Daniel Wanschura
Host and Executive Producer of Points NorthEver since he was young, Dan has been fascinated with audio. From hearing the dulcet tones of John Gordon broadcast Minnesota Twins games, to staying up late listening to radio theater, to creating a podcast when hardly anyone knew what that word meant – he's been captivated by the imaginative medium.
In 2012, Dan graduated from Thomas Edison State University. In 2015, he moved from the Twin Cities to northern Michigan to work at Interlochen Public Radio. After stints as IPR's Arts & Culture reporter, 'Morning Edition' host, and Broadcast Director, Dan took the helm of the 'Points North' podcast in late 2021.
Dan's reporting has garnered numerous awards including a national Edward R. Murrow Award and many PMJA awards. His work has also been featured on top podcasts and radio stations across the country including 'Snap Judgment', 'Science Friday', NPR, 'The Pulse', Michigan Public, Minnesota Public Radio, Ideastream Public Media, and 'BirdNote'.
Dan enjoys going on long walks his wife and three children, road tripping, and bonfires with friends at his favorite Lake Michigan beach. He is also a lover of the Oxford comma — much to the chagrin of his editors.
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On this episode, invasive species mitigation and a ride in an intergalactic snowplow. -
Michigan Public's Michelle Jokisch Polo takes us inside the North Lake Processing Center with a retired pastor. -
Over 2000 people gathered in downtown Traverse City on Sunday to protest the killing of 37 year old Alex Pretti by federal agents. IPR's Maxwell Howard was there. Also, hear from Claire Keenan-Kurgan about the Northern Michigan Policy Conference. -
Edmonia Lewis, the first globally-recognized sculptor of African American and Native American descent, achieved critical acclaim for her masterpiece, “The Death of Cleopatra.” But over a hundred years ago, it disappeared. -
Lake Superior can change in a heartbeat; one minute it’s calm ― the next it's a raging storm. When people in the water get caught off-guard, rescuers have to balance being the hero and knowing when to call it quits. -
For almost seven years, Bugsy Sailor has been on a mission to watch every sunrise. But now, he wonders if the inspiration that started this project will also be the thing that ends it. -
Buildings and light pollution are taking a heavy toll on migrating birds. Some cities in the Midwest and Great Plains are working to fix that. -
Ron Reimink knew how uncomfortable and annoying swimmer’s itch could be. He spent much of his adult life trying to eradicate it in lakes across northern Michigan. Then one day, he realized he was completely wrong. -
In 2021, Emily Ford goes on a winter vacation. She doesn’t go to some warm beach location, though. She sets out to thru-hike Wisconsin’s 1,200 mile Ice Age Trail. -
Among the hundreds of barns that still dot our landscape across northern Michigan, one special wood relic on Old Mission Peninsula stood out - and it’s recently been recognized as a Barn of the Year. Find out why in this audio tour with IPR.
