News Articles

Newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent or important events and happenings.

National Park Service advances plans to relocate Chequamegon Point Light Tower

National Park Service advances plans to relocate Chequamegon Point Light Tower

(Apostle Islands National Lakeshore News Release) BAYFIELD, Wis. — Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has awarded a $167,400 contract for the deconstruction and removal of the historic Chequamegon Point Light Tower on Long Island due to structural failure.Long Island light in water - NPS photoThe National Park Service announced in May 2026 that the 42-foot tower cannot remain in its current location. Shoreline erosion and storm damage have caused significant structural failures, including failing footings, severed anchors, and damaged structural braces, leaving the tower at imminent risk of...

“Once in a lifetime” letters from Outer Island

“Once in a lifetime” letters from Outer Island

Volunteering for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore can create once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Cynthia Howk spent the summer of 1986 on Outer Island as part of the Volunteers in Parks (VIP) program of the National Park Service. She documented her experiences on Outer Island in a series of letters to friends, recently rediscovered by her brother Neil, who worked as a ranger in the park at the time, and who currently serves on the Friends of the Apostle Islands board of directors. Cynthia's letters provide some fascinating insights into the life of a volunteer four decades ago.6/13/86...

Annual Friends cruise celebrates Apostle Islands and people who love this special place

Annual Friends cruise celebrates Apostle Islands and people who love this special place

When you're among Friends, visiting one of the Apostle Islands becomes even more meaningful. Dozens of supporters of Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore boarded the Superior Princess on a breezy, sunny August day. During the annual Friends cruise, they enjoyed good food, good company and the unmatched beauty of islands. They heard an update on the Meyers Beach accessible path project, the largest Friends initiative to date. And they also received an invitation to continue their support. Not only for today, but for future generations.Welcome Aboard! Click to enlarge photosGuests...

Friends volunteers work to control invasive species on Long Island

Friends volunteers work to control invasive species on Long Island

Purple loosestrife flower headHundreds of vibrant magenta or purple flowers standing three to seven feet tall over Apostle Islands wetlands may look pretty, but dig a little deeper into the story of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and you'll understand why this invasive plant poses an ongoing threat. A single plant can produce a million seeds or more. And left to multiply, these highly aggressive plants from Asia and Europe can choke out native vegetation, leaving wildlife without proper food, nesting grounds, or shelter. The plants flower from July into the fall. Removing the flower...

Friends of the Apostle Islands among the winners of prestigious grant

Friends of the Apostle Islands among the winners of prestigious grant

What do the Apostle Islands, Great Basin National Park, Glacier National Park, Friends of Acadia, the Virgin Islands, and Yellowstone Forever have in common? All of these recently joined over 70 other national park units and the organizations that support them as recipients of 2026 Capacity Building Grants from the National Park Foundation. The program is a part of over $5 million in grants awarded to strengthen the organizational and philanthropic capacity of park partners like Friends of the Apostle Islands.Bob Geraty, NPF, Jeff Rennicke and Jill Rennicke outside the US Capitol - file...

Meyers Beach accessibility project under way

Meyers Beach accessibility project under way

With a turn of the shovel, the long-awaited Meyers Beach accessible path project has begun. A partnership between the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, and Friends of the Apostle Islands, the $690,000 project will replace the 47-step stairway down a 23-foot sand bank with an accessible 3% grade pathway leading to one of the most popular beaches and kayak launching sites in the Islands and the starting point for viewing the famous Ice Caves in the winter.“The units of our national park system belong to all of us,” says Jeff Rennicke, Executive Director of Friends of the...

Friends volunteers tend historic gardens on Raspberry, Michigan islands

Friends volunteers tend historic gardens on Raspberry, Michigan islands

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...

Business Member Spotlight: South Shore Adventures looks to cultivate a welcoming vibe with “Midwest Aloha”

Business Member Spotlight: South Shore Adventures looks to cultivate a welcoming vibe with “Midwest Aloha”

Thousands of miles separate the beaches of Hawaii from the Apostle Islands, but that isn’t stopping the newest area kayaking company from shooting for an Aloha kind of vibe. “Think of it as Midwest Aloha,” says Jared Kirschmann, who along with his wife Sydney, have opened South Shore Adventures just outside of Bayfield.Jared and Sydney Kirschmann - Jeff Rennicke photoBorn and raised in Kailu-Kona, Hawaii, Jared says that his love and passion for the water began at a young age, surfing, diving, and kayaking. Those skills would take him to many other places – whitewater rafting on the Pigeon...

Community Cider tasting event benefiting Friends of the Apostle Islands draws a crowd

Community Cider tasting event benefiting Friends of the Apostle Islands draws a crowd

"It's a really special thing. 
It's not just a cider, as wonderful as it is. It's really, first of all, a taste of the Lake Superior region. There are the breezes that blow off the lake and through the islands, that touch the apples and pears and infiltrate into the cider that Phil creates. 
And even more so than that, it's a taste of community." With those words, Friends of the Apostle Islands Executive Director Jeff Rennicke kicked off the Community Cider tasting event at the Bayfield Winery on Saturday, June 6th.Community Cider artwork by Erica Peterson - Norm Okerstrom photoThe tasting...

Sip and Support Friends of the Apostle Islands at the Community Cider tasting event June 6

Sip and Support Friends of the Apostle Islands at the Community Cider tasting event June 6

Sip & Support! Join Friends of the Apostle Islands, Saturday June 6th from 12-2 p.m. at the Bayfield Winery and Blue Ox Cider for a tasting of the 2026 Community Cider. Thanks to Blue Ox for chosing Friends of the Apostle Islands as this year's recipient, Erica Peterson for designing the logo, and all the community members who helped pick apples and pears. This Community Cider is a very balanced, semi-dry cider made from all donated fruit. The proceeds from bottle sales and glass pours will be going directly to Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. There will be...