If These Waters Could Talk: Exploring the Natural History, Ecology, and Economics of Lake Superior

This class will take place February 1, 8, 15, and 22, 3:30-5:30p.m., at the Hurley High School Auditorium.

Lake Superior is a globally unique resource containing diverse ecosystems with growing political influence via the freshwater “blue economy”. If these waters could talk will take participants on an in-depth exploration of Lake Superior, from the formation of the lakes millennia ago to the interactions of native and introduced freshwater organisms today. The seminar will also cover the economics of the lake and look to the future of water quality and quantity in changing climatic and political times. Participants will be engaged through interactive discussions and provided with resources to continue exploring Lake Superior beyond our four-class seminar.

This class features three instructors with great expertise on Lake Superior — Tom Fitz, Peter Levi, and Titus Seilheimer. They will take turns team-teaching this class.

Class One: The geology session will cover three episodes in the history of the Lake Superior region: the dramatic stories from long ago recorded in the bedrock; the geologically recent glaciation of the region; and the current situation with water collecting and moving through the Lake Superior basin. We will discuss the processes that created the landscapes and the important mineral, soil, and water resources that have been important in the human and natural history of the region.

Class Two: We will explore Lake Superior’s intricate web of life, from the microscopic organisms to the top predators and many animals in between. We will also discuss the human-induced changes to this web over the previous decades as non-native species have been introduced and blooms of algae have occurred more often. With Peter Levi.

Class Three: The Great Lakes region is rich in freshwater. In the third class, we will consider the policy and political landscape that protects this precious resource. With Peter Levi.

Class Four: The final class will cover how the fisheries and economies of Lake Superior have changed over time. What species are important for the commercial and recreational fishers? What drives the economy of the Lake Superior, from fish to iron to paper.

In the event of inclement weather, class will be offered on Zoom.

Instructors: Tom Fitz, Peter Levi and Titus Seilheimer

Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.

Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715)892-3982.

Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

This grant-supported class is offered at a special price of $10. (Donations accepted)

FeU is grateful to have received a grant that supports courses about water issues.