DULUTH, Minn. — A luncheon kicked off Ecolibrium 3’s 4th annual Earth Week. The gathering at Clyde Iron Works is the start of a week focused on environmental issues like climate change and sustainability. The week will include volunteering at a park cleanup and exploring the outdoors. CEO Jodi Slick tells Fox 21 what she hoped the day would bring….
DULUTH, Minn. — We only have one Earth and to see so many people come out here and want to help us take care of it, and to take care of Hartley Park, which is a special place for Hartley Nature Center, it’s really exciting,” said Matt Willey, Hartley Nature Center Stewardship & Recreation Program Manager. During a day that’s…
DULUTH, Minn – Are you spending more time in the allergy relief aisles at your pharmacy? It’s that time of year, the spring allergy season. A local allergist says allergy seasons are lasting longer and the pollen is becoming more potent. The lack of snow this past season and warmer temperatures had minimal impact on allergies. Dr. Minto Porter an…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — A city-wide Earth Day cleanup took place in Superior Monday. City departments all coming together for the first time to organize groups of community members to take part. Nearly all of Superiors parks, trails, boat launches, and other city spaces are getting cleaned. The hope is to raise awareness of the need to protect our Earth. One…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is marking Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities. He also plans to expand his New Deal-style American Climate Corps green jobs training program. The grants are being awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency, which unveiled the 60 recipients on Monday. The projects are expected…
DULUTH, Minn. – A pelican invasion has happened on the St. Louis River in Duluth, but it’s only temporary. The great white pelicans have made a pit stop by the Chambers Grove Park in the Fond du Lac neighborhood. The birds are fueling up to complete their migration journey to Canada, according the Duluth Parks and Recreation department. Pelicans are…
DULUTH, Minn. — Earth Day is upon us and Ecolibrium3 is hosting its 4th annual Earth Week celebrating our planet. Earth Day takes place on April 22nd every year, it’s a day dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues and learning how to protect the planet. In Duluth dozens of people participated in cleaning up the Lincoln Park area. Eco3…
HIBBING, Minn. — The gusty winds helped fuel a large wildfire in Hibbing. The Northland Fire Wire said multiple Iron Range fire departments tackled the fire, which broke out around 1 p.m. near the Mitchell Bridge along Highway 169. The Fire Wire said the flames spread quickly because of very dry conditions. Piles of tires in a nearby salvage yard…
DULUTH, Minn. — Since opening last September, Growing Duluth has been growing their business to include house plants, produce, gardening supplies, cannabis seeds, and more. Co-owner Louise Kolthoff says Growing Duluth wants to make people confident in what they’re growing and be a resource for plant lovers new and old. The store offers a variety classes for different interests and…
MINONG & WASCOTT, Wis.– Fire crews in northwest Wisconsin battled multiple wildfires this weekend including a large one near Minong that ignited Saturday evening. Nearly 200 acres burned west of Highway 53 and east of Smith Bridge Road in Washburn County. Two trailer homes and five secondary structures mostly sheds were destroyed by flames. The DNR had 22 different pieces…
DULUTH, Minn. – With Earth Day in the near future, the Downtown Waterfront District of Duluth is getting a cleaning. Crews will sweep the streets and sidewalks of the district starting Sunday night and into Monday morning. But first, the city is requesting help from businesses who are being asked to take time to sweep surrounding sidewalks and curbs of…
There was good news Wednesday in the effort to start dealing with contaminated sediment in the Thomson Reservoir. Federal and state lawmakers made the announcement in Carlton. It is the start of a $35 million project–with most of the funding coming from the EPA through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Small pellets of granulated, activated carbon will be poured out over…
If there was a place not to have a solar eclipse viewing party Monday, it was in the Northland. But that did not stop the hopeful at UMD. Many stood in the rain, looking up at the sky, only to have raindrops on their faces instead of the sun in their eyes. “Right now, just clouds, clouds and clouds,” said…
DULUTH, Minn. – The city of Duluth is hosting two public meetings this week involving lead water service lines and upcoming projects to replace them in the lower Lincoln Park and Gary neighborhoods. The first meeting is happening Monday at 6 p.m. at the Harrison Community Center The second meeting is Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the GND Rec Center….
