Accomplishments

In 2024, the Friends dedicated over 13,000 volunteer hours and more than $300,000 in funds to help complete Park projects, maintain trails, provide accessible spaces and mobility tools for visitors with all abilities, and connected with visitors to enhance safe visitation.

Over our 25+ years in service working with the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, the Friends have accomplished some amazing work within the park. This year, our work included:

Supporting the park through programming including Anishinaabe Educational Programs, educational programs for 4th and 5th graders, and supporting star parties, and working toward Dark Sky certification.
Supporting Piping Plover Protection by procuring supplies and securing grant funding to hire seasonal Natural Resource staff.
Expanding our accessibility program with the additional of accessible bicycle which will be available for use in 2025. This year, more 42 people, ages 9 to 92. experienced more of the park using our track chairs!
Maintaining the trails within the park by addressing more than 1,000 trail reports.

A summary of projects, grants, and other accomplishments is published each year as a report to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Beginning in 2012, The Friends began publishing a newsletter format that highlighted some of the year’s work.

Newsletters

Accomplishment Summaries

E-mail blast Archive

We keep our membership informed of activities at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and volunteer opportunities at the Park regularly. Newsletters go out to all on the first of the month, and sometimes as events in the park arise. You can see our past e-mails in our archive for emails prior to January 2020. For emails since January 2020, search our news posts for e-newsletters.

Sign-up to be on our list by filling out the information below.

Accomplishments

Sign Up for our Newsletter

Sleeping Bear DunesNational Lakeshore

Sleeping Bear Dunes
National Lakeshore