Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve
“Working at the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve is definitely my dream job,” said Deanna Erickson, that organization’s director. “I’m from Thorp, Wisconsin, but my dad’s family comes from Swedish fishermen in Door County, and I feel most at home near the water.”
Indeed, Erickson’s path isn’t just a career – it’s a philosophy, a passion that has led her to the Reserve. “I spent about 15 years working in environmental education and land stewardship all over the place before landing here,” she said, “from the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada, to the Mojave Desert in California. After getting my master’s in education at UMD, I learned about the Reserve. I got lucky and landed the education coordinator role, launching the Rivers2Lake education program and the Lake Superior Estuarium, before becoming the director in 2020.”
“We’re part of a network of 30 Reserves around the U.S. coast, designated by NOAA to protect and study estuaries in collaboration with and in service to surrounding communities,” Erickson said of the Lake Superior Reserve. “Estuaries are river mouths where two chemically different bodies of water meet and mix. They’re full of life – birds, fish, plants – and are great places for communities to grow and experience nature. They help to build sustainable economies – they make great ports and, when cared for, are abundant with food and water resources. That’s why NERRS exist, so we can understand these places and make informed decisions about them.”
The Lake Superior Reserve was established in 2010, and it currently employs 12 people and hosts many other students and educators on a seasonal basis. “Staff do everything from mentoring K-12 teachers in Lake Superior-based science education to teaching college students, analyzing water samples, helping communities prepare for floods and address erosion and restoring the estuary alongside many partner organizations,” Erickson said.
One point of pride for Erickson and the Reserve is their annual St. Louis River Summit event. “Imagine over 300 people gathered in one room to share what we’re doing for one amazing river,” she marveled. “That makes me proud every year – both of the community that works on land and water here, but also the Reserve staff. The Summit helps us get work done. It has increased collaborations, built cross-pollination between social and natural sciences and improves efficiency in research and restoration.”
The opening of the Lake Superior Estuarium in 2017 was also huge for Erickson. “The exhibit and classroom design took almost a year of my work life, and I think it’s a beautiful, engaging public space for visitors and locals that adds to Superior.”
All of this hard work by so many dedicated people is now in danger due to governmental shifts, but Erickson is determined to do all she can to keep the Reserve open. “We are in something of a tenuous time at the moment, as our federal funding is uncertain beyond this year,” she said. “That does make it harder to plan, but we have so much good work to do in Superior going forward. I’m committed to finding a way.”
Tony Bennett is a Duluth-based freelance writer.
