Celebrate Lake Superior Day in Copper Harbor Sunday, July 24!

During Copper Harbor's Lake Superior Day celebration, Michigan Tech's Research Vessel Agassiz takes visitors around the harbor to learn how scientists use the boat to learn about the health of Lake Superior. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

COPPER HARBOR -- Celebrate the beauty and bounty of Lake Superior from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 24, in Copper Harbor. Community volunteers, along with the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, are organizing the 4th annual Lake Superior Day Festival with lots of special activities at the 6th Street Dock along the Copper Harbor Boardwalk (near Isle Royale Queen boat dock). Here are some of the scheduled events:

• Enjoy fish stew (kalamojakka), homemade pies, rieska (Finnish flatbread), and more at a community picnic ($5 donation suggested).
• Canoe races and kayak demonstrations
• Interactive art (paint the model freighter!)
• Learn about the health of Lake Superior from a presentation by Great Lakes scientist Anika Kuczynski from Michigan Tech’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
• Live music, talks, poetry, and more

On the Copper Harbor boardwalk, visitors cheer for the winners of the Lake Superior Day canoe race. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

From noon to 3 p.m., festival attendees will have an opportunity to find out how scientists study the Great Lakes by taking a 40-minute scientific excursion in the harbor aboard Michigan Tech’s Research Vessel Agassiz. These excursions are offered as part of the Ride the Waves Program funded by a grant from General Motors. On each scientific excursion, Anika Kuczynski a Michigan Tech Great Lakes scientist, will demonstrate the use of sampling equipment to collect data on water clarity, temperature, and turbidity that tells us about the health of the lake. Participants will explore the link between land uses and the health of the Great Lakes.

The Agassiz will depart every 45 minutes from the Isle Royale Queen dock beginning at 12 noon. Space is limited to 17 persons per excursion. Participants must be at least 7 years old, and children must be accompanied by an adult. All participants should wear closed-toe shoes. Interested participants may pre-register for a scientific excursion aboard the Agassiz by calling (906) 487-3341 or by emailing Lloyd Wescoat at lwescoat@mtu.edu. Space will be available for on-site participants.

For more information about the event, contact lead organizer, Don Kilpela, Captain of the Isle Royale Queen, at (906) 289-4735.

Lake Superior Day is celebrated on or close to the 3rd Sunday in July in many communities around Lake Superior. The event, now in its 13th year, highlights the special connections people have to this unique world treasure. All residents who live, work, play, and worship around the lake are invited to organize events in their communities or take action in their homes, at their places of employment or in community groups to help protect Lake Superior.

Click here to learn more about Lake Superior Day events around the lake. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) also provides information on Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes at www.michigan.gov/deqgreatlakes. To learn about Great Lakes environmental issues, visit the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Web site.