- Bookwood Historical Collection, Star Lake
American martens have been found on the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore for the first time in more than 40 years, boosting recovery efforts for this endangered, secretive mammal. Ten martens reintroduced to Stockton Island hadn't been seen since 1969 until a volunteer park ranger noted one in a 2010 journal entry. NHC received a cell phone photo from a kayaker of one in 2014, and park service staff tracked down the marten. Trail cameras and DNA analysis have since revealed martens on seven different islands, potentially making this the third established marten population in Wisconsin and a vital backstop to help assure species survival. The discovery is also fueling research among DNR, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, UW-Madison and the National Park Service to better understand how the martens moved around and beat the odds on the islands in Lake Superior.