February 9, 2014 - The frigid winter has transformed the caves along the south shore of Lake Superior into a glittering icy playground. MPR’s Dan Kraker visits the Apostle Island Sea Caves, which have been overwhelmed by visitors as ice has been thick enough for hikers to safely reach the caves. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Park officials have needed help to handle crowds.
January 6, 2014 - MPR’s Dan Kraker reports on wild rice, the iconic grain that grows across much of the northern half of the state, being at the center of a contentious debate over mining and the environment. Kraker conducts interviews with individuals from both sides of the debate.
November 20, 2013 - MPR’s Dan Kraker reports that after more than a decade of falling water levels, Lake Superior is on the upswing. For 14 years, water levels in Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, remained below their long-term average, the longest stretch of below-average levels in recorded history. The big lake reached its all-time low in 2007.
February 12, 2013 - MPR’s Dan Kraker profiles surfers on the icy waves of a wintery Lake Superior. Though it might seem impossible to many, a thriving scene has emerged on the beach where surfers brave the frigid water for waves they swear can compare to some of the best surfing in Hawaii or California.
November 13, 2012 - MPR’s Dan Kraker visits Grand Marais, as lake herring season on Lake Superior crests. For about six weeks every October and November, thousands of the silvery fish, also called cisco, are pulled from the Lake's icy waters. The harvest supports a small but thriving fishing industry along the North Shore that caters to the growing market for local and sustainable food.
September 19, 2012 - MPR’s Dan Kraker reports on Wildlife Research Institute biologist Lynn Rogers, and his controversial approach to research of bears in Northern Minnesota.
August 7, 2012 - MPR’s Dan Kraker reports on researchers who are aiming to tap the wealth of information deep inside Lake Superior by sending two mechanical divers into the depths of the big, cold lake for a long period of time.
June 20, 2012 - MPR’s Dan Kraker interviews residents in Duluth about their experiences during intense rainstorm and subsequent flooding.
June 1, 2012 - Superior National Forest officials have detailed the harrowing story of six wilderness rangers who were nearly burned to death in the Boundary Waters during the battle to contain the Pagami Creek fire last year. The rangers all survived uninjured, but the incident has forced the Forest Service to change its approach to wildfires.
February 27, 2012 - MPR’s Dan Kraker reports on a rift in the Grand Marais community over a long history of older men sexually pursuing teenage girls.