Points North | Great Lakes. Great Stories.
Points North is an award-winning podcast exploring the land, water, and people of the Great Lakes region. Each episode is a mini-documentary with narrative, sound-rich journalism that captures a strong sense of place. The show covers stories deeply rooted in the Great Lakes area.
Episodes
Short: Sittin' On Top of the Bell Curve
Darren Bush has a rule about gifts. He won’t sell anything that was given to him. And at a time that will be made obvious, he will give that item to someone who is deserving. That item is a paddle, and that time comes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.Darren Bush is a writer, hospice chaplain, avid paddler and owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison, Wisconsin._______________
Update: A Thank You Card
Kevin Shafer's job is to prevent Milwaukee’s sewage from overflowing into Lake Michigan or people’s basements. After a Points North episode about him dropped, he got something unexpected in the mail.___________________________*** We need at least 200 of you to step up and join the Points North Fan Club by the end of the year! It's just $5 a month. Sign up today for more unexpected stories
Presenting Living Planet: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World
Marcia Bjornerud says we live in a time illiterate society. Most people don’t have a good sense of how extremely long the geologic chapters of earth’s history were. And she argues that’s leading to many of the environmental problems we’re facing today._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points N
The Don Quixote of Wisconsin
One man in northwest Wisconsin thinks the deer population is out of control. And he’s willing to go to great lengths to rein it in._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North good
Thinking Outside the Filet
Iceland has figured out how to use almost 100% of every fish caught – not just the filet. By making things like durable leather, beauty products and skin graft bandages, it’s increased the value of Atlantic cod from about $15 to over $5,000. Can this approach help the struggling Great Lakes fishery?_______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get P
Tossing and Turning
Cheryl Steele didn’t want sleep. She once stayed up for 26 hours, just to avoid it. Because every time she drifted off, she dreamed she was in the middle of a storm on Lake Huron, clinging to a canoe with three of her friends. The reason she was having these nightmares was because she had lived them._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get
Talking to a Brick Wall
Brick is beautiful, and it’s full of all these hidden stories. At least that’s what Will Quam wants to convince you of on his tour of Chicago brick._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool
The Moose Dog
Something is killing moose calves deep in the woods of northeast Minnesota. The clues left behind are scarce: flecks of blood, bits of flesh, bone splinters. So to get answers, scientists are turning to dogs._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you
The Brimstone Blondes’ Staircase to Stardom
A teen band in western New York is destined for greatness. Then cracks begin to form, starting with an unwelcome surprise from Lake Erie._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points Nort
The Secret Life of a Mushroom Hunter
Michigan morel hunter Anthony Williams explains why he keeps his best mushroom spots secret—and why they're one of his family's most treasured heirlooms._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some
Presenting Curious City: The Deadliest Shipwreck in Great Lakes History
In 1860, the steamship Lady Elgin was struck by a small schooner in Lake Michigan. Around 300 people drowned in the disaster, making it the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history. The tragedy would have a major influence on maritime safety in the Great Lakes.This episode comes from Curious City, a podcast from WBEZ Chicago._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text
When Bigfoot Finds You
When eight Bigfoot sightings were reported in just five days, northeast Ohio had the country’s attention. What was it like for these small rural communities to be at the center of the Bigfoot universe? And did it change what the people there believed?_______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points No
The Pigeons’ Last Passage
Passenger pigeons were once the most abundant bird in North America. But in 1914, they went extinct. Most of their last nesting grounds hugged the Great Lakes. What was it like to experience these birds? And what are we left with when we lose a species?_______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points
Learning to Speak Owl
