Celebrating the Estuary Mosaic at the 15th Annual St. Louis River Summit
Estuary stewards from across the Twin Ports communities came together to attend the 15th Annual St. Louis River Summit. The Summit provides scientists, researchers, community-builders, artists, poets, teachers, and stewards of all backgrounds to come together to learn about and celebrate the work on the St. Louis River Estuary. The theme, An Estuary Mosaic: Understanding the Pieces, Appreciating the Whole, was ever-present throughout the three day event. The St. Louis River Summit is hosted annually by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve and takes place at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
Day 1: The Summit opened with remarks from Deanna Erickson, Lake Superior Reserve Director, and a lantern puppet processional of living beings in the estuary. Following the opening of the Summit, the mosaic was creatively constructed with groups of enlightening talks and remarks from our session hosts. A poster and art presentation session closed the first day of the Summit, including posters from work on the estuary by professionals and students, as well as art pieces from local community members. (See following gallery photos)
Day 2: The second day opened with a presentation and panel on water quality and tribal sovereignty in the St. Louis River Estuary. Then, following series of talks on the Area of Concern, two networking sessions were hosted over lunch, including a legislative listening session hosted by the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve. More talks on “watershed wisdom” and breakout networking sessions followed lunch. (See following gallery photos)
Day 3: The third and final day of the St. Louis River Summit opened with remarks from City of Superior’s Mayor Jim Paine. Talks on resilient habitats were followed by another panel on climate resilience. The last of the talks focused on restoration, and once the Summit closed at UW-Superior’s Yellowjacket Union, attendees could go on one of several field trips to places located on the estuary. (See following gallery photos)
A full program recap can be found on the St. Louis River Summit website here: CLICK HERE TO VIEW PROGRAM
Many thanks to the sponsors of the St. Louis River Summit, Lake Superior Reserve staff for their careful planning and coordination of the event, panelists and presenters, UW-Superior facilities managers and caterers, and all who made this event possible.
Recap article by Callie Grones
Photo credit: Michael Anderson