Laura Ann Johnson, Executive Director of the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes

Johnson to Lead the Friends’ Efforts in Support of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes has hired Laura Ann Johnson as its first executive director. Johnson, a long-time board member and volunteer with the Friends, will be responsible for leading the organization into a new era of growth while continuing its mission of protecting resources and heightening visitor experiences in partnership with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

“I am incredibly honored to step into the role of the first executive director of the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes and am excited to lead the organization into its next chapter alongside our volunteers and supporters,” said Johnson. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to craft a fresh strategic vision as we expand our impact and deepen our support of the Lakeshore”

As the executive director, Johnson will lead the Friends’ overall growth and enhance its support of the Lakeshore specifically through increased fundraising, volunteer retention and recruitment and development of programs and projects. Johnson will set the organization’s new strategic plan and work closely with the National Park Service team to aid  their efforts. She will also foster strong relationships with community members, volunteers and donors, and expand awareness of the organization throughout Leelanau County, the state of Michigan and beyond.

Johnson joins the Friends after an 11-year career with Cherry Republic where she held a number of progressive roles in marketing, management and human resources. Most recently, Johnson led the company’s employee experience team, guiding strategy and implementation of programs directed at employee retention, education and morale. Prior to her time at Cherry Republic, she was the Director of the Leelanau Outdoor Center.  Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. She resides in Maple City, Mich., with her husband and two children.

She will begin her role with the organization in late October.

Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes has been chosen as an Alliance for the Great Lakes Wavemaker Honoree! Wavemakers are the people, companies, and organizations making a big difference for our Great Lakes by being super volunteers, educators, advocates, energizers, and protectors. Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes was nominated by the Alliance’s staff, board, and volunteers as one of the most critical stewards. We are being recognized for our efforts to protect and care for one of the most important natural assets of the Great Lakes through our dedication to the Adopt-a-Beach and other programs.  We are honored to be a Wavemaker Honoree and thank the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Click to view a PDF of the Annual Newsletter

The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes closed another year of service in October and accomplished a lot of projects supporting the park with more support than ever. This year, the Friends welcomed 316 new volunteers and committed over 11,425 volunteer hours. This year, we saw a record amount of volunteers support the Adopt-a-Trail, Adopt-a-Beach, and Adopt-a-River programs. We also had new volunteers on the PSAR crew connecting with over 30,000 visitors keeping visitors safe and leading to record-low emergency calls. The team also supported community events, including the Dune Safety Day and Glen Arbor Fire Department Open House.

In terms of supporting Priority Park Projects, the Friends procured funding for emergency services training, water quality testing equipment, AEDs, interpretive sign updates, snowmobile trailer, and tools and supplies for general park improvements. 

The Grants Team had a banner year securing specific funding for multiple programs. Two grants went to the Park’s Piping Plover Conservation Projects as well as funding to support natural resource preservation and outdoor education. Major donors included the National Park Foundation, the Andrew R. and Janet F. Miller Foundation, the Top Family Foundation, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

We would also like to thank Oryana Community Co-Op for selecting the Friends for their Groceries for Good program where a portion of their proceeds were donated to the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. 

Some of the Goals for next year include supporting new trail development and expansion of the SBHT, a tandem accessible bike for the Accessibility Program. as well as a Dark Sky Certification for the Lakeshore. If you would like to donate to support our 2024 priority projects, view our Donate Page and mention the project you would like your donation to support in the Comment section. 

Oryana, the TC-based food co-op will be supporting the Friends through their program, Groceries for Good. Oryana is designating Thursday, September 14th as a Groceries for Good day to benefit the Friends. Oryana will donate 2% of their profits that day, from both their East and West locations to Friends plus offer customers the opportunity to “round up” their purchase to the next dollar, with the change going to Friends. 

Friends Volunteers will be at both locations mid-day to talk to shoppers about the Friends Mission and how they can become a Friend. 

Learn More about the Program on Oryana’s Website.

When: Thursday, September 14th 
Where: Oryana Stores, Traverse City 
260 E Tenth St, Traverse City, MI 49684
and 
3587 Marketplace Cir, Traverse City, MI 49684
What: 2% of their profits that day go to the Friends.

Please join us for the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes annual meeting, Tuesday, August 29, 2023, 3:00 PM at the Empire Town Hall.

