News

National Park Service App

Along with new signage and trail maps, the National Park Service is displaying and encouraging you to scan and download QR codes for the National Park Service App.

Brochures with the QR code are also available at the Visitors Center if you make a stop there first. Quickly and easily, scan the code with your smartphone, download the app and have an instant source of information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, or any of the over 400 National Parks included in the app. You can also download maps and other content to use when cell coverage is unavailable. 

You may have noticed the missing trail map boxes already? This system is in use at all trailheads within Sleeping Bear Dunes to eliminate the use of paper trail maps. Simply look for the QR code posted on the trailhead signage (pictured above) and scan with your phone’s camera. 

You will also see QR codes that take you directly to the Sleeping Bear Dunes website. Various short videos about the park as well as the new park film, ‘Water, Sand and Sky’ are available to view. Another code will quickly give you information and updates about how best to enjoy SBD with your four-legged friends. Be sure to check these out!




 

 

 

 

 

 

Article and photos by Kristy Tompkins


PSAR Friends in Orange

It’s mid-June and the tourist season has arrived in Northern Michigan. The sunshine is cloaked in a hazy cloud cover and the temperature hasn’t quite reached 80 degrees yet for the day. It is a great day to visit the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb and attempt to walk the trail all the way to Lake Michigan. This is the season that Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR) Volunteers are critically needed within the park.

Beginning at the base of the Dunes, you may meet Jim Hickey, a long-time PSAR volunteer. He will advise you that it’s about four miles (round trip) of strenuous sand walking if you want to soak your feet in the cool Lake Michigan water or that the first Dune Climb is 110 feet high

At the top of the first climb, the view stretches for miles over the vibrant waters of Little and Big Glen Lake. As you resume your westward hike, to the left is a dune that will connect you to the Cottonwood Trail. Stay slightly right and look for this post in the sand.

There will be 28 trail markers along your journey. Just after marker #2, about one quarter of the way to Lake Michigan, you may encounter Jesse Lewit, another Preventative Search and Rescue Volunteer with the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. He also has a wealth of knowledge about this trail and the area in general. 

Jesse will make sure you are prepared for the hike ahead; asking if you have enough water for a 2-4 hour hike or if you remembered your shoes! The sand can reach 120 degrees on a hot day! His efforts and the efforts of other PSAR Volunteers have drastically reduced the number and seriousness of rescues within the park since its beginning in 2017.

Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes Preventative Search and Rescue Volunteers play an integral role in the safety and enjoyment visitors experience at the park. As a PSAR Volunteer, your job is to PREVENT emergencies by encouraging and educating people on how to best be prepared for hiking the dunes or enjoying Lake Michigan. The local police and fire departments and park rangers are spread thin during the peak tourist season. The work you do as a volunteer directly impacts visitors and locals, alike.

If you love to meet new people and spend time outdoors or have been called a people-person, the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes needs you this summer! For just a few hour commitment that can be tailored to your busy life, you will get to enjoy:

  • Fresh air
  • Beautiful scenery 
  • Improved vitamin D levels
  • A potentially great tan
  • A boost to your resume
  • The satisfaction of helping others
    Read the full volunteer job description here.

There are opportunities to work at the base of the Dune Climb, in the shade of a PSAR canopy (coming soon!), along the Dune Climb Trail or the #9 Lake Michigan Overlook on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. What a fantastic chance to meet new people and enjoy our Northern Michigan summers while helping others in the process. For more information on this or other FOSBD Volunteer opportunities, visit our website under the Programs tab.
















 

Article and photos by Kristy Tompkins


Volunteer Training Recap

Just as spring rain clouds began to drift overhead, current and prospective Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes Volunteers wandered into Empire Town Hall, pushing pause in their busy lives to learn about current happenings within the National Park and opportunities to help. Kerry Kelly quickly added chairs to the back of the room for the great number of interested people. 

Introducing the Friends organization, Jerry Peterson sincerely thanked everyone who could attend in person as well as those able to watch virtually. There was a good mix of volunteers in the room from each Friends program and a multitude of new people. He encouraged folks to join the break-out groups afterward to learn more about the specific opportunities or talk to him about other talents that could be utilized. 

Next, SBD Superintendent, Scott Tucker, spoke of the current events taking place this summer and beyond within the Park;
from the restoration of the South Manitou Lighthouse to a potential turn lane being added at the entrance to the Dune Climb. With 1.7 million visitors to Sleeping Bear Dunes last year, and 50,000 volunteer hours logged, he encouraged the room that Sleeping Bear Dunes is a better place for future generations because of volunteer efforts today. 

