St Louis River Summit 2023

Wordle of “good intentions for the St. Louis River” developed by FOLSR member Tom Hollenhorst during the Summit.

Attendees of the Summit discussing posters

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. 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. 

By all measures, the 2023 in-person Summit was a tremendous success. It included a morning of field trips, a poster and art session, and a keynote presentation from Michael Waasegiizhig Price, Traditional Ecological Knowledge Specialist with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. The field trips around the estuary included a birding excursion; a tour of the University of Minnesota Duluth, Large Lakes Observatory’s R/V Blue Heron, and a friendly competition of snow snakes, a traditional winter game among many indigenous nations.

The poster session had a new twist this year, with the addition of local artists showing their work, and some special guests from a local elementary school. The artists had works ranging from ceramic to watercolor to stone etching, all inspired by the St Louis River. An interactive art piece asked visitors to write good intentions for the river on a ceramic tile, and take a tile someone else had written on home with them. Students from a local 3rd grade class came to present their poster in person, which was titled “City wildlife.” 

There were presentations from all over the estuary, with a strong presence of indigenous leadership. Among other presentations there were students from Fond Du Lac Tribal and Community College who presented their research on cultural fire on Wisconsin and Minnesota points, representatives from Fond Du Lac Resource Management who spoke on lake sturgeon restoration efforts, and keynote speaker Michael Waasegiizhig Price who presented on his work integrating Anishinaabe language, ceremonies, and cultural perspectives with research and resource management. 

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.

It is important to note that information was not the only thing being shared during the Summit! The Summit isn’t only about data and research, it is also about community and excitement. Connecting with so many other people who care deeply about the estuary and the natural spaces in it makes this a community event that leaves people reinvigorated and ready to keep working to protect and preserve the estuary. We hope you are also feeling invigorated and ready to get back out into the estuary!