Canoecopia - 2024 Presentations by Category

Canoecopia is presented by

Presenting Sponsor

Location
Alliant Energy Center
1919 Alliant Energy Way
Madison, Wisconsin

Show Hours
Friday: 3 PM to 8 PM
Saturday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Sunday: 10 AM to 4 PM

Tickets
1-Day: $15.00
3-Day: $30.00
Ages 17 and under are FREE
Cash or check only for tickets purchased at the event

Parking Fees
1-Day: $8.00
Cash or credit, fees collected by Alliant Energy Center

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Nature/Environmental/Science

John Bates

A Far Side To Birding

Algonquin - main floor Sat 11:30am-12:15pm

Birds! Their evolution, natural selection, population dynamics, adaptations, reproductive strategies, behaviors, migration, management - here’s Birding 101 in 45 minutes through the comic lens of Far Side cartoons. Laugh your way to enriching a paddling adventure by knowing more about the birds you’ll see and hear on the water and along the shores.

John Bates

Paddling Northern Wisconsin’s Undeveloped Wild Lakes: A Baker’s Dozen of the Best

Superior - main floor Sun 11:30am-12:15pm

Paddling a wild lake offers a peace that’s hard to find, as well as an insight into the native plant and animal communities that live in, on, and around our lakes. We’ll explore the ecological and aesthetic keynotes of some of the best lakes in northern Wisconsin for you to consider paddling.

Timothy Bauer

Adrift in the Driftless

Quetico - main floor Fri 3:30pm-4:15pm

Superior - main floor Sun 2:30pm-3:15pm

Hidden in the middle of the Upper Midwest lies an area that is home to cliffs, caves, sinkholes, natural springs, breathing hills, crystal clear trout streams, rare rattlesnakes, bald eagles galore, goat prairies, Native American effigy mounds, Amish horse and buggies, and rock outcrops half a billion years old. Bigger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined, it's called the Driftless Area, a unique ecological anomaly that the glaciers missed during the last Ice Age. It also comprises some of ... Read More

Kevin Callan, Ethan & Andrew Elkins

A Panel Discussion On Bears

Quetico - main floor Sat 12:30pm-1:15pm

Seasoned paddlers in a panel discussion on bear stories, biology, and keeping bears out of camp. Author Kevin Callan, Andrew and Ethan Elkins, and retired DNR Biologist/Zoologist and Bureau Director of Endangered Species Charles Pils will talk about bears and best practices of keeping them out of camp, along with stories and taking questions.

Vern Fish, Mary Blaisdell

Caribou and the Citizen Scientist

Caribou - upstairs Fri 5:30pm-6:15pm

There are less than 5,000 boreal caribou in Ontario. Wabakimi, the second largest provincial park, may have fewer than 500 caribou. To learn more about the location and behavior of caribou on the public land that surrounds the park, the Friends of Wabakimi are creating a plan to survey the caribou. We hope to be able to use volunteers to search islands, sand beaches, and peninsulas for signs of caribou calving (hoof prints, scat, and actual sightings). Join us and learn how community scientists ... Read More

Vern Fish

Fire in the Boreal Forest

Algonquin - main floor Sun 12:30pm-1:15pm

Are you prepared to deal with a wilderness fire? The summer of 2023 was dominated by reports of wildfire all over North America. These news stories became a little too personal when my paddling party was surrounded by fire in the heart of Wabakimi Provincial Park. This was the first time that I had ever been chased out of the wilderness by a fire. I will share a few things I learned about how to prepare and react. Finally learn more about the impact of fire on the park and how the park staff ... Read More

Vic Foerster

Hidden in the Trees, An Isle Royale Sojourn

Algonquin - main floor Fri 5:30pm-6:15pm

Remote, insulated from man’s influence by the frigid waters of Lake Superior, and protected by the National Park Service, Isle Royale doubles as a wilderness escape for outdoor enthusiasts and as one of the foremost outdoor laboratories in the world for wildlife studies. As such, in 1984, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated Isle Royale a world biosphere reserve.

Award-winning Author / Arborist Vic Foerster will share with us his many years ... Read More

Chris Gavin

Foraging at the Waters Edge

Superior - main floor Fri 4:30pm-5:15pm

Explore the world of edible wild plants that grow in abundance along the shores of your next paddle. Chris will guide you through the wheres and hows of safely and sustainability harvesting food from the wild.

Gina LaLiberte

What’s That Green Stuff? Identify Algae Blooms Where You Paddle

Sylvania - main floor Sat 4:30pm-5:15pm

Do you wonder what that green “stuff” is that you see while paddling? Join Gina as she examines some common algae, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and other unassuming yet important little green things that are often spotted in waters of the upper Great Lakes region. Take a close look at cyanobacterial blooms, learn to identify potentially harmful blooms, and review practical tips for how to stay safe while enjoying time on the water.

Erica LeMoine

Loons - Help Protect the Icon and Indicator of Healthy Lakes

Sylvania - main floor Fri 5:30pm-6:15pm

Many visitors and residents associate a great Northwoods experience with the haunting call of the common loon. The loon is an icon and a sentinel species - a living symbol of clean water, good fisheries, and an indicator of healthy aquatic ecosystems. For those of us lucky enough to live on a northern lake, the common loon family captivates our hearts as we watch them develop from chick to adult in 12 short weeks. Since 1978, LoonWatch has been protecting common loons and their aquatic habitats ... Read More

Jonathan Ringdahl, Al Fairfield

Discovering the geology of Door County and The Apostle Islands

Algonquin - main floor Sat 9:30am-10:15am

We get it, a lot of us struggle with trying to understand how to make rocks cool or interesting. The truth is, everyone loves paddling along scenic cliffs and among islands. There is a story in those rocks that can enhance our appreciation of some of our favorite paddling destinations. Come explore the geology of Door County and the Apostle Islands with Johnathan and Al to discover how geology is the foundation of what makes these destinations unique. It took hundreds of millions of years to ... Read More

Ted Rulseh

Lake Science: The Coloring Book: What Makes a Lake Tick?

Caribou - upstairs Sun 2:30pm-3:15pm

Lakes are more than pleasant surfaces on which to paddle. They are living, breathing systems that support incredibly diverse and abundant life. Here, through pictures and simple, colorful illustrations, paddlers will share an intimate look below the surface, at the physical, chemical, and biological forces that drive complex lake ecosystems, the way lakes change through the seasons, the sun’s energy and the dynamics of the food web, and the niches in which fish and other lake creatures thrive. ... Read More