The final River Talks of the season will feature panelists from the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the City of Superior to present “Restoring Good Fire to Superior Forests” on Wednesday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Superior Estuarium.

In response to research that illuminated the role of ishkode (fire in the Ojibwe language) in shaping the impressive pine forests at Wisconsin and Minnesota Point, the City of Superior and Fond du Lac Band are working together to reignite cultural fire practices while protecting public safety and restoring species that thrive after fire.

City of Superior and Fond du Lac staff will share the process and purpose of bringing good fire back to Superior. The event will last an hour and will include time for questions. Light refreshments will be provided.

Panelists include Vern Northrup, Fond du Lac Band Elder and retired wildland fire professional; Paul Priestly, Wildland Fuels Specialist, Fond du Lac Band; Cameron Vollbrecht, Fire Chief, Superior Fire Department; and Ruth Ludwig, Superior City Councilor and chair of Superior’s Urban Forestry Tree Board.

The Lake Superior Estuarium is located on Barker’s Island at 3 Marina Dr., in Superior.

The River Talks are sponsored by The Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of 30 Reserves in the United States led by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, and part of UW-Madison Division of Extension on the University of Wisconsin-Superior campus.