One thing that sets Full Circle apart from all other expeditions and journeys is the people who will undertake it. They do not consist of a team of brave young men and women in the prime of their lives, nor are they seeking adventure, achievement, fame, or the discovery of uncharted territory. Rather, on April 2010, setting off from Duluth on an unprecedented journey of a lifetime will be a couple who have been living fruitful lives in nature, wildlife, outdoors and education for decades - retired, but not tired in the least, with grandchildren to share stories with and promise a good future to.

Mike Link has been the executive director of the Audubon Center of the North Woods near Sandstone, MN, since its founding in 1971. He is one of the founders of the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness as well, and in 1978 sat next to Sigurd Olson at the infamous hearing in Ely during the contentious public debate preceding the passage of the BWCA Wilderness Act. Following his retirement in May 2009, he has been teaching for Hamline University and acting as Assistant to the President of Northland College. His partner, Kate Crowley, also a veteran naturalist, has lived a life with education and animals, first at Minnesota Zoo, then at the Audubon Center. Together, they have experienced almost every wilderness area in the country and continue to enjoy a wonderful life of adventure, nature, family and teaching from their home in forests near Willow River, MN.

Through 24 books and numerous magazine and newspaper articles, their lives have been chronicled and shared in many ways. Nothing, however, combines their love of nature, their passion for Lake Superior, and their desire to leave a legacy for the future like Full Circle and the opportunities it will provide.


In addition to aid, generosity and companionship of others, they will be shadowed on the expedition by a small support team and "SAG Wagon". They will, at most if not all, points of the circumnavigation be providing logistical support, planning and arranging events and outreach, updating the website, and receiving and compiling the samples and data collected during the hike.

	Expedition Director Naturalist, Educator, Writer, Backcountry guide, Grandfather Mike has just recently retired after 38 ½ years as the Director of the Audubon Center of the North Woods. Starting in 1971 with a simple job description, “see what you can do”, he devoted his career to creating a residential environmental education center that served elementary and secondary schools, as well as colleges. The Center became a field campus for Northland College and Hamline University and Mike served as an adjunct faculty for each. During his career, he had a chance to not only define his profession, but also to help design the degrees and training that would prepare his successors. He is also a writer, with over 20 books on travel and nature. He has had the pleasure of sharing his life with his four children and a wonderful group of people, both international and national who crossed his path, looking for career guidance, a place to stay, and a desire to learn. Travels have included paddling, peddling, and hiking in all 50 states and 19 countries. Mike’s life has been devoted to the environment with the belief that education prepares students for the future, but activism protects the environment, until the students are ready to assume responsibility. After a life in Education, retirement will not be a sedentary time, it is instead a new challenge and with it an opportunity to seek new adventures and engage in a new educational effort. It is a time to be focused on the single issue that raises above all others in Mike’s life and career – fresh water. And because of that recognition, his need for adventure, his shared love and experiences with Kate, the energy of his children, the memory of the son he lost in a kayaking accident in 1989, and the focus on the future that comes from his grandchildren – a Walk Around Lake Superior is the perfect lead in to the last chapter of his life and career.
	"Motivator-in-Chief" Naturalist, Writer, Traveler, Grandmother Growing up as a ‘tomboy’, I loved sports, playing outside and exploring by the Minnehaha Creek. After 9 years and two children (Alyssa and Jon) I received my Bachelors Degree in Recreation and Park Administration from the University of Minnesota, followed by a job on the Minnesota Zoo’s Monorail, which led to becoming a naturalist and meeting and marrying Mike. That led to life in Willow River, writing books, traveling all over the world, and finally coming to this point of planning a bigger-than-life adventure. Because of my tomboy childhood, I believe I am a healthier 58 year old than I would have been otherwise. In my mind, I am still as fit and capable as I was at 30 – though the mirror is my enemy. Four years ago, my long held dream of becoming a grandmother came true. And in those four short years, I have welcomed four grandchildren – Matthew, Ryan, Aren and Annalise. They are truly the joy of my life, though I live far away from three of them. This Hike Around Lake Superior is as much for them, as for me. I want to set an example for them – to do something grand and almost impossible to imagine, so they will see life as an exciting adventure that is only limited by your own expectations. They will face challenges in the coming years that I cannot even imagine. I worry a great deal about the condition of the world they will live in and that is another reason I want to do this Walk. I want to wake people up to the consequences of our behavior, our lifestyles, our thoughtless consumption and the impact it is having on the resources we absolutely require for existence – in this case, most notably – freshwater. I hope that in some small way, our Walk will bring attention to this resource and the larger issues of climate change. Maybe by setting the example of two old people walking, we can help the next generation create a new, more sustainable path.

	Amanda Hakala SAG Vehicle & Home Base Coordinator "I am the home contact and check in point and part of the general support team in organization for the hike. My job involves helping find contacts and setting up interviews, presentation and writing opportunities, as well as helping raise funds and donations and find partners for the hike. This coming spring I will be part of Mike Link’s teaching team for a graduate class offered through Hamline University focused on the Hike. "I am from Cromwell, MN. I love Lake Superior and have spent a lot of time exploring its shores and the rivers that flow into it. I have a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and History from St. Olaf College and a master’s degree in Environmental and Science Education from Hamline University. For 5 years I worked as a Naturalist/grant writer/bird trainer at the Audubon Center of the North Woods exploring the natural world with students of all ages."
	Wei Hao Technical Assistant, Webmaster Wei Hao is a student of environmental and conservation biology at the University of Alberta in Canada. He supports the expedition from behind the scenes, designing Full Circle's website and databases, and providing technical assistance during the hike. "Formerly a full-time emergency response specialist, I returned to university in Alberta on a new path to pursue deep interests in wildlife, wildness, and the great outdoors. Somehow, I ended up studying Wolf and Lynx ecology with Mike Link around Sandstone and Ely, and after that something kept pulling me back here from Alberta, year after year. I suppose that's when I fell in love with the rugged backcountry of Minnesota and the north shore, and jumped at the opportunity to volunteer my tech skills towards developing and assisting with the technical nitty-gritty for and during Mike and Kate's expedition around Lake Superior. It's an amazing adventure, and I'm both honoured and excited to play a part in it."
	Todd Starling Canada Segment Coordinator (Thunder Bay, ON) "I am Mike and Kate's North Western Ontario contact. I will be recruiting and coordinating sponsers in North Western Ontario. I will also be finding locations for the presentations in Thunder Bay. My main order of business will be welcoming Mike, Kate, and the team into this great country. "I grew up in a small farming community (Delisle) in rural Saskatchewan. Here, thanks to countless outdoor adventures with my family and friends, a great love and respect for the natural world blossomed. After high school, armed with student loans and my love for nature, I set out on my educational journey. My journey began in Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories where I studied Natural Resource Technology. From the north I traveled to southern Alberta where I studied Environmental Science at the University of Lethbridge. After studying in Lethbridge, I continued my way south and found my self at the Audubon Center of the North Woods in Sandstone, MN. "This is where I met Mike and Kate, and ultimatly started my environmetal education career. After 11 months at the Audubon Center of the North Woods, I returned to Canada and had the opportunity to teach environmental education in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Canmore, AB. I knew living in the Canadian Rockies would be hard to top. I had only one option; the North Shore. In mid December 2009 I found myself packing a Uhaul trailer, traveling across the prairies, and settling in Thunder Bay, ON. Here in Thunder Bay I am blessed with the opportunity of seeing the greatest of lakes every single day."