Accomplishments

In 2023, the Friends dedicated over 11,425 volunteer hours and $262,580 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. 
This year, the building a new garage at the Dune Center to was completed. The garage will store the Bear Force One mobile visitor center van park and equipment, track chair trailer, and tools for maintaining the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.

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

  • Supported the park through programming including Anishinaabe Educational Programs, educational programs for 4 th and 5 th graders, and supporting star parties, and working toward Dark Sky certification.
  • Supported Piping Plover Protection by procuring supplies and securing grant funding to hire seasonal Natural Resource staff.
  •  The Track Chair program provided 60 hikes and an additional trail experience using our newest track chair.
  • A record amount of volunteers helped the Adopt-a-Beach and Adopt-a-Trail programs

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. 

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