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Minnesota Power is “disappointed” with the city of Superior after the council voted down the opportunity for a public hearing on the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). On Wednesday night, five of the nine city councilors voted to hold a public hearing. But the motion to approve needed six votes. This comes after the Superior Plan…
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. –You wouldn’t think with the recent snowstorm we experienced that there would be a need to talk about Wildfire dangers. Woody Unruh, a meteorologist with the Duluth National Weather Service said, “New snowfall from last week’s major winter storm ranged from around 10 to 20 inches with around half an inch to one and a half…
DULUTH, Minn. – Twin Ports Trailer Trash is calling on volunteers to give back Monday by cleaning up Canal Park. The event is happening at 11 a.m. Volunteers are asked to meet at the parking lot by Canal Park Drive and Morse Street, which is across from Grandma’s Restaurant. The goal is to also clean up the Lakewalk. For every…
DULUTH, Minn. — This was the scene for much of the weekend: two ships, side by side at BNSF Railway Dock 5 in Superior. On the left, the Burns Harbor. It arrived a week ago. The ship was fueled up and loaded with iron ore pellets, but remained at the dock. It wasn’t until the ship on the right, the…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — People for and against the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC) rallied outside Superior Government Center Tuesday evening. “Neighbors Against NTEC” were seen on the corner of Hammond Avenue and Belknap Street. They’re concerned the natural gas energy plant would create air and water pollution, as well as cause health issues. “Our lake, our river matter too,”…
Preparations are already underway for a potentially early and serious wildfire season in Minnesota. The Superior National Forest may be among the regions particularly vulnerable and the agency will be applying for new federal funds to help prevent and reduce the potential for wildfires. The combination of no snow, warm temperatures and dry ground present a danger. “All the way…
The spring fire danger is highest during the time between the snow melting and vegetation springing up in Wisconsin and Minnesota. With the lack of snow this past winter, the risk for wildfires is higher this spring. As of Monday morning, 189 wildfires have been reported in Wisconsin in 2024, burning a little over 350 acres. According to the Wisconsin…
DULUTH, Minn. — FOX 21 learned Thursday evening that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is investigating a significant gasoline leak at a Duluth gas station. The spill occurred Wednesday at the Short Stop at 5402 E. Superior Street in Duluth. “There was a 1,400 gallon release reported by C & B Distributing from one of their fuel pumps to soil,”…
MOOSE LAKE, Minn. — The Moose Lake Carlton County Airport is making plans to go green. The idea is to build a solar farm with the unused land at the airport. Recently the Carlton County Board voted to enter lease negotiations with Origis Energy. The company thinks the solar installation can be a good fit for Carlton County to gain…
The idea was to rescue some wild animals–maybe a bobcat or two. Twenty-five years later, it covers acres and acres and has big cats from around the world. Lions, tigers and more now live near Sandstone, Minnesota. Although they do roam within fences, the goal of all the space and open air at the Wildcat Sanctuary is to provide the…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Twin Ports community members are learning all about the St. Louis River and its importance to our area. The Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve or Lake Superior Reserve is hosting the 14th Annual St. Louis River Summit this week. The 3-day event is taking place at UWS and is the biggest year yet bringing people together…
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wis. — In Douglas County, the League of Women Voters is opposing a proposed natural gas electric plant in Superior. The league says the project would have negative health effects on several groups including children, and the chronically ill. The county chapter of the league says NTEC would contribute to climate change and negatively affect the environment. The…
CLOQUET, Minn. — Most years, the Northland will start waking up from its winter slumber during the latter part of March and early April. But this year, after an anything but typical winter, we may be seeing some wildlife such as bears venture out earlier than normal. “Bears could be coming out at any time. Particularly the adult males or…
DULUTH, Minn. — It’s National Invasive Species Awareness Week and the Great Lakes Aquarium is educating the public all about them. When invasive species are in a spot they don’t belong in and do not have a natural predator to keep them in check they can spread. That’s why the aquarium currently has an exhibit up to show how an…
Minnesota’s Superior National Forest has a new number two. Drew Stroberg has been named the permanent Deputy Forest Supervisor. He was most recently the district ranger at California’s Klamath National Forest. After graduating from Colorado State University, he has had several positions with the Forest Service. He said working as a line officer has allowed him to have the most…
High flood waters caused several motorists to become stuck on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, in Flint, Mich. High water from storm flooding closed roads in Michigan. (Bronte Wittpenn/The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP) Talk about preparing for a natural disaster can often be just that–talk. The Northland does not have hurricanes, but it does have its share of huge rainstorms, big…
“Not only are you able to actually see nature. There’s a lot of travels I do, and I don’t see any animals, hardly any birds, and to be able to have this in our backyard is awesome,” said local photographer, Amber Nichols. “There are people that come here from all over the world, to see owls in particular, and the…
Many of us have kicked around in the garage and found that old garden hose that isn’t any good anymore. But what if you’re in the local fire station and it’s fire hose you’re talking about? Well, you take it to the zoo–of course! At least that’s what Duluth firefighters were doing Wednesday. Unique items and play toys–often known in…
PROCTOR, Minn. — Atlas Games out of Proctor has been creating and publishing board and card games since the 90s. And within the past couple of years, the company has evolved to make games out of plastic waste. “You don’t realize it, that a lot of plastic you have that you think you are recycling properly, it just goes through…
DULUTH, Minn. — A winter with warm temperatures and minimal snowfall has significant impacts on the environment. We talked to a specialist about how ice and water are affected during mild winters. UMD Professor Jay Austin works at the Large Lake Observatory at the college, he says the northland’s unusually warm temperatures can result in environmental and economic delays. Austin…
DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota Power says it is adding six new electric vehicles to its fleet as part of its commitment to the climate. Minnesota Power is in the early stages of switching a large portion of its current fleet to electric vehicles. Five electric Chevrolet Silverado pickups and an electric Volkswagen were shown as part of the fleet Friday….
