Moosewatch 2021 Part 3

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/

You don't have to hike far on Isle Royale before you come upon balsam fir trees that look like the photos below:

This tree is the primary food source for moose in the winter. As you can imagine, as the moose population expands, the competition for balsam branches increases.

A prolonged winter can also decrease the chances of a moose making it to spring.

On this year's Moosewatch, my team recovered bones from 8 moose, a few of which were showing signs of starvation.

Scientists have been studying the interaction of moose and wolves on Isle Royale for 63 years now. The most recent annual report can be found here.

And here's a sunset from Isle Royale.

 

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)

 

Moosewatch 2021 PART 1

 

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/

I just completed my SIXTH Moosewatch Expedition collecting bones on Isle Royale for the Moose/Wolf Study. This is the longest-running predator/prey study ever done (at over 60 years).

Along the way in our searching for bones, we also gather data on other wildlife and also take measurements and locations of shed moose antlers.

My team came across 22 sheds ranging from massive to tiny:

Julie shows off the range of our finds:

April shows off our tiny find:

Joceline discovered an ancient antler: 

Sometimes...antlers are still attached to a massive, buried skull:

More to follow on this amazing expedition...

In Search of Moose Bones (5th in a series about Isle Royale)

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/

This year, Moosewatch Teams had GPS data from collared wolves newly introduced to the island. While not all of these data points were kill sites, when there was a moose kill it was pretty fresh.

The recent kills that our all-women team found still had some fur on the lower legs and all hooves were still present. You know how your dog loves to chew on hoof trimmings? So do wolves, and they'll be back for them.

First kill site

Hooves still present

Recent kills still have moose ticks hanging around

Skull

pelvis of yearling moose 

Second kill site

Lower moose jaw held by my excellent team (April, Joceline, and Julie)

Into the Wilds (3rd in a series about Isle Royale)

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/

This May, I was honored to lead the first organized all-women team on a Moosewatch Expedition on Isle Royale.

My team: Me, April Wilbur, Julie Timmer, Joceline Pasaylo

I have hiked on an expedition four times. This was my first time as team leader.

We cooked dinner and breakfast in camp

This island is a National Park. It is remote and wild. Teams do most of their hiking off-trail and camp in remote areas. 

The island has a mixture of trees

It's difficult to convey how wild and rugged this island is. Rock ridges run the length of the island, often rising hundreds of feet like in the photo below.

My team gives scale to this place

The hiking here is rugged. The views magnificent.

We hiked to the northern shore and had views of Lake Superior at our second camp

In May, snow and ice still persist. 

This stream still wears a cap of snow

We hiked through an area that had burned years ago along the Minong Trail.

Burn area on the Minong

We had some amazing sunsets during our week.

Sunset on the north shore

Gearing Up (2nd in a series about Isle Royale)

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/

Over twenty hikers traveled to Isle Royale for the first week of Moosewatch Expeditions this May (there are four weeks of expeditions each year).

Once everyone is on the island, team leaders distribute gear and food for the week in the wild.

Teams gather to gear up 

My team (L>R) Me, April Wilbur, Julie Timmer, Joceline Pasaylo

Backpacks can weigh over 40 pounds when heading out for a week in the wild.

This year was unique because over a dozen wolves released this past winter on the island wear radio collars.

The data from these collars indicate where the wolves spend their time and where they hang out for awhile, possibly at a kill site.

These data points were distributed to teams and this year we hiked to those sites.

GPS points of interest from wolf movement on island
 

Dr. Rolf Peterson (in red hat) gives team leaders their assignments

 In my next post, I'll take you into the wilds of Isle Royale in search of moose bones.

Heating water for coffee in morning

Getting There (1st in a series about Isle Royale)

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/

This May I led the first organized 

all-women team on a Moosewatch Expedition on Isle Royale.

Teams of hikers support the longest-running predator/prey wildlife study in the world. Scientists have been studying the interactions of wolves and moose on this isolated island for 62 years. 

Before we can hike the island and gather moose bones for the scientists to study, we must first get to there.

Ferries travel to the island from three points: Grand Portage, MN

Houghton, MI

Copper Harbor, MI

There is also a seaplane that travels from Houghton, MI to the island.

Waiting to board the Voyageur II

Voyageur II ferry docked in Grand Portage, MN

Isle Royale is a National Park and it is the least visited of all our parks. The effort it takes to get to the island is part of the reason for this.

Once travelers get to Isle Royale, they typically spend more time there than in any other park.

Riding the Voyageur II to the island

 I have about a 12 hour drive to get to Grand Portage, then a 2 hour ride on the ferry.

Several Moosewatch volunteers on the ferry

This year's Moosewatch Expedition was thrilling. I was honored to lead a team this year, a team comprised of women.

I'll blog about this fantastic time on Isle Royale all this month.

Wolves!

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: 

A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach  [A Heartland Indie Bestseller]

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk   [Winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award] 

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure  [Long-listed for the Chautauqua Prize]

 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

The National Park Service has completed the final administrative hurdle to authorize the transport of wolves to Isle Royale.

Press Release HERE.

This is good news for this wilderness island with its exploding moose population. Currently there are an estimated 1,500 moose "...with the potential to double in the next 4-5 years without wolf predation" 
(Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale Annual Report 2017 - 2018 
by Rolf O. Peterson, John A. Vucetich, and Sarah R. Hoy).

The two wolves currently on the island are  7 and 9 years old. They are a male and female, closely related, and not likely to breed successfully. 

New wolves will bring significant changes to the island which will be observed by scientists and volunteers hiking Moosewatch Expeditions.

A huge fallen tree on the island (& Me)

Balsam fir browsed by moose during the winter

Bull moose skull gathered by Moosewatch team 2018

I will lead an all-women team of hikers in 2019 on a Moosewatch Expedition.

If you'd like more information about hiking a Moosewatch Expedition next year, please email me at: 

LakeTrek@gmail.com

30-seconds Hiking Isle Royale

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach *a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk *winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

I have seen so much natural beauty while exploring our Great Lakes.

Let me share just a glimpse of some of the places I've been.

Here's 30 seconds of hiking on Isle Royale as part of a Moosewatch Expedition Team. The team walks one of the many stone ridges running the length of the island.

30 seconds on Isle Royale

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach *a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk *winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

I have seen so much natural beauty while exploring our Great Lakes.

Let me share just a glimpse of some of the places I've been. Here's 30 seconds on Isle Royale. A quiet day on one of the island's many lakes, Linklater Lake.

Speaking Tour 2016 Begins

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach *a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk *winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

This month I headed out on my speaking tour once again. My first engagements were in SE Michigan.

Fraser Public Library

Librarian Lawrence Marble introduces me to the audience at Clarkston Public Library

I also spoke to a nice group at the Woods Branch of Grosse Pointe's Library system.

I now have presentations for each of my adventures:

Lake Michigan Walk

Great Lakes Walk

Great Lakes Islands

The presentations correlate to my three books:

Go here for a list of my upcoming author events.
This fall I will add a fourth lecture about

ISLE ROYALE.