Moosewatch 2021 PART 2

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

The primary goal of a Moosewatch Expedition on Isle Royale is to gather data on moose bones in the field and to bring some of the bones back for study. 

Since the study was suspended due to Covid last year and since additional wolves were relocated to the island, we expected to find more moose bones. 

And we were not disappointed.

With each find, we searched the area for all the bones we could find, recorded which ones were present, inspected bones for signs of pathology (e.g. arthritis, healed breaks -- these bones would also be recovered for study), recorded data on location of find and condition of bones. Then, we would pack up the skull, mandibles, and a rear metatarsal. This last bone grows to its full length in the first year of a moose's life, so measuring it gives a wealth of information on how that first year went for the moose (e.g. was food abundant/scarce?).

Our last find was on the hike in to Windigo to meet up with other teams and deliver our bones. This moose was killed a few weeks ago, so we smelled it before we found it.

Every bone was present except for one scapula.

Fox love to run around with the bones, so it was probably carted off by a fox.

Here's my team, 

the second all-women Moosewatch Team:

(L>R: April, Joceline, Zan, and Julie)

 

Isle Royale 2020

 

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

In this year of quarantine and shut downs, the longest-running wildlife study was also paused. Moosewatch volunteers usually gather in May, June and August to hike Isle Royale under the direction of scientists to find and gather moose bones for study.

I've hiked this expedition five times, and last year was the leader of the first all-women team. My team was already set to hike in May when the pause button was pressed on just about everything.

And, yes, in the scheme of things, this was a small thing to cancel. Lives -- too many lives -- have been lost due to the mismanagement of the response to the pandemic. Jobs have been lost. Lives disrupted. 

When Isle Royale National Park announced they would be opening for seaplanes and private boats in late July, I took the opportunity to schedule some time there with friends from Moosewatch. 

It was an opportunity to be immersed in nature, to unplug from the news, to recenter myself.

Here are a few photos from Isle Royale 2020:

After hiking 50 miles (L>R Me, Julie, Zan, April)

Blueberries on the Greenstone Ridge

View from tower on Mt. Ojibway

On tower (Zan, April, Julie)

Sunrise, Moskey Basin

Adult and pup wolf tracks (dollar bill for scale)

Butterflies

Thimbleberries

ground squirrel

why they're called thimbleberries

Sunset, Lake Richie

Lake Richie, like a mirror

Merganser with chicks

Great Lakes Speaker

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I've had a busy year traveling and speaking about my adventures exploring our magnificent Great Lakes. Last week was my busiest with 6 events in 5 days.

I love sharing my journeys with audiences, and these events were packed.

The venues ranged from Senior Centers, to a community college, to an expo center, and a library. 

My newest talk:  Isle Royale, Wilderness Island
was delivered at two of these packed venues.

Georgetown Connections Senior Center in Jenison, MI 

The big screen at the Wyoming Senior Center

Nice crowd for my Lake Michigan talk

The room fills for my Isle Royale talk in Northville, MI

120 people attended my talk on the islands of our Great Lakes at Schoolcraft College

The room was packed at Schoolcraft College!

My final event was at the Buy Michigan Now festival in Jackson, MI. Hundreds of people came out to support Michigan products and Michigan authors.

I am currently booking engagements for 2020.

See my list of events past and future HERE.

And to inquire about my availability to speak at your event, go HERE.