Owls are elusive birds of the night – part of this mysterious world we rarely encounter. Researchers are learning just how complex an owl’s communication is. We go into the woods to try to experience these birds for ourselves._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For j
Presenting HISTORY This Week: William Parker’s War on Slave Catchers
For more overlooked stories from the past, check out HISTORY This Week wherever you get your podcasts!On April 3, 1851, a man who escaped slavery to Boston was kidnapped by slave catchers. The Fugitive Slave Act turned cities across the North into hunting grounds. But resistance was growing. In Pennsylvania, William Parker was building a network to fight back. _______________________If yo
The Wind and the Withered
When Seth Swoboda’s trees started dying, he asked two scientists for help. Their theory: herbicides were drifting onto his private property from farm fields and killing his trees, and it was happening all over. They just had to prove it.This episode is based on a story written by Christian Elliott for bioGraphic Magazine. Read it here._______________________If you enjoy this episode, plea
A Curious Case of Goo
After a boat captain notices strange black goo on his ship’s rudder, he scoops some of it into a cup. A few months later, that cup ends up in a lab, where scientists make a surprising discovery._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support th
For the Fun of the Surf
In northwest Indiana, there’s a 20-mile stretch of Lake Michigan that’s dominated by industry. It’s some of the dirtiest water in the lake, but it's also home to some of the biggest waves anywhere on the Great Lakes. Despite the pollution, there’s a dedicated group of surfers who keep flocking to this area. And one day, after a really big chemical spill from one of the factories, the surf
Crying Over Spilled Sewage
Kevin Shafer is obsessed with rain. As the head of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, it’s his job to be. But when a thousand-year storm comes out of nowhere and dumps over a foot of rain, Kevin is faced with a decision: send sewage into people’s basements or into Lake Michigan. _______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points Nor
Finding Hope at Rock Bottom
Rock hunting holds a special place in Joyce Fetrow’s heart. Years ago, she battled alcoholism that drove her to some dark places. Now, Joyce dedicates her life to helping others find recovery, and says rocks remind her of that journey and inspire her to keep on track with her sobriety._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North ou
An Olympic Dream
When U.P. snowboarder Nick Baumgartner lost in a qualifying round at the 2022 Olympics, he broke down on national TV. It was his fourth Olympics, he’d never medaled, and he was 40 years old. He might not get another shot at a medal. But then he got some news._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the P
Going, Going, Gone
It’s auction day in Rogers City, Michigan. Along a county highway lined with pine trees, another family sawmill quietly peels itself off the map._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Poi
Presenting Sidedoor: Finding Cleopatra
Edmonia Lewis, the first globally-recognized sculptor of African American and Native American descent, achieved critical acclaim for her masterpiece, “The Death of Cleopatra.” But over 100 years ago, it disappeared. _______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/mon
A Superior Gamble
Lake Superior can change in a heartbeat; one minute it’s calm ― the next it's raging into a wild storm. When people in the water get caught off-guard, first-responders have to balance being the hero and knowing when to call it quits._______________________If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears...Join the Points North Fan Club today
The Sunrise Guy
For almost seven years, Bugsy Sailor has been on a mission to watch every sunrise. But now, he wonders if the inspiration that started this project will also be the thing that ends it._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Ne
The Other Side of the Storm
November 10, 1975: The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in a massive storm on Lake Superior. But just miles away, a few fishermen are struggling in the same storm — fighting for survival._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsl
Gills Gone Wild
In October 1960, Prince Akihito of Japan visited Chicago for 21 hours. Chicago’s mayor presented the prince with a diplomatic gift: 18 bluegill. What happened next would change the underwater world of Japan forever._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.S
How ‘Bout Them Apples?
On a remote island in Lake Michigan, some old apple trees could have very rare, never-before-discovered genes. And if they do, they could join the U.S. stockpile of apples poised to fight off future threats._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe
Presenting Up From Dust: Can We Save Millions of Migrating Birds?