Matt Mohrman, the NPS Volunteer Coordinator, tested the group on National Park Trivia and reminded everyone that Friends members are Park Service Volunteers. When you sign up to help with the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, you are an ambassador for the Park, an extension of the Park Service, an integral part of the body of individuals that care for this beautiful natural resource that is Sleeping Bear Dunes.

General volunteer information and specific volunteer job descriptions can be found within our website if we missed you at the event or you need more details. Or you can watch the recorded meeting here: 2022 Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes Volunteer Training  

We look forward to hearing from you and getting you plugged into the perfect role within our organization! 

Article and photos by Kristy Tompkins





Welcome Kristy Tompkins Our Summer Intern

Hello Friends! My name is Kristy Tompkins and I am excited to be joining you for the summer in the role of Social Media and Communications Intern. I am a northern Michigan native, minus just ten years spent in the Pacific Northwest. I am a fresh air enthusiast and enjoy hiking, backpacking, camping, swimming and most any activity outdoors. I completed the SBD Trail Trekker Challenge with my family in 2017 and have been a rustic trails volunteer ever since. In 2020, I graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Visual Communications and am excited to utilize these skills in the promotion of this organization. I aim to beautifully and creatively capture what the Friends do for our National Lakeshore and share it with the greater community. 


Welcome Bonnie Bastian our NEW Communications Director!

Bonnie is excited to be the new Communications Director for the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes! A native of Cincinnati, she has been visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes since childhood when her beloved aunt purchased a home in Glen Arbor. She is thrilled to be a volunteer with the Friends where she can use her communications experience to inspire others to learn more about and support the organization and the Lakeshore. For Bonnie, Sleeping Bear Dunes has been a place to cultivate a love of the outdoors and spend time with family. She hopes to help others discover the wonders of the area and find how they can become involved. Personally, she continues to find new places to explore, like the Treat Farm Trail, and achieve her goal of running the entire Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.

Since graduating from Xavier University, Bonnie has cultivated a 20-year career in public relations and marketing. She has developed successful communications and public relations programs for organizations including Walt Disney World, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Visit Myrtle Beach, Cabela’s and Midmark.

A passionate advocate of wildlife and the environment, Bonnie volunteers at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and earned a Master’s in biology at Miami University specifically to teach others about conservation. She also loves to hike, run half marathons and is on a quest to visit as many National Parks as possible.

If you would like to Volunteer, check out our Volunteer Job Descriptions or learn more about becoming a member of our Communications Group here. 


Social Media and Communications Summer Intern

Join our communications team for a unique opportunity to work with a National Park’s non-profit partner organization (Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes) to help document happenings around the park during the busiest time of year to capture and share the National Lakeshore with all. We are looking for a motivated, enthusiastic, creative intern for FOSBD this summer to help take photos, conduct interviews, post on social media, help with promotions and other related projects.  Please submit cover letter and resume to Laura Ann Johnson comm@friendsofsleepingbear.org by Friday April, 22nd 2022.

Summary of Position: 

The communications and social media intern will work with the communications committee and the Director of Communication to document park happenings throughout the summer.  The candidate will be expected to assist with: photography, social media posting, content creation, and other such related projects. This is a unique opportunity to work with a National Park’s non profit partner organization to help document happenings around the park during the busiest time of year to capture and share the National Lakeshore with all. 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

  • Documentation of park and Friends events by taking photos, interviewing, and creating content around the event
  • Promotion of special happenings 
  • Photo cataloging
  • Content creation and social media scheduling
  • Represent Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes and educate visitors

Necessary Skills: 

  •  Excellent organizational skills. 
  •  Excellent communication skills. 
  •  Strong sense of initiative and willingness to take on and create your own projects
  •  Ability to multitask and prioritize various projects. 
  •  Strong attention to detail. 
  •  Excellent critical thinking and problem solving skills. 
  •  Interested in learning about the National Lakeshore and Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. 

Qualifications for the Job:​ To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability you are required to possess. Reasonable accommodations may be made, should you have a disability, to allow you to perform the essential functions. 

Position:​ Communications and Social Media Intern

Reports To​: Communications Committee 

Employment Duration:​ June 20th – August 12th 2022 

Seasonal Position: ​32-40 hours / wk 

Location:​ Empire, MI

Compensation: $15 /hr

 


Groundbreaking of Sleeping Bear Inn Renovations

You are Invited!
Join the Friends and new area non-profit Balancing Environment and Rehabilitation (BEAR) on Friday, April 8th for an Open House and tour of the Sleeping Bear Inn and Garages in Glen Haven. Brief remarks at 1pm will be followed by an Open House and tour of the Inn and Garages before renovations begin. The Inn will also be open from 10-2pm on Saturday, April 9th for tours. 
 
