Summer 2013 Programs

Saturday, May 25th, 8:30–10:30 a.m. Spring Bird Migration on Madeline
Bring your binoculars and join our 13th annual spring bird hike with Peter Hudleston and Victoria Erhart. Migrating warblers appear in large numbers at this time of year, along with hermit thrushes, resident chickadees, woodpeckers, and many others. Meet by the new pavilion at the Big Bay Town Park.

Saturday, May 25th, 7:00 p.m. MIWP’s 26th Annual Spring Meeting and Evening Reception:  Shipwrecks of the Apostle Islands
There are many stories of lost ships hidden among the islands and lighthouses of the Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay–hear them told by Thom Holden, past Director of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, Duluth. At the Madeline Island School of the Arts

Thursday, July 11th, 7:00–8:15 p.m. Warblers–from Madeline Island to the Western Hemisphere
Warblers are a complex family of birds with varying environmental requirements; they face hazards on their wintering grounds, during migration and on their breeding grounds. We treasure them when we see them in breeding plumage or hear their song. What do they look like? At this time in history are they doing OK? What can be done to ensure their future? Presentation by national bird expert, Bill Stjern. At the Madeline Island Museum, co-sponsor.

Saturday, July 13th, 9:00–11:00 a.m. Burroughs Trail–Edible and Medicinal Plants
Join Pastor Marina Lachecki, St. John’s UCC, on this ever popular annual hike … in a new location. Using her extensive knowledge of native plants, Pastor Marina will share stories and wisdom about what wild plants can do to both feed and heal our bodies. Meet at the Burroughs Trail, North Shore Road on the north end of Island.

Thursday, July 25th, 7:00–8:15 p.m. Somebody Lived Here
Dramatic stories of men and women of Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands: lighthouse keepers, pioneer farmers and fishermen, and the Ojibwa people who were there first – as told by Bob Mackreth, Park Historian, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. At the Madeline Island Museum, co-sponsor.

Saturday, August 3rd, 11:00 a.m.–Noon & 2:00–3:00 p.m. Raptors of the Midwest – Live Bird Presentations by the Raptor Center, University of Minnesota
The MIWP, the Madeline Island Ferry Line, and the Madeline Island Museum are joint sponsors of this exciting, live-bird presentation about the different raptors found in the Midwest and their role in the environment. Participants will learn the three key features of all raptors and learn why they are different from other birds. The presentation will discuss the positive and negative impact humans have on raptors, and some of our greatest environmental successes, the peregrine falcon and the bald eagle. At the Madeline Island Museum.

Thursday, August 15th, 7:00–8:15 p.m. Out on Thin Ice
A look at nearly two centuries worth of history of the people of the Chequamegon region traveling working and playing on the ice of Lake Superior. Dogsleds and wind sleds, loggers and lighthouse keepers, farmers and fishermen, near disasters and narrow escapes, a few sad stories and a few joyous ones – as told by Bob Mackreth, Park Historian, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. At the Madeline Island Museum, co-sponsor.

Thursday, August 29th, 7:00–8:15 p.m. Ladies of the Isles
The story of women who lived and worked on the Islands: lighthouse keepers and fishermen’s wives, and pioneers who faced the challenges of life in a unique environment. Some of the characters: Florantha Thompson Sproat, a Madeline Island missionary wife in the 1840’s; Mary McGuire Moe, a young bride who opened a resort on South Twin Island; Gertrude Wellisch, a single schoolteacher who helped preserve the Sand Island Lighthouse. Presentation by Bob Mackreth, Park Historian, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. At the Madeline Island Museum, co-sponsor.