You are welcome to attend if you are an active Friend; volunteer or donor, or interested in learning more about the organization. The meeting will last approximately an hour, and will not be broadcast digitally this year. There will be updates from Friends Leadership and Park Superintendent, Scott Tucker. Ice Cream will be served following the meeting. Below is the tentative Agenda. 

What: Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes Annual Meeting 
When: Tuesday, August 29th, at 3:00 PM 
Where: Empire Town Hall, 10088 W Front St, Empire, MI 49630
Who: All Active Friends, or those interested in learning more about the organization. 

Agenda

1. Chairman’s Welcome, Kerry Kelly
2. August 21, 2022 Annual Membership Meeting Minutes, Bill Stott (Secretary)
3. Annual Financial Report 2023, Steve Klein (Treasurer)
4. Project Updates, Kerry Kelly
5. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Update, Scott Tucker (SLBE
Superintendent)
6. Introduction of Board Member Candidate and Vote, Bill Stott
7. Adjourn and Ice Cream Social

Friends’ membership is comprised of people who have donated their time or money to the Friends this year or last.

Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes Unveils New Trails Guide

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, known for its beauty and numerous trails, now has trail maps worthy of its stunning scenery. The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is proud to unveil the Mainland Trails of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a 40 page guide featuring the first updated maps of the park’s mainland trail system since the non-profit volunteer group was formed 29 years ago.

This new guide covers 15 trails in Leelanau and Benzie Counties, and includes mile-by-mile trail descriptions, suggested routes, difficulty ratings and color photos. The Friends teamed up with MichiganTrailMaps.com to produce the guide’s full-color, highly detailed maps featuring contour lines, elevation figures, mileage flags and location icons covering everything from scenic views and ghost forests to swimming beaches, picnic areas and shipwrecks. These comprehensive maps replace the original hand-drawn maps found in the previous booklet.

The 72,000-acre National Lakeshore, home to the largest freshwater dunes in the country, attracts 1.7 million visitors a year. Visitors travel from across the country to experience the beloved Dune Climb, incredible beaches and stunning trails. The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes will have the new trail guide available this season at the Lakeshore’s Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, the Dune Climb, DH Day Campground and Glen Haven historical village. The Mainland Trails of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will also be available at area bookstores, shops and online at
www.michigantrailmaps.com/books-and-guides.

This year has been fantastic for the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. In 2022, the Friends dedicated over 12,600+ volunteer hours and $177,000 in funds to help complete Park projects and connect with visitors to make the Lakeshore a safe place for visitors to experience while protecting resources. 

Click to view the Full 2022 Annual Newsletter PDF

Our organization is committed to assisting the National Park Service team with enhancing visitor experiences and preserving the Lakeshore for many years to come. Thank you to our tremendous volunteers and supporters for your contributions and dedication to our mission. Here is a look at some of the projects that the Friends conducted and supported this year:

• Our Preventative Search and Rescue volunteers increased visitor contacts by 8,000 and saw the low- est number of search and rescue operations and 911 calls since the program’s inception!
• Expanded the Track Chair Program with an additional chair as well as brought the hikes to a new location, the Platte River Campground. 
• Provided funding for the NPS and tribal consultants to develop and offer educational and interpretive programming about the history of the Anishinaabe.
• Received a $20k grant from the National Park Foundation as part of a larger grant given to the Lakeshore for Night Sky education programs. 
• Fabricated custom bike racks at the historic blacksmith shop in Glen Haven. 

View the full 2022 Annual Newsletter to read more about the programs and their impacts as well as statements from our new Chairman and Park Superintendant, Scott Tucker. 

Over our 25+ years in service working with the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, the Friends have accomplished some amazing work within the park. You can find a summary of this year’s accomplishments and all previous newsletters from the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes on our Accomplishments Page. 

The Annual Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes training is scheduled for June 11th, at 1 pm at the Empire Town Hall.

The general orientation will begin at 1 pm. This usually includes a welcome by the Friends Chair, followed by information useful to all volunteers from the Park Superintendent, Volunteer Coordinator, and Rangers.
At 2 pm we will schedule breakout sessions for individual volunteer groups: Adopt-A-Trail, Adopt-A-Beach, Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, and the Track Chair program.

At this time of hybrid remote working, we will plan to live-stream the general orientation and some volunteer leaders will also have additional training that can be done remotely. 

View the 2022 Volunteer Training Video

Link to Video