Lake Superior Collaborative Symposium 2024: Widening the Horizons of Restoration Recap
In Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Basin, the Lake Superior Collaborative (LSC) unites federal, tribal, and state governments, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations to coordinate protection, restoration, and resilience efforts. Officially formed in 2018, the LSC builds on a network of partnerships established as early as 1998. Annually, the LSC Symposium at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center (NGLVC) brings together professionals to share project data, foster networking, and drive future conservation planning across the Lake Superior Basin.
The 2024 Lake Superior Collaborative Symposium brought together experts and practitioners dedicated to advancing conservation and climate resilience in the region. This year’s theme, “Widening the Horizons of Restoration,” encouraged participants to expand their approaches to ecosystem resilience through innovation and collaboration. With over 50 attendees from 24 organizations, including 25 first-time participants, the symposium offered a forum for exploring restoration initiatives, project updates, and interactive field tours.
The program opened with 20 lightning talks, each providing a rapid overview of current conservation work in the basin. Topics ranged from managing emerald ash borer impacts on urban forests to addressing erosion along steep slopes, restoring watershed connectivity, and supporting education and research on Lake Superior. Presenters discussed emerging challenges and shared insights on invasive species management, sustainable forestry, and collaborative water quality monitoring. The diversity of topics underscored the broad spectrum of conservation efforts underway and highlighted the innovative approaches being applied to protect the region’s ecosystems.
Following the lightning talks, participants engaged in a workshop focused on the Headwaters to Coast (H2C) Initiative, a conservation framework designed to synchronize ecological, social, and cultural objectives across the Lake Superior Basin. Through collaborative discussion, attendees refined the six conservation priorities’ goals, and objectives, each essential to the broader H2C blueprint. This blueprint will guide restoration across the basin, promoting a resilient and sustainable Lake Superior landscape. Looking ahead, six virtual workshops in early 2025 will continue to build on the progress made during the symposium. More details can be found here.
A Pitch Party exploration session offered a new approach for funding and project implementation, where conservation professionals could pitch ideas directly to funders and peers, fostering collaboration, alignment, and constructive feedback. This session provided insights into funding opportunities and facilitated partnership development, paving the way for stronger project partnership. The day ended with a social hour and trivia at The Hotel Chequamegon, where trivia teams competed for prizes crafted and donated by collaborative members.
The second day featured a field tour that allowed participants to observe applied restoration techniques firsthand. The projects visited were supported by funding from 2019 Act 157, which allocated funds to Ashland County for the design, implementation, and evaluation of demonstration projects focused on natural flood risk reduction. With support from the Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA), Ashland County assessed flood vulnerabilities and identified strategic sites for restoration, prioritizing areas upstream of vulnerable road-stream crossings and farmlands. This groundwork informed the selection of sites, each showcasing flood mitigation and landscape resilience techniques. Participants visited Tody Ravine, Berweger Farm, and Fischbach Wetland, seeing how restoration methods such as post-assisted log structures, wetland scrapes, and gully stabilization are helping reduce flood impacts and sedimentation while restoring ecological function. These field visits demonstrated the tangible effects of collaborative restoration on watershed health and offered practical insights for applying similar techniques across the basin.
The final session of the symposium focused on the Slow the Flow (STF) initiative, inviting participants to discuss ongoing watershed management efforts and future strategies to enhance flood resilience across the Lake Superior Basin. Beginning with updates on regional projects, the session highlighted Marengo River watershed assessments, flood management developments supported by Act 157, and the integration of STF priorities within the broader Headwaters to Coast Initiative. A review of foundational STF documents, including a white paper and insights from the 2022 STF session, set the stage for group discussions on how to evolve STF strategies. Participants reflected on core objectives for STF work, sharing insights on which recommendations should remain in place and where adjustments may be needed to address new regional challenges.
The 2024 Lake Superior Collaborative Symposium underscored the importance of expanding regional conservation efforts and building resilient partnerships. With new insights and strengthened networks, attendees left prepared to drive impactful environmental initiatives in Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Basin. We look forward to seeing everyone again next October for the next Lake Superior Collaborative Symposium!