Full Circle Superior is not just the first shoreline circumnavigation of Lake Superior by foot in recorded history - it is an incredible international bridge that brings together people, ideas and issues from areas as diverse as science, community, economy, education and the environment intricately into a web interlacing around and in the midst of this great lake.
Weaving a network of researchers, educators, outdoorsfolk, and members of the community, both north and south of the US-Canada Border, the expedition hopes to leave more than just footprints as its legacy. On the 29th of April 2010, two veteran naturalists, both with a deep love of the Lake and everything connected to it, will embark on a 5-month journey on foot* counter-clockwise around Lake Superior, starting and ending at Duluth, MN.
The entire way they will be accompanied by the spirits and minds of thousands of individuals living in the region and beyond, through events, school programs, the mass media, and the internet. They will be collecting valuable data on water quality, invasive species, ecology, geography, and socio-cultural aspects throughout the hike, as well as chronicalling the adventure of living.
Over a thousand point samples and millions of discrete observations and photographs will be made in the course of the expedition, with scientists and students at several universities and research institutes following remotely, and in some cases, nearby at hand, as the first and most complete inter-disciplinary database of its kind on Lake Superior is built. Eventually, we may be able to present a significant part of this vast collection of data to the public on the website through an interactive map interface.
We hope that this comprehensive compendium of data will prove useful, in addition to fueling new discoveries and aiding the progress of research, as a benchmark of the Lake as it was in 2010, for future generations to look back on and compare against.
* and on kayak where walking on shore terrain is impassable or restricted
This expedition is dedicated to the memory of Matthew Link, Ogima Benisi Kwe, and the spirit of the land - and all future generations who will live, work and play around the great lake known as Lake Superior.
Matthew Link is the son of Mike (one of the hikers) - a seasoned forest ranger and kayaker, who passed on doing what he loved in New Zealand. [Article] He is with us on every adventure just as our other children and grandchildren are in our thoughts everyday.
Ogima Benisi Kwe, Chief Bird Woman, is Mike's great great grandmother. She was a Midewiwin, an Ojibwe shaman, from the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation.
If you are a school, researcher, or organization interested in collaborating with, being involved in, or sponsoring Full Circle, please contact Mike Link, the expedition director, at mikelink@fullcirclesuperior.org
We are also welcome to invitations to speak or present along the journey, as well as the volunteering or contribution of equipment or resources for the hike. At this stage, every bit counts and is appreciated.
Full Circle is a 501(c)(3) non-profit endeavor.
