Friends volunteers tend historic gardens on Raspberry, Michigan islands

Friends volunteers work on a Michigan Island garden - Gerry Miller photo

June 20, 2026

More than a century ago, Apostle Islands lighthouse keepers and their families planted gardens as sources of food, beauty and pride. The traditions continue today, with help from Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

This month, two volunteer crews joined the National Park Service to plant and maintain gardens on Raspberry and Michigan Islands. The process involves loading locally-purchased plants, tools and supplies onto a Park Service boat, unloading and hauling everything up the stairs and getting to work. The gardens are designed to be historically accurate. The vegetable garden on Raspberry Island also provides food for the on-site staff and volunteers, and for the Red Cliff Elder Nutrition  program.

Raspberry Island gardening mission
(Click to enlarge)

After a couple of weather-related delays, the gardening team visiting Michigan Island on June 19th weeded and planted several flower gardens outside of the two lighthouses.

The inspiration for the Michigan Island gardens comes from Elizabeth Lane, wife of keeper Ed Lane, who served from 1902 to 1938. Elizabeth had a passion for flower gardening.  She nurtured roses, day lilies, ostrich ferns, pansies, nasturtiums, petunias, peonies, iris, foxglove, and more. Photos of Lane’s gardens are used as reference points for the work being done today. The plan is for Friends volunteers to periodically return to the island to maintain the gardens throughout the summer.

Friends volunteer and former board chair Erica Peterson led the Michigan Island mission. She said, “I love the power of volunteers, and their collective ability to turn messy, overgrown flower beds into something beautiful. It’s a wonderful thing; like unwrapping a gift to realize what is inside. We were 8 people for 6 hours, for a collective total of 48 hours, and all in one day. Volunteers make the difference.”

Michigan Island gardening mission
(Click to enlarge)

On behalf of the thousands of Apostle Islands visitors who will experience these gardens as part of their visits, Friends would like to thank our volunteers for their hard work, in partnership with the National Park Service. If you would like to volunteer or support Friends in other ways, visit the Support Us page on our website. 

Video by Friends volunteer Gerry Miller

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