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) has issued a 40-year lease to BEAR for the historic Sleeping Bear Inn and Garage in Glen Haven. The lease allows the Inn to be rehabilitated and opened as a premier bed and breakfast lodge. 

Originally built between 1865-1867, the Inn served as a frontier hotel for business travelers and local workers. It continued in operation throughout the next century evolving into a tourist hotel. It has been closed since the mid-1970s.  

BEAR, a non-profit organization, submitted a proposal to the National Lakeshore in 2018 to rehabilitate the Inn and operate it as a bed and breakfast. The signing of the lease is the culmination of negotiations that included approvals from the State Historic Preservation Office and the commercial services branch of the National Park Service. The lease allows a bed and breakfast inn with approximately nine guest rooms, a commercial kitchen, and dining areas.

Phase one consisted of working through pre-development requirements which included working closely with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Historic Architect, our architect Shannon White and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to ensure the historical integrity of Sleeping Bear Inn. Read more about this project in this article Written by John Mauk, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes volunteer after an interview with Maggie Kato, President of BEAR (Balancing Environment and Rehabilitation). 

On Wednesday March 23, 2022 Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore issued a 40-year lease to BEAR for Sleeping Bear Inn and Garage. The lease triggered the beginning of the physical renovation of the Inn and Garage. 
A public open house of the buildings will take place on Friday, April 8, 2022, at 1:00 p.m., following a short ceremony. The open house will provide the public the opportunity to see the buildings as they are before their rehabilitation.  

Learn more about the non-profit and project on the Sleeping Bear Inn website: https://sleepingbearinn.org/


Garage Fundraiser

We are in need of a new place to store our equipment! Due to the renovation of the Sleeping Bear Inn, we need to move from the garages there.

A new, 1600-square-foot storage facility is planned at the Dune Climb to store:

  • Heritage Trail maintenance tools and equipment
  • The Park’s Mobile Visitor Center van
  • The Friends’ track chairs and trailer
  • The Friends’ publications and supplies.

This will provide a central location for the track chairs and trailer in this garage as well as trail maintenance equipment like our gaters that help us take care of the SBHT year-round.

The Garage will be temperature-controlled and provide storage for our books, maps, and stickers with easy access, and we will provide the Park with storage for their Mobile Visitor Center van and other interpretive equipment for visitor programs.

Help us make this project happen by making a generous donation this fall. Our target is to raise $30,000 to complete the capital needs for this storage building. Select ‘Dune Center Garage’ when you donate at https://friendsofsleepingbear.org/donate-now/.

For a more detailed update on the plan for the Dune Center Storage Facility ‘The Garage’, review the planning sketch


Seeking Grant Writers

Position Openings – Grant Writers and Grant Team Coordinator

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has been called “The most beautiful place in America” and it needs your help. Our 600+ member organization helps ensure that the more than a million and a half people who visit the dunes each year have a great experience while helping to protect this precious resource.

We are looking for persons with good organizational and interpersonal skills to join our high-functioning all-volunteer organization. Some experience in submitting grant applications would also be very useful.

The Grant Writer is part of a team responsible for identifying and applying for grants to support projects identified by the Friends Board of Directors and management of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  The Grant Writer Coordinator position involves helping coordinate the efforts of the team to assure an economy of effort, sharing of information, and communication with the Fund Development Director who has overall responsibility for funding efforts.  Both positions are volunteer positions as are all those in the Friends.

Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes will provide training and assistance as needed. Time commitment will vary with the individual and grant writing needs, but may amount to approximately 2-4 hours a week. Position descriptions are available at:

Grant Writer

Grants Group Coordinator

Interested in helping out?  For more information, please email Bill Stott at:  sec2@friendsofsleepingbear.org

The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, all-volunteer organization. 


2021 Annual Meeting

This Year’s Annual Meeting will now be VIRTUAL 

We enjoyed seeing many familiar faces (virtually) during our Annual Meeting which took place on Sunday, August 29th Below are the synopsis of the Chairman’s statement and introductions, program summaries, financial summary, Park information, the election of new members to Board of Directors, and Friends business. 

Annual Meeting 2021 Project Review


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

Board Member Candidate Profiles: 

Lynn Aleksov

Kerry Kelly 

Steve Horne 

Laura Ann Johnson 

Laurie Pope


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