Points North | Great Lakes. Great Stories.

Latest Episodes:

Short: George Dreams of Wolves Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

George Bernier spent long, cold nights as a sled dog mailman in Michigan’s wilderness in the 1800s. What did those nights sound like and feel like?

___________________________
*** 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 from around the Great Lakes. Plus, we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.
Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

The Last Jump Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

A small Wisconsin village is known for one thing: frog jumping. This yearly cultural competition has been happening for over 70 years and brings out hundreds of people. But all that tradition is ending, due in part, to one woman who says her mission is protecting frogs.

Short: Sittin' On Top of the Bell Curve Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Darren Bush has a rule about gifts. He won’t sell anything that was given to him. And, when the time is right, he will give that item to someone else. With one carbon-fiber paddle, that time came on a trip to 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 Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

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 from around the Great Lakes. Plus, we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return.
Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow us on Instagram.

Presenting Living Planet: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

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 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 follow us on Instagram.

The Don Quixote of Wisconsin Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

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.

_______________________

Thinking Outside the Filet Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

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?

_______________________

Tossing and Turning Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

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.

_______________________

Talking to a Brick Wall Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

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.

_______________________

The Moose Dog Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

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.

_______________________

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Points North | Great Lakes. Great Stories.

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected