A Storied Wilderness

Natural and Cultural Resource Management at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

The Apostle Islands serve as a perfect place to consider how the imperatives of natural and cultural resource management overlap, reinforce each other, and sometimes come into conflict. What seems like a “pristine” wilderness today has been shaped and reshaped by history—by the people who lived and worked in the Apostle Islands in the past. The consequences of human choices made more than a century ago can still be read in today’s wild landscapes. Managing these wild landscapes for both their natural and cultural values requires an attention to both human history and to the power of wild nature.

Jim Feldman is a professor of environmental studies and history at the University of Wisconsin—Oshkosh and the director of the Environmental Studies Program. His research and teaching interests include American and global environmental history, wilderness, radioactive waste, and sustainability. His publications include A Storied Wilderness: Rewilding the Apostle Islands and Nuclear Reactions: Documenting American Encounters with Nuclear Energy.

Free and open to the public

Apostle Islands 50th Anniversary Lecture Series
On September 26, 2020, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore will celebrate 50 years since its designation as a national lakeshore. Enjoy this lecture series created in partnership with the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Lakeshore.

Next in the series:
Ojibwe Culture and Fire (Feb. 6)
Vegetation Legacies and Change (Feb. 27)