Click to read the 2024 Annual Newsletter

Celebrating 2024 with the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes

Read all about the year it’s been for the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes! Our amazing group of volunteers and supporters worked hard this year to help protect the park and make an even better experience for all who visited the Lakeshore.

One of our biggest milestones this year was hiring our first Executive Director, Laura Ann Johnson. A long-time volunteer, Laura Ann is ready to take the Friends to new heights with fresh ideas for community involvement, fundraising and programs.

The Friends also focused on making the park more accessible. We obtained a special new wheelchair bike that will be available starting next summer, and continued our popular track chair program, helping people of all abilities explore the beauty of Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Volunteers continued to help protect the endangered Piping Plover, while grants supported a rare plant survey and an upcoming study of the park’s black bears. These projects are key to preserving the park’s unique wildlife.

Innovation was a highlight, too. The Friends will use LiDAR technology to map trails for accessibility improvements in 2025, and this year, we brought the night sky to life with a portable planetarium funded by the National Park Foundation.

With over 450 volunteers giving 13,000 hours of their time, the Friends made a huge difference this year. We’re excited to keep the momentum going in 2025 and invite everyone to get involved. 

If you would like to donate to support our 2025 priority projects or the Friends overall, view our Donate Page and mention the project you would like your donation to support in the comment section.