The Wilderness of Voyageurs

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As many of you may know, I have spent the past 3-4 years studying wolves in Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. Undoubtedly, studying wolves is fascinating. However, what I really enjoy about Voyageurs is the seemingly endless wilderness there. Recently, I wrote an article titled “The Wilderness of Voyageurs and What It Means to Me” for Voyageurs National Park Association. I have shared an excerpt from that essay below and here is the link (http://voyageurs.org/2017/11/09/wilderness-voyageurs-means/) if you would like to read the full article.

Lastly, the Voyageurs National Park Association is an organization dedicated to helping conserve Voyageurs National Park in perpetuity. If you enjoy my blog or the Northwoods, I ask that you visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VoyageursNPA/) and “like” it. As a bonus, VNPA will be posting neat photographs, videos, and information about some of the research I do on their Facebook page in the near future.

Excerpt:

“I have spent the past four years studying wolves in Voyageurs National Park as both a graduate student and then an employee of the park. Much of my work entailed following wolves. Wolves cover large distances each day. As a result, to follow and understand them, I had to do the same. Thus, I have been fortunate to have an excuse to visit and experience parts of the park that few have ever seen or stepped foot in since the formation of the park in 1975. I have been fortunate to experience the park’s true wilderness.

The interior of Voyageurs National Park is a seemingly impenetrable forest with hundreds of beaver ponds, bogs and lakes. Traveling through these woods is challenging and, after a certain amount of time, a person feels swallowed by the forest. Covering even short distances can be arduous and take considerable time. However, therein is the beauty. Within minutes a person feels like they are in the middle of nowhere, lost in miles upon miles of wild forest. In a short while a person perceives wilderness and gains the esthetic and emotional benefits of being in a wild place. That is what Voyageurs is to me – a place of wilderness, a place to get lost, a place of quiet, peace, and solitude. In the truest sense, my soul feels rested and quiet when wandering through the woods of the park.”