Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

As the nation’s political divide deepens, overseas wars expand and social media features mis- and disinformation, a Tofte-based photographer and filmmaker is offering a moment of respite with the beauty of Lake Superior’s North Shore.

 recently created a 24/7 livestream project called The Wild North, available at 

, featuring scenes like a sunrise over the lake, a sunset at Split Rock Lighthouse, a gondola ride through Lutsen awash in fall colors, tumbling waterfalls and a paddle through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It was important to him to launch before the election. 

“There’s a lot of news and there’s a lot of politics going on. And independently of that, a lot of folks dealing with health issues and other kind of personal things, too. And so hey, we're all stressed out,” Olsen said. “Getting out into nature is kind of one of the best ways to escape that fight-or-flight thing that our brains are kind of constantly going through.”

Research indicates that even experiencing nature virtually can have 

The pandemic accelerated his family’s plans of moving northward to one of the places he feels the “most at peace.” Now, he hopes to offer a bit of that peace to others.

“Honestly, I kind of feel like a bit of an obligation to share all of those wonderful places of the big lake and the Boundary Waters with people,” Olsen explained. “It’s kind of a deal that I made: If I get to live here, then I’m going to try to find ways that I can share it with everyone so that we can all experience that — even if you’re not able to physically be here.” 

Shooting still images evolved into capturing video clips. That footage collection sparked the idea of a continuous livestream. And The Wild North was born.

“Since launching it this last week, people really seem grateful, you know, saying this is beautiful, I really need this,” Olsen said. The livestream has also gotten a good reception from senior communities who “maybe can't physically get out anymore and maybe miss the North Shore, [now] have a way for them to experience it.” 

At its inception, The Wild North is looping more than 10 hours of Olsen’s footage coupled with relaxing music. He plans to refresh the content monthly so the video remains true to the season. The livestream is designed to function on desktops, mobile devices and televisions. 

Arts and Culture

Lifestyle

Outdoors

Minnesota News

Greater Minnesota

Shows

Morning Edition

NewsPartners

Homepage

Cathy Wurzer

Host

Gracie  Stockton

Author

As the nation’s political divide deepens, overseas wars expand and social media features mis- and disinformation, a Tofte-based photographer and filmmaker is offering a moment of respite with the beauty of Lake Superior’s North Shore.


New North Shore livestream offers moment of Zen amid info overload

Go Deeper.

Like this?