Inland Sea Symposium, Lake Superior Alliance Conference kick off summer Kayakers enjoy an afternoon outing on Lake Superior as part of the Inland Sea Symposium in Bayfield, Wis. Sponsored by the Inland Sea Society, the symposium is one of the longest running kayaking events on Lake Superior.  This year's symposium will be held June 21-24. (Photo courtesy Inland Sea Society)   BAYFIELD, WIS. ’Äì The longest running kayaking symposium on Lake Superior this year blends recreation and conservation. Bayfield, Wis., will be the scene of both the 12th Annual Inland Sea Symposium June 21-24 and the Lake Superior Alliance Conference the same weekend. The Inland Sea Symposium kicks off its weekend-long event on the Summer Solstice, Thursday, June 21, with an afternoon of kayaking and an evening slide show. Participants can choose from a variety of water instruction classes, kayaking tours through the Apostle Islands, sailing and entertainment through Sunday, June 24.   "People are encouraged to come for a day, an evening or the whole weekend," says Inland Sea Society president Mike Gardner.   The Lake Superior Alliance, a Lake Superior conservation group, will be holding a free three-day conference in conjunction with the symposium. Entitled "A Sustainable Future for Lake Superior," it includes field trips and discussions on the future of Lake Superior.   "What does sustainability really mean?" asks Bob Olsgard, Lake Superior Alliance coordinator, in a recent article in Superior Vision, the organization's newsletter, of which he is editor and manager. "Put in simpler terms it might read: how can we make a living here without trashing the place? That was the original idea of the Lake Superior demonstration zone, that people here would figure out what they could sustain in this fragile, not quite pristine ecosystem which surrounds ten per cent of the world's fresh water."   (Olsgard is actively engaged in the land use planning efforts of Washburn County, the first county in northern Wisconsin to do a comprehensive land use plan.)   As part of the conference, two keynote speakers are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, at the Bayfield Pavillion. Jill Ryan, director of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund, will discuss tools Great Lakes groups have used successfully to protect sensitive aquatic habitats. Patty Cantrell of the Michigan Land Use Institute (MLUI) will speak on MLUI’Äôs new shore land protection manual and model shore land protection ordinance amendment.   Also at the Bayfield Pavillion, a Sustainable Futures Roundtable at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday  will provide a lively discussion with leaders who are working in Lake Superior communities to bring about change for a sustainable future.   Christa Walck, Common Ground co-chair and Keweenaw Land Trust president   Christa Walck of Houghton, co-chair of Common Ground and president of the Keweenaw Land Trust, will be one of the Roundtable presenters.   ’ÄúI’Äôm going to talk about what Common Ground has done in Houghton and Keweenaw counties,’Äù Walck said.   Common Ground is a volunteer citizens’Äô organization that is facilitating sustainable development and land use planning in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The Keweenaw Land Trust is a local conservation organization that provides some Common Ground funding.   Other Roundtable presenters include: Jamie Harvie, Duluth, Minn.; Julian Holenstein, Thunder Bay, Ont.; Bill Willers, Superior Wilderness Action Network; Judy Pratt-Shelley, Red Cliff Band, Lake Superior Chippewa; Brennain Lloyd, Northwatch, North Bay, Ont.   Author and adventurer Jonathan Waterman began traveling to the Arctic and its villages 20 years ago, sowing the seeds for his latest book, Arctic Crossing: A Journey Through the Northwest Passage and Inuit Culture. He will show slides and tell stories of adventure at the Inland Sea Symposium Saturday, June 23. (Photo courtesy Inland Sea Society) Symposium classes include everything from navigation 101 to outdoor photography. On-water instruction includes paddling, rolling and rescue.  Keynote speaker Jonathan Waterman will give a Saturday evening (8 p.m.) presentation about his 2,200-mile journey through the Northwest Passage by kayak, dogsled and skis. He will also demonstrate and teach kayak sailing, which he mastered during his voyage. The Inland Sea Society, a northwoods conservation group, started the symposium 14 years ago to raise awareness about Lake Superior, and to provide interested kayakers with a place to learn new skills and exchange ideas. It's also the primary fundraiser for the organization that works on the Lake Superior Water Trail and other watershed related projects.   Bayfield is located on Wisconsin Highway 13, about 20 miles north of its intersection with Highway 2, just west of Ashland, Wis. To reach the Bayfield Pavillion, follow the large, prominently placed signs right downtown to where Highway 13 takes a sharp left turn north. Keep going one more block and the Pavillion is on your left. (If you get wet, you're in the Lake and you've gone too far.) Look for the Symposium signs directing you toward the lakefront. For more information about the Symposium log onto www.inlandsea.org or call (715)373-0674.   Check out the Lake Superior Alliance Web site at http://www.superioralliance.org/ for information about the Conference. Click here for the Duluth News Tribune article on this weekend event ... To find out where to stay in Bayfield check http://www.bayfield.org