Points North | Great Lakes. Great Stories.

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Shooting a Unicorn Aug 02, 2024

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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 Jul 19, 2024

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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’ Jul 05, 2024

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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 Jun 21, 2024

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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 Jun 07, 2024

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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 May 24, 2024

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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? May 10, 2024

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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 Apr 26, 2024

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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 Apr 12, 2024

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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: Dozer as a Young Man, Cases to Rest, Cherie’s Polvo, The Crisper, Taoudella, by Blue Dot Sessions Sound: Underwater_HullCreaking by OhNoBones, underwater ambience by akemov For more stories from around the Great Lakes, visit our website at www.pointsnorthpodcast.org

Not Always the Apex Predator Mar 29, 2024

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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.

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