Points North

One man in northwest Wisconsin thinks the deer population is out of control. And he’s willing to go to great lengths to rein it in._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Iceland has figured out how to use almost 100% of every fish caught – not just the filet. By making things like durable leather, beauty products and skin graft bandages, it’s increased the value of Atlantic cod from about $15 to over $5,000. Can this approach help the struggling Great Lakes fishery?_______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Cheryl Steele didn’t want sleep. She once stayed up for 26 hours, just to avoid it. Because every time she drifted off, she dreamed she was in the middle of a storm on Lake Huron, clinging to a canoe with three of her friends. The reason she was having these nightmares was because she had lived them._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Brick is beautiful, and it’s full of all these hidden stories. At least that’s what Will Quam wants to convince you of on his tour of Chicago brick._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Something is killing moose calves deep in the woods of northeast Minnesota. The clues left behind are scarce: flecks of blood, bits of flesh, bone splinters. So to get answers, scientists are turning to dogs._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

A teen band in western New York is destined for greatness. Then cracks begin to form, starting with an unwelcome surprise from Lake Erie._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Michigan morel hunter Anthony Williams explains why he keeps his best mushroom spots secret—and why they're one of his family's most treasured heirlooms._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

In 1860, the steamship Lady Elgin was struck by a small schooner in Lake Michigan. Around 300 people drowned in the disaster, making it the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history. The tragedy would have a major influence on maritime safety in the Great Lakes.This episode comes from Curious City, a podcast from WBEZ Chicago._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

When eight Bigfoot sightings were reported in just five days, northeast Ohio had the country’s attention. What was it like for these small rural communities to be at the center of the Bigfoot universe? And did it change what the people there believed?_______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Passenger pigeons were once the most abundant bird in North America. But in 1914, they went extinct. Most of their last nesting grounds hugged the Great Lakes. What was it like to experience these birds? And what are we left with when we lose a species?_______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Owls are elusive birds of the night – part of this mysterious world we rarely encounter. Researchers are learning just how complex an owl’s communication is. We go into the woods to try to experience these birds for ourselves._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

For more overlooked stories from the past, check out HISTORY This Week wherever you get your podcasts!On April 3, 1851, a man who escaped slavery to Boston was kidnapped by slave catchers. The Fugitive Slave Act turned cities across the North into hunting grounds. But resistance was growing. In Pennsylvania, William Parker was building a network to fight back. _______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

When Seth Swoboda’s trees started dying, he asked two scientists for help. Their theory: herbicides were drifting onto his private property from farm fields and killing his trees, and it was happening all over. They just had to prove it.This episode is based on a story written by Christian Elliott for bioGraphic Magazine. Read it here._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

After a boat captain notices strange black goo on his ship’s rudder, he scoops some of it into a cup. A few months later, that cup ends up in a lab, where scientists make a surprising discovery._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

In northwest Indiana, there’s a 20-mile stretch of Lake Michigan that’s dominated by industry. It’s some of the dirtiest water in the lake, but it's also home to some of the biggest waves anywhere on the Great Lakes. Despite the pollution, there’s a dedicated group of surfers who keep flocking to this area. And one day, after a really big chemical spill from one of the factories, the surfers decide to do something about it._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Kevin Shafer is obsessed with rain. As the head of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, it’s his job to be. But when a thousand-year storm comes out of nowhere and dumps over a foot of rain, Kevin is faced with a decision: send sewage into people’s basements or into Lake Michigan. _______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Rock hunting holds a special place in Joyce Fetrow’s heart. Years ago, she battled alcoholism that drove her to some dark places. Now, Joyce dedicates her life to helping others find recovery, and says rocks remind her of that journey and inspire her to keep on track with her sobriety._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

When U.P. snowboarder Nick Baumgartner lost in a qualifying round at the 2022 Olympics, he broke down on national TV. It was his fourth Olympics, he’d never medaled, and he was 40 years old. He might not get another shot at a medal. But then he got some news._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

It’s auction day in Rogers City, Michigan. Along a county highway lined with pine trees, another family sawmill quietly peels itself off the map._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Edmonia Lewis, the first globally-recognized sculptor of African American and Native American descent, achieved critical acclaim for her masterpiece, “The Death of Cleopatra.” But over 100 years ago, it disappeared. _______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Lake Superior can change in a heartbeat; one minute it’s calm ― the next it's raging into a wild storm. When people in the water get caught off-guard, first-responders have to balance being the hero and knowing when to call it quits._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

For almost seven years, Bugsy Sailor has been on a mission to watch every sunrise. But now, he wonders if the inspiration that started this project will also be the thing that ends it._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

November 10, 1975: The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in a massive storm on Lake Superior. But just miles away, a few fishermen are struggling in the same storm — fighting for survival._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

In October 1960, Prince Akihito of Japan visited Chicago for 21 hours. Chicago’s mayor presented the prince with a diplomatic gift: 18 bluegill. What happened next would change the underwater world of Japan forever._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

On a remote island in Lake Michigan, some old apple trees could have very rare, never-before-discovered genes. And if they do, they could join the U.S. stockpile of apples poised to fight off future threats._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Buildings and light pollution are taking a heavy toll on migrating birds. Some cities in the Midwest and Great Plains are working to fix that._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

In one of the most polluted parts of Lake Michigan, whitefish are thriving. Some people wonder if we should try to replicate that environment elsewhere to save the iconic species. But that could mean doing something untested and controversial._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

In the early 1800s, a group of politicians decided part of the Ohio border should move farther north. It started a decades-long border fight between Michigan and Ohio. There were winners. There were losers. And in the end, it shaped the states as we know them._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

In 2014, a group of botanists discovered that a very rare plant native to the Kankakee River in Illinois, had vanished from its only known native habitat in the world. That set off a quest to bring back the missing Midwestern flower._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

What would happen if our devices were alive? Would it change the way we treat them? One researcher in Chicago wanted to find out. So she made a smartwatch that has to be fed and watered to work._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Lake Champlain is more than 16 times smaller than Lake Ontario, the smallest Great Lake. But in 1998, Congress designated Lake Champlain as the sixth Great Lake, teeing off a historical and cultural fight over which lakes can really call themselves Great. _______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Blue moon ice cream, this quintessentially Midwestern, bright blue dessert, is a mystery. No one can agree on what it tastes like, and no one with the info will say. We try to find out._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Ron Reimink knew how uncomfortable and annoying swimmer’s itch could be. He spent much of his adult life trying to eradicate it in lakes across northern Michigan. Then one day, he realized he was completely wrong. _______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Emily Ford goes on a winter vacation. She doesn’t go to some warm beach location, though. She sets out to thru-hike Wisconsin’s 1,200 mile Ice Age Trail._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Tom Farnquist is in the business of preserving underwater artifacts and displaying them in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The problem is, a lot of those artifacts were technically stolen from the State of Michigan. And one day, the state notices._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

After Traci Lynn Martin’s mom died, she knew she couldn’t keep putting off her dream: becoming the first person to kayak around the Great Lakes in one year._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Minnesota and Wisconsin are bitter rivals at just about everything. So in 2019, when Wisconsin’s secretary of tourism claimed her state had more lakes than Minnesota, the embers of an age-old debate were stoked. Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, but does Wisconsin really have more?_______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Cougars are making a comeback. The iconic wildcat hasn’t had a breeding population in the Great Lakes states since the early 1900s, but now they’re moving east. Experts say they could be back soon. Some people swear they already are._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Inside rustic cabins and yurts at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park there are log books. For more than 70 years, visitors have written in them. We went into this time capsule to see if people’s experiences here had changed much over the changing decades._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

When a black bear in Minnesota woke up from hibernation in the middle of winter and attacked three people and a dog, researchers were left with one question: Why?_______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Americans stepped up to do something about dying bees. Beekeeping is all the rage right now. But what if all those backyard colonies are making the problem worse?

Erik Grams has been taking trips to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota for over 30 years. It’s his favorite place in the world. But last year, during a fishing trip, there was a fatal accident that left Erik wrestling with his feelings about the place he loved.

Microplastics are everywhere. But after accidentally combining materials in a lab, scientists at the University of Michigan are on the cusp of discovering a new method to capture and remove microplastics from water. Researching it takes time, money, and repeated set backs.

One calm September day, Big Abe LeBlanc set his fishing net in Lake Superior. Then he called law enforcement and turned himself in. What happened next changed fishing in the Great Lakes forever.

On April 8, 2024, Meghan Hetfield and her partner Roni Pillischer witnessed a total solar eclipse over Lake Ontario. But in the middle of this intense and beautiful experience, something else kept grabbing their attention: the mystery of the squeaky sand all around them.

Kenny Pheasant first became a teacher of Anishinaabemowin at 14 years-old, teaching customers from behind the meat counter at a grocery store. Now, it's his life mission to get more people speaking the Great Lakes’ original and endangered language.

This is a tale of two cyclists, one legendary race, and an unlikely rivalry.

One minute David Holtfreter was kayaking on Lake Michigan; the next he was in the water, fighting for his life. A fisherman saw David struggling from the shore and swam out about 200 yards to rescue him. But in the rescue commotion that followed, David wasn’t able to give the stranger a proper “thank you.”

One family’s visit to a famous Indiana sand dune turns into a wild tale of a missing boy and mysterious tunnels.

In 1998, a hunter named Mitch Rompola claimed he’d shot the biggest whitetail in North America. It was all over the news, and people waited in anticipation for it to be entered in the record books. But then Mitch just went silent. And instead of becoming a famous hunter, he became an infamous one.