Buildings and light pollution are taking a heavy toll on migrating birds. Some cities in the Midwest and Great Plains are working to fix that._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And fo
Hopes and Fishes
In one of the most polluted parts of Lake Michigan, whitefish are thriving. Some people wonder if we should try to replicate that environment elsewhere to save the iconic species. But that could mean doing something untested and controversial._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Poin
Pushing the Boundary
In the early 1800s, a group of politicians decided part of the Ohio border should move farther north. It started a decades-long border fight between Michigan and Ohio. There were winners. There were losers. And in the end, it shaped the states as we know them._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send y
The Pink Prairie Mascot
In 2014, a group of botanists discovered that a very rare plant native to the Kankakee River in Illinois, had vanished from its only known native habitat in the world. That set off a quest to bring back the missing Midwestern flower._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North g
My Little Slime
What would happen if our devices were alive? Would it change the way we treat them? One researcher in Chicago wanted to find out. So she made a smartwatch that has to be fed and watered to work._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Point
A Good, Not Great Lake
Lake Champlain is more than 16 times smaller than Lake Ontario, the smallest Great Lake. But in 1998, Congress designated Lake Champlain as the sixth Great Lake, teeing off a historical and cultural fight over which lakes can really call themselves Great. _______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you s
Once in a Blue Moon
Blue moon ice cream, this quintessentially Midwestern, bright blue dessert, is a mystery. No one can agree on what it tastes like, and no one with the info will say. We try to find out._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North N
Scratching the Right Itch
Ron Reimink knew how uncomfortable and annoying swimmer’s itch could be. He spent much of his adult life trying to eradicate it in lakes across northern Michigan. Then one day, he realized he was completely wrong. _______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Su
Presenting The Dirtbag Diaries: Winter Vacation
Emily Ford goes on a winter vacation. She doesn’t go to some warm beach location, though. She sets out to thru-hike Wisconsin’s 1,200 mile Ice Age Trail._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes n
The Good Thief?
Tom Farnquist is in the business of preserving underwater artifacts and displaying them in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The problem is, a lot of those artifacts were technically stolen from the State of Michigan. And one day, the state notices._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some coo
The Longest Paddle
After Traci Lynn Martin’s mom died, she knew she couldn’t keep putting off her dream: becoming the first person to kayak around the Great Lakes in one year._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lake
My Lakes Are Better Than Your Lakes
Minnesota and Wisconsin are bitter rivals at just about everything. So in 2019, when Wisconsin’s secretary of tourism claimed her state had more lakes than Minnesota, the embers of an age-old debate were stoked. Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, but does Wisconsin really have more?_______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can suppo
Between Myth and Migration
Cougars are making a comeback. The iconic wildcat hasn’t had a breeding population in the Great Lakes states since the early 1900s, but now they’re moving east. Experts say they could be back soon. Some people swear they already are._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North g
Some Things Never Change
Inside rustic cabins and yurts at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park there are log books. For more than 70 years, visitors have written in them. We went into this time capsule to see if people’s experiences here had changed much over the changing decades._______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll
Bear Trouble
When a black bear in Minnesota woke up from hibernation in the middle of winter and attacked three people and a dog, researchers were left with one question: Why?_______________________Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Grea
Presenting REAP/SOW: Buzzkill
Americans stepped up to do something about dying bees. Beekeeping is all the rage right now. But what if all those backyard colonies are making the problem worse?
Back to the Boundary Waters
Erik Grams has been taking trips to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota for over 30 years. It’s his favorite place in the world. But last year, during a fishing trip, there was a fatal accident that left Erik wrestling with his feelings about the place he loved.
A Sticky Solution for Microplastics
Microplastics are everywhere. But after accidentally combining materials in a lab, scientists at the University of Michigan are on the cusp of discovering a new method to capture and remove microplastics from water. Researching it takes time, money, and repeated set backs.
Big Abe’s Net
One calm September day, Big Abe LeBlanc set his fishing net in Lake Superior. Then he called law enforcement and turned himself in. What happened next changed fishing in the Great Lakes forever.
The Squeaky Sand Phenomenon
On April 8, 2024, Meghan Hetfield and her partner Roni Pillischer witnessed a total solar eclipse over Lake Ontario. But in the middle of this intense and beautiful experience, something else kept grabbing their attention: the mystery of the squeaky sand all around them.
