Far out on the blue horizons of Lake Superior, Whitney Martens got a surprise visit. Martens lives with Cerebral Palsy which can affect her balance, mobility, and energy levels. As part of a Wilderness Inquiry trip made possible by the Access Opportunity program of Friends of the Apostle Islands, she was experiencing both the excitement and the nervousness of her first time on Lake Superior, her first time in a sea kayak and wondering if she could really do this; that’s when she saw the butterfly.

“It seemed so little out on that big lake,” Whitney says. But watching it flitting around above her kayak gave her a new perspective. “Seeing a monarch butterfly so far out was a cool moment,” she says, a moment that put her fears at ease and convinced her that maybe she really could do the trip she had been dreaming of for so long.

Our national park units, including the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, belong to all of us. That belief is a part of the motivation behind our Access for All campaign which is supporting the efforts of the National Park Service in such projects as construction of an accessible amphitheater for ranger talks on Stockton Island, a 2.2-mile accessible boardwalk on Sand Island, and the on-going construction of the accessible pathway to Meyers Beach.

Friends is proud to support the National Park Service in these efforts to lessen the physical barriers for all to enjoy our national lakeshore. But sometimes there is another barrier as well, a financial one, that can stand in the way of dreams coming true. That is where Access Opportunity comes in.

Begun in 2025 through the generosity of the Daniel & Helen R. Wilczek Memorial Fund, Access Opportunity provides scholarships for those who would most benefit from the kinds of accessible opportunities available here in the Apostle islands but might not otherwise be able to afford it. People like Whitney Martens, and Tad Dolphay, another of the 2026 Access Opportunity participants.

Loading and launching off the beach – Jeff Rennicke photo

Whitney enjoying her first paddle – Jeff Rennicke photo

Thirty-two years old, Tad Dolphay had been active in the outdoors snowboarding, camping, and more for much of his life when in February of 2024 he experienced a major stroke leaving the left side of his body weakened and dimming the sight in his left eye.

Through the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, Tad tried adaptive bowling, golf and other low impact activities. “Those were all good,” he says, “but I knew I wanted to get back into the outdoors.” Access Opportunity gave him that chance.

“After a stroke like I had, you spend a lot of time in bed just thinking about all the things you think you won’t be able to do anymore,” Dolphay says. “But just to be in a kayak, in the Apostle Islands with people like the guides from Wilderness Inquiry who have been doing this so long, makes you feel really safe, helps you to push yourself and regain the confidence to do things like this again as a part of your life.”

Clinical psychologist and Access for All Advisory Board member Dr. Daniel Skenderian says that is one of the true benefits of trips like those offered by Access Opportunity, the healing power of nature. “By emphasizing ability over disability, each person reaches to confront their fears and self-doubts gaining confidence and a greater sense of self-efficacy,” Dr. Skenderian has written. “To be able to enjoy those activities again creates a sense of belonging and community and a greater involvement in life, in general.”

Tad gives us a wave as he heads out

Both 2026 Access Opportunity Scholarship winners would agree. “When I first looked out at those waves, I thought there was no way I could do this,” Tad says, “But the guides, the other participants, the equipment and motivation they provided, all helped me to overcome that fear and I am glad I did. I would never have been able to do this without them or without the scholarship,” he says, “so I am very appreciative for all of it.”

Wilderness Inquiry kayaks – Jeff Rennicke photo

“Being with people like Wilderness Inquiry made a really big difference,” says Whitney Martens. “Self-advocating constantly can be hard work and takes a lot of energy. Sometimes when I’ve been invited on a trip, I’ve had to weigh my desire to go against how hard it is to ask strangers for help. Traveling with a group who clearly have thought about accessibility and the needs of others upfront makes it easier to sit back and relax, enjoy the beauty of nature and its healing.”

Sometimes, all it takes is a little help, the right opportunity, and perhaps some encouragement from a butterfly at just the right moment along the way.

If you or someone you know might benefit from the Access Opportunity Scholarship program, click here for more information.