Explore the Shore!
Lake Superior North Shore Education and Outreach Initiative
Celebrating the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Lake Superior North Shore
The Lake Superior North Shore Education and Outreach Initiative has connected thousands of people to the spectacular environments and rich history of the North Shore through the award-winning Northern Nights, Starry Skies public television documentary, our K-12 PBS Learning Media Collection, our K-12 Waters to the Sea® Lake Superior Odyssey, our public Multimedia Gallery™ installations, and our Pocket Gallery™ mobile app. The Initiative aims to deepen understanding and inspire residents and visitors to explore and connect deeply with the region’s incomparable lands and waters.
The North Shore initiative has led to the development of hundreds of stories about the region and it's natural and cultural history, told through images, videos, and interactive online modules.
Northern Nights, Starry Skies Public Television Documentary
Our newest award-winning Northern Nights, Starry Skies documentary, co-produced with Public TV station PBS North. Join photographer Travis Novitsky, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, on a visually stunning exploration of the heavens as seen from Voyageurs National Park, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Quetico Provincial Park—together comprising the world’s largest designated Dark Sky sanctuary. Ojibwe artist and scholar Carl Gawboy shares Indigenous star knowledge complemented by Indigenous and cultural astronomers Jim Rock and Jessica Heim and astronomer Bob King. Learn how artificial light is impacting our world from author Paul Bogard and about the movement to reduce the harmful human health and environmental effects of light pollution from Starry Skies North founders Cynthia Lapp and Randy Larson and bird expert Laura Erickson.
The documentary was recently awarded Best Minnesota Film at the End of the Road Film Festival in Ely, MN.
Coming soon! Sea Change for Lake Superior
Co-Produced with Public TV station PBS North. A Sea Change for Lake Superior will explore the legacy of the world's greatest freshwater lake in a time of unprecedented change.
Learn more about the documentary and our fundraising efforts.
Northern Nights, Starry Skies PBS Learning Media Collection
New! Free online lesson plans and teaching materials based on the Northern Nights, Starry Skies documentary are available on the PBS Learning Media site.
Lake Superior Odyssey Online K-12 Learning Resource
The Waters to the Sea® Lake Superior Odyssey is an online K-12 learning resource that offers classrooms dozens of videos and learning modules to connect science and social studies concepts to Lake Superior natural resources.
Multimedia Exhibit Kiosks & Pocket Gallery™ Mobile App
Our Multimedia Gallery™ exhibit kiosks have been installed in 18 locations along the Lake Superior North Shore, including resorts, state parks, museums, and visitor Centers.
View a version of the Lake Superior North Shore Multimedia Gallery™ online
The free Pocket Gallery™ mobile app allows visitors to engage with the same rich content found on the Multimedia Gallery™ kiosks with added features that encourage them to visit more locations and communities throughout the North Shore.
Explore the Shore! in the news
Hamline-Produced Documentary Takes a Closer Look at Minnesota’s Treasured Skies. Hamline University Newsroom. Mar. 3, 2023.
The People Behind Northern Nights, Starry Skies. National Park Service. Jan. 21, 2023