Complete With His Language
Kenny Pheasant first became a teacher of Anishinaabemowin at 14 years-old, teaching customers from behind the meat counter at a grocery store. Now, it's his life mission to get more people speaking the Great Lakes’ original and endangered language.
The Iceman Giveth, The Iceman Taketh
This is a tale of two cyclists, one legendary race, and an unlikely rivalry.
Saving David
One minute David Holtfreter was kayaking on Lake Michigan; the next he was in the water, fighting for his life. A fisherman saw David struggling from the shore and swam out about 200 yards to rescue him. But in the rescue commotion that followed, David wasn’t able to give the stranger a proper “thank you.”
Presenting Atlas Obscura: The Mysterious Sinkholes of Mount Baldy
One family’s visit to a famous Indiana sand dune turns into a wild tale of a missing boy and mysterious tunnels.
The Biggest Buck That Maybe Never Was
In 1998, a hunter named Mitch Rompola claimed he’d shot the biggest whitetail in North America. It was all over the news, and people waited in anticipation for it to be entered in the record books. But then Mitch just went silent. And instead of becoming a famous hunter, he became an infamous one.
A New Hope for Anishinaabemowin
Last December, Theresa Eischen was watching the news when a story caught her attention. The original Star Wars film was being translated into Anishinaabemowin, an endangered language. Theresa had zero voice acting experience, but she loves Star Wars and is fluent in Anishinaabemowin. So she auditioned to voice Princess Leia. It was a long shot.
The Last to Leave
A researcher in Ohio was surrounded by hundreds of dead ash trees. They had been wiped out by this beetle called the emerald ash borer. But then, in that same forest, she found a lone tree thriving. Could this tree be the key to saving ash from extinction?
Labor of Mixed Emotions
For more than 20 years, Nic Theisen has spent his days on his hands and knees in the dirt farming. It’s a tough way to make a living, and for years Nic didn’t always know if the farm would make it. Until something big changed.
A Natural Ending
Peter Quakenbush’s dream is to create a conservation burial forest – a place that would both preserve the woods and give people the option to be buried in nature. But not everyone is on board with that idea.
Frankenfish
Lake trout are on life support in Lake Michigan. Every year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spends tens of millions of dollars raising and stocking them. But what if there was another way: genetic engineering. Could it be used for conservation?
Shooting a Unicorn
Two guys are hunting coyotes in Michigan. All of a sudden, they say they lure in the biggest coyote they’ve ever seen and kill it. But, it turns out, it’s not a coyote at all; it’s a federally endangered gray wolf about 300 miles from its normal habitat. So, how did the wolf get there? And did the hunters play any role in it?
Pedaling to the Beat of His Own Drum
There’s this biker in the Upper Peninsula. Seems like everybody knows him or knows of him. He competes in some of the most challenging mountain bike races, but he doesn’t even ride a mountain bike. He competes on a single-speed BMX bike. Why does he do it?
Presenting Curious City: Lake Michigan’s Legendary ‘Shark Attack’
We think of the Great Lakes as shark-free, but as legend has it, a young boy named George Lawson was attacked by a shark while swimming in Lake Michigan near Chicago in 1955. Is this story true or just a bunch of bull shark?
Copper Country’s Conundrum
Copper is a key metal for renewable energy, and experts say we’re going to need a lot more of it to transition to clean energy. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is Copper Country. Some see copper mining as an economic boon for the region, but others worry it could come at the cost of some of the Great Lakes’ most pristine wild spaces.
To Catch An Arsonist
It’s a dry spring – 1984 in Wisconsin – and all these suspicious fires are popping up. A conservation warden named Dave is pretty sure it’s arson, but he can’t catch a break. So, he and a pilot decide to get creative.
A Struggle for Justice
More than 120 years ago, a Native American village in northern Michigan was burned down at the behest of a white land speculator. Now, the descendants of that village want the federal government to know they’re still here.
