curious what was discussed, check out the Lake Superior NERR’s Summit page with the full 2024 program and “Visions: Stories for an Enduring Future" audio recording. Thanks for joining us, and for your support connecting scientists, knowledge-holders, and community members year after year for the health and sustainability of the estuary. See you again in March 2025!
Photos courtesy of Michael Anderson