Friends, my Friday 7/17 presentation aboard the R/V Blue Heron has been canceled due to conditions created by the current wildfires. This was going to be an outdoor presentation aboard the research vessel, and would have been affected by air quality. I’m disappointed, but I know this was the right decision. Impacts to Science on Deck programming are a small downstream effect of what’s going on just to the north. This is the second time one of my presentations about THE ICE ON THE LAKE has been canceled due to extreme weather. In March, my talk in Northfield, MN was canceled due to extreme blizzards that effectively shut down most of the state. Now we’re at the opposite end of the spectrum, looking at the effects of extreme heat, dry conditions, and winds.
Yesterday, I was in Ely working the wildfire response with the St. Louis County Rescue Squad, assisting with evacuation orders along the Echo Trail. I’ve spent a lot of time in that area, and some of my earliest Boundary Waters memories–and some of the most impactful ones–live along that corridor. Driving past entry points and roads along the Echo, I was reminded of my first really long portage at Angleworm, of times at friend’s cabins, of trips with Lacey and rescues with SLCRS. Our job yesterday was to help clear the evacuation zone. Our focus was on habitable buildings and the people who might still be there, now that the GO evactuaion order had been given in those areas. As we went door to door, checking to be sure people were out, and speaking with those who were on their way, I was struck by the intensity of those moments. These people were about to leave their homes, places of business, and wilderness refuges, knowing they might never see them again. We witnessed a lot of grace and bravery in those moments. I’m thinking of these folks, and the many friends who live in the area and are preparing for the possibility of evacuations, or who have already been impacted.
I’ll keep you posted if we find another date for the presentation aboard the Blue Heron.
Best,
Alex