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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.
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 the Parks program (VIP) of the National Park Service. She documented her experiences on Outer Island in a series of letters, recently rediscovered by her brother Neil.
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.
Removing the flower heads before they go to seed is one way to prevent the seeds from forming and slow the spread. That was the task for eight volunteers from Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. They joined the National Park Service on a mission to Long Island on July 24th as part of ongoing efforts to keep the invasive plants in check.
“Friends is honored to be among those organizations included in the National Park Foundation grants for 2026,” said Executive Director Jeff Rennicke. “No place is an island, even the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. We are all stronger together and grants like this only strengthen our ability to work in support of the places we all love.”
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.
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.
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.
“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.
Sip & Support! Join Friends of the Apostle Islands 12-2pm 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. See you Saturday!
