Education Articles

Our Work – Articles about Friends’ work regarding education.

How smart lighting choices can protect our precious night sky, save energy and money – a Dark Sky Star Bright Festival event

How smart lighting choices can protect our precious night sky, save energy and money – a Dark Sky Star Bright Festival event

The Dark Sky Star Bright Festival celebrates our precious night sky, and as the crowd gathered at the Honest Dog Books event space on Tuesday learned, it's more than that. Friends of the Apostle Islands Executive Director Jeff Rennicke put it this way. "We also wanted to make sure that when people got inspired and learned about the sky, they could take that next step. And the next step is okay, what can I do about it? In my home. In my business. In my community. How do I help, one lightbulb at a time?" To answer that question, outdoor lighting expert, Electrical Engineer and Dark Sky...

Apostle Islands lullaby: Local author creates children’s book

Apostle Islands lullaby: Local author creates children’s book

Anyone who has spent time on Lake Superior knows that this lake has a voice. It is with the voice of Mother Superior in mind that local author and artist Michelle Lee has created a new children’s book that sings of sea caves and lake waves.Written, in large part, while on a sailboat on Lake Superior, Paddle Paddle Splish Splish is a lyrical lullaby for children set in the Apostle Islands. Its arc takes the reader on a paddle through a litany of famous spots in the Apostle Islands from Bark Bay’s quiet water, deep into the mystery of the Meyers Beach sea caves, around Sand Island, to the...

Friends donation supports Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Junior Rangers program

Friends donation supports Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Junior Rangers program

Thousands of children who aspire to become Apostle Islands Junior Rangers will be able to complete their activity booklets, take the oath and earn their badges thanks in part to Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In support of our Education Pillar, the Friends board of directors approved a request from the park to pay for printing of 2,000 booklets, to support the Lakeshore's ongoing Junior Rangers program.The National Park Service Junior Ranger program is an activity-based educational initiative designed for children from 4 to 12 years old and their families. Like many of...

Raspberry Island birds of yesterday and today

Raspberry Island birds of yesterday and today

When you visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Friends board member Neil Howk is your guide, you're in for a treat. As a retired park ranger specializing in telling the stories of the islands, Neil has a special way of immersing park visitors in the rich history and natural beauty in the park. This summer, Neil volunteered at the Raspberry Island light, where he paid special attention to the bird populations - many of which have been on the island for more than a century. I spent nine days in early August on Raspberry Island as a volunteer-in-park leading tours of the historic...

Apostle Islands Wave Watch buoys pulled for the 2024 season – With your help, they’ll be back in 2025

Apostle Islands Wave Watch buoys pulled for the 2024 season – With your help, they’ll be back in 2025

What a wonderful summer on the water it was, for thousands of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore visitors. They sailed. They paddled. They cruised from island to island. They fished. And they safely explored the 720 square miles of Lake Superior within park boundaries, many with help from the Wave Watch buoys. These yellow, solar-powered buoys provided real-time information about wave conditions and surface water temperature, 24 hours a day all summer long.On September 17th, a team including the National Park Service, the University of Wisconsin Coastal Resilience and Suitability Lab and...

The many berries of Raspberry Island

The many berries of Raspberry Island

When you visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Friends board member Neil Howk is your guide, you're in for a treat. As a retired park ranger specializing in telling the stories of the islands, Neil has a special way of immersing park visitors in the rich history and natural beauty in the park. This summer, Neil volunteered at the Raspberry Island light and took time to take stock of the many berry populations on the island, as well as what's changed since the days of lighthouse keeper Francis Jacker in the late 1800s. The Ojibwe name Miskominikaani-minis refers to the “island of...

The fungus art of Raspberry Island keeper Francis Jacker

The fungus art of Raspberry Island keeper Francis Jacker

When you visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Friends board member Neil Howk is your guide, you're in for a treat. As a retired park ranger specializing in telling the stories of the islands, Neil has a special way of immersing park visitors in the rich history and natural beauty in the park. This summer, Neil volunteered at the Raspberry Island light, where in the late 1800s, keeper Francis Jacker exercised his artistic talents in a most unusual way. And where park visitors got the chance to do the same.Francis Jacker (pronounced Yacker), the lighthouse keeper at Raspberry...

Life at Raspberry Island Light: 2024 vs. 1924

Life at Raspberry Island Light: 2024 vs. 1924

When you visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Friends board member Neil Howk is your guide, you're in for a treat. As a retired park ranger specializing in telling the stories of the islands, Neil has a special way of immersing park visitors in the rich history and natural beauty in the park. This summer, Neil volunteered at the Raspberry Island light. During the coming weeks, we'll share some of Neil's experiences, observations and interactions with park visitors. We'll start with a tour of both sides of the lighthouse and a look at what National Park Service volunteers do while...

Bear encounters in the Apostle Islands: safety tips to help campers and visitors minimize the risk

Bear encounters in the Apostle Islands: safety tips to help campers and visitors minimize the risk

When visiting the Apostle Islands, it's important to understand that these islands are wild places and to be bear aware. Oak and Outer Islands are currently closed to camping and day-use because bears have been escalating their encounters with humans and have caused property damage. The current National Park Service advisory (as of September 5, 2024) says,"These closures are necessary to ensure visitor safety and bear well-being." As background, the park service adds, "Black bears are an important component of the native wildlife community within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and park...

Bird’s-eye view: What 50 years of research reveals about waterbirds in the Apostle Islands

Bird’s-eye view: What 50 years of research reveals about waterbirds in the Apostle Islands

2024 is a milestone year for the waterbirds of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and for the scientists who study them. It is also a time for concern as some waterbird populations are now significantly smaller than they’ve been over the past half century. Others are simply gone. The Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay have served as nesting areas for herring gulls, ring-billed gulls, common terns, black terns, cormorants and great blue herons. These birds are colonial, meaning that they typically nest in colonies or groups. As rugged and remote as most of the islands are, Wisconsin...