Worried about water pollution, this Minnesota couple headed into the woods
Controversial proposed mining projects in Minnesota inspired Dave and Amy Freeman to spend a year in the wild
A Minnesota man who spent a year living in the Boundary Waters area in order to draw attention to a campaign opposing proposed mining developments, will share his story Thursday in Thunder Bay, Ont.
In September of 2015, Dave Freeman and his wife Amy stepped into the wilderness armed with supplies, and a canoe and they didn't emerge for 366 days.
"I think the hardest part was the holidays," said Freeman, "not seeing friends and family."
The couple embarked on the challenge to raise awareness of the Save the Boundary Waters campaign, which formed in opposition to controversial proposed copper-nickel mining developments in Minnesota, near the boundary waters that straddle the Canadian-American border.
"We started learning about a series of copper mines that are being proposed within the watershed of the wilderness," said Freeman, "and we became very concerned about the threat of pollution that these mines pose."
The Freemans — experienced outdoor adventurers, writers and guides —thought that the best thing they could do was to use their skills to draw attention to the issue, he said.
'Protecting this place'
"We're not lawyers. We don't have a lot of money. You know, we're good at spending time out in the woods, and so we felt like this was what we could do to help contribute to protecting this place that we really care about, and we feel is significantly threatened," he said, adding that pollution in the water would flow north to Canada.
Over the course of the year, the Freeman's lived in a tent, and travelled by canoe or foot from campsite to campsite.
They weren't entirely alone. People did travel to visit, he said, and volunteers would arrive bearing supplies every two weeks for most of the year.
Freeman will speak at Lakehead University's Bora Laskin theatre on Thursday March 23 at 6 p.m. The talk is being hosted by the Lakehead University Student Union's Sustainability Initiative.