Presenting Out There: Too Good To Be True?
Donna Martino stuck a photograph from the newspaper of a handsome kayaker on her fridge. A few months later, Donna matched with the guy on a dating website, and they decided to go out. This story is about what happens when two strangers take a chance on each other.
More Than a Filet of Fish
Iceland has figured out how to use almost 100% of every fish caught – not just the filet. By making things like durable leather, beauty products, and skin graft bandages, it’s increased the value of an Atlantic cod from about $15 to over $5,000. Can this approach help the struggling Great Lakes fishery?
The Quest for Kiyi
Small, silvery fish called kiyi used to roam the deep, cold waters of nearly every Great Lake. Remnant populations still exist in Lake Superior, and scientists are wondering: Can we find them? And bring them back to the other Great Lakes?
CREDITS:
Producer: Ellie Katz
Host: Dan Wanschura
Editor: Morgan Springer
Additional Editing: Dan Wanschura, Peter Payette, Michael Livingston
Music: D
Not Always the Apex Predator
When hunter Ben Karasch sees something move out of the corner of his eye, he assumes it’s a deer. But as Karasch gets a better look, he realizes it’s not a deer, it’s a cougar. And it’s slowly creeping towards him.
Olympic Dream Takes a U.P. Village
When U.P. snowboarder Nick Baumgartner lost in a qualifying round at the 2022 Olympics, he broke down on national TV. It was his fourth Olympics, he’d never medaled, and he was 40 years old. He might not get another shot at a medal. But then he got some news.
The Legend of Heike's Tombs
In the mid-1900’s, a man moves to northern Michigan to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. He starts having religious visions and builds big stone monuments to commemorate them. That’s where the story starts to get twisted.
Presenting Snap Judgment: No Ice Is Safe Ice
Three guys went ice fishing on Lake Huron in February. Everything was great until it wasn’t. A collision of friendship, peer pressure and what it’s like staring death in the eyes.
Doe, A Deer, A (Sterilized) Female Deer
Deer culling is common across the Midwest. Cities often hire sharpshooters or allow hunters to kill a certain number of deer. But one community in Ohio is trying out another solution: deer sterilization.
Can AI Caribou Lead Us To Our Prehistoric Past?
A team of archaeologists looks for signs of prehistoric life 100 feet underwater in Lake Huron. But they need help narrowing their search. So, they turn to artificial intelligence.
The Turtle Takeover
Red-eared sliders are one of the most common pet turtle species in the world. But they can grow to the size of dinner plates and can live around 40 years. Because of that, people often release their pet turtles into the wild. That causes big problems.
Presenting HumaNature: Tipping Point
In 2011, Ann Raiho and Natalie Warren climbed into their canoe and pushed off the banks of the Minnesota River just outside Minneapolis. Their goal was to paddle to Hudson Bay, thousands of miles away in Canada. It was a huge test of physical strength and friendship.
The Prince Fish
In October 1960, Prince Akihito of Japan visited Chicago for 21 hours. Chicago’s mayor presented the prince with a diplomatic gift: 18 bluegill. What happened next would change the underwater world of Japan forever.
Ghost Towns Lost and Found
David Exelby was scrolling through Reddit when he came across a mysterious post. This guy had stumbled on a ghost town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The problem was no one could find it. David and producer Max Howard go looking.
The Plant Musician
Tom Wall is a West Michigan rock star who uses plants as bandmates. He uses a device to harness the electricity in plants, which then turns those impulses into musical notes. Tom insists the plants are talking to us through the music. But can they really do that?
Pier Pressure
Lane Frame was visiting the Great Lakes for the first time. It was a windy day and the water was rough, but Lane and his brothers headed onto a pier to see a lighthouse. Then a wave crashed over the breakwall and pushed him into the water. Lane drowned, but maybe it didn’t have to be that way.
Where Do Solar Panels Go To Die?
The Great Lakes region — and the rest of the world — is seeing a huge push for solar power. But what happens when those panels expire?
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