Even with the mild winter, concern over grass and forest fires might seem a ways off. But that is not delaying the Minnesota DNR in looking for additional wildfire fighters. The agency says it is looking to fill two different kinds of positions. One is Smokechasers. No experience is needed and those hired would be trained. The schedules are flexible,…
(AP) — A stretch of unusually warm weather has forced federal officials to suspend researchers’ annual wolf-moose count in Isle Royale National Park for the first time in more than six decades. Isle Royale is a 134,000-acre (54,200-hectare) island situated in far western Lake Superior between Grand Marais, Minnesota, and Thunder Bay, Canada. The park is a wildlife biologist’s dream…
The mild winter we’re having has been a mixed bag for a certain group of outdoor enthusiasts. Between Duluth and the Iron Range is the Sax-Zim Bog. It’s a popular hangout for both humans and critters that like the woods, water and sky. Perhaps best-known for its owls, the bog is actually home to a cross section of bird life….
DULUTH, Minn. — Jonathan Thornton has been fascinated by the electric vehicle industry for many years. He is a recent owner of an electric vehicle buying his sedan just a few years ago. Thornton says his parent’s sensibility around environmental issues provided the foundation for his interest in getting his first electric car. And when his kids bought one, he…
DULUTH, Minn. — Food waste is about 20% of the garbage we throw away, according to the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District. That’s why the organization is hoping to keep food waste out of the landfill and use it for its benefits. WLSSD says when food scraps are put in the landfill it can create a greenhouse gas so, keeping…
DULUTH, Minn. — The warm, low snow fall winter can impact a plants life cycle and health. One college professor is looking at what these affects are. Jessica Savage works for the Department of Biology at UMD and studies plants for a living. She says outside plants are used to having winter so, when they don’t get the colder temps,…
People interested in the new natural gas-powered electric plant being planned in Superior had a couple of chances to get their questions answered Tuesday. Two open houses were put on in Superior for the Nemadji Trail Energy Center. At mid-day and late afternoon sessions, representatives were available to answer questions, and citizens could learn more about the plant. Although the…
LITTLE FALLS, Minn. — The 148th Fighter Wing is hosting airmen from across the U.S. for a special training at Camp Ripley this week. The training is all about teaching skills needed for operating in extreme cold weather. The first day pictured here, showcases the airmen doing a 7-mile ruck march, building fire with matches and materials found in nature…
TWO HARBORS, Minn. — With the lack of snow up until recently this winter, visitors at Gooseberry Falls State Park have had the opportunity to see things they otherwise would not have seen. A park naturalist took Fox 21 on a hike to check out one of the park’s most misjudged critters. Categories: Environment, Great Outdoors, Minnesota, News, News –…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Organized labor came together inside Superior City Hall Tuesday to debunk what they call false information from Mayor Jim Paine and some city councilors involving the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). Members of the Northern Wisconsin Buildings Trades took to the podium for a press conference Tuesday night. They’re calling on the community to educate themselves…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Billboards and yard signs are beginning to pop up in Superior in support of building the Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). This comes as Mayor Jim Paine says he’s continuing to do whatever he can to derail the natural gas power plant for good. Mayor Paine is banking on Wisconsin state regulators to change their approval of…
The long wait for winter is beneficial for some wildlife, but potentially deadly for others. Ironically, the lack of snow actually makes life more challenging for some animals. An example of that is a snowshoe hare that was hiding under some brush and branches at Gooseberry Falls State Park on Wednesday. The hare was spotted by park interpreter and naturalist…
HAYWARD, Wis. – The 2024 American Birkebeiner is expected to attract 14,000 to as many as 15,000 skiers for the race’s 50th anniversary. Organizers say, the lack of snow isn’t going to ruin the fun. “It’s non-negotiable. We will be doing something in Hayward during Birkie week,” said Blair Flickinger, marketing director for the race. “I would say we are…
A big announcement was made Tuesday night involving the 40th annual John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. Officials told FOX 21 the race will not go on as planned because of a serious lack of snow. The Beargrease board members voted on the decision late Tuesday to put on the 40th annual Beargrease on Jan. 26, 2025. The Beargrease was originally…
The cautionary tone about being careful on lake and river ice was echoed this week as outdoor enthusiasts get antsy. At Duluth’s Marine General, this month they had customers torn between both ice and open-water fishing. Some anglers were rigging up their boats and heading out on the lake. But with the weather now turning back to a little bit…
