Full Article Listing

All articles published by Friends of the Apostle Islands can be found on this page. Scroll through the articles below or use the Search, Topic or Date options to narrow the focus.

Shop the Friends December sale for holiday gifts

Shop the Friends December sale for holiday gifts

Shop our December sale! Enjoy the discount and order before December 15th for the best chance of arrival before Christmas. Wear your official Friends hat. Drink a holiday toast to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in a Friends mug. Plan for your next paddling adventure in the islands by reading a signed edition of Apostle Islands Water Trips - An Explorer's Guide. Or sit back and admire Jewels on the Water: Lake Superior's Apostle Islands. We're offering these wonderful gifts at a discount for the month of December. Order early to ensure that your gifts arrive in time for Christmas. Shop now. 

read more
How you can support the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Giving Tuesday 2023

How you can support the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Giving Tuesday 2023

Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. And this year, we hope to inspire you to support the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, through Friends of the Apostle Islands. Earlear this year, thanks to a growing number of supporters, Friends reached its goal of raising $325,000 to improve accessibility in the park -- funding for an accessible ramp at Meyers Beach, the gateway to the mainland sea caves. On this Giving Tuesday, we want you to know that we're very grateful for the success of Access for All. And we're energized about doing even...

read more
NPS craftsman Dave Brunsvold hangs up his tool belt

NPS craftsman Dave Brunsvold hangs up his tool belt

The rich history of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore lives on through the historic buildings and artifacts you'll discover throughout the park. The man you are about to meet is one of the talented craftspeople dedicated to restoring, preserving and presenting these treasures to teach and inspire generations of park visitors. Dave Brunsvold devoted 23 years to that effort, before transitioning into retirement on October 19, 2023. Friends board member Neil Howk sat down Dave, saying it's important to give him a tiny bit of the recognition he deserves for the marvelous work that he did.Neil: Dave, where are you from?Dave: I’m from north central Iowa, raised on a farm. There was a town of 800 a mile and a quarter away, but the big town...

read more
Northern lights celebrated during 6th annual Aurora Summit at Red Cliff

Northern lights celebrated during 6th annual Aurora Summit at Red Cliff

The weekend of November 3-5th saw one of North America’s largest displays of aurora borealis (northern lights) this year, visible as far south as Colorado. While clouds obscured the display in the Apostle Islands, even cloudy skies could not dampen the enthusiasm of the several hundred skywatchers gathered at the Legendary Waters Resort in Red Cliff for Aurora Summit 23.“The Aurora Chasers knocked it out of this world over the weekend at Aurora Summit 23,” said Melissa Kaelin, co-founder of the Aurora Summit, and author of Below the 45th Parallel: The Beginners Guide to Chasing the Aurora in the Great Lakes Region. “The speakers were inspiring, the venue was beautiful, and the sense of community was amazing.”Aurora Summit Presentations at...

read more
You did it! Access for All campaign goal reached for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

You did it! Access for All campaign goal reached for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

One more stroke of the paddle and the bow touches the shore. You did it. The long journey is complete. With your help, Friends of the Apostle Islands has reached its fundraising goal of $325,000 for its Access for All initiative. “It takes all of us to make a difference,” Friends Executive Director Jeff Rennicke said in announcing the achievement, “and with the help of nearly 200 individual donors and more than a dozen caring, supportive corporate sponsors, we did it together.” The Access for All campaign is to date the largest effort of its kind in the history of Friends of the Apostle Islands, the official philanthropic partner of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The 18-month-long campaign raised funds for, and awareness of,...

read more
In search of the sandiest place in the park

In search of the sandiest place in the park

You might say that sand is an important part of the Apostle Islands and one of the reasons why people come to visit them. The islands have a foundation of sandstone that is nearly a billion years old. Island shorelines feature a variety of spectacular sandy beaches. The Devils Island Sandstone produces the area’s signature sea caves. Julian Bay beach on Stockton Island is known for the “singing sand” that squeaks when you walk on it. A 2004 visitor survey revealed that walking on the beach was the second most popular activity for park visitors, second only to sightseeing. Sixty-six percent of visitors said they walked on a beach during their time in the park.Mouth of the Sand River - click photos to enlargeOf all the incredible sandy...

read more
Meet the new Apostle Islands National Lakeshore division chief: Lucas Westcott

Meet the new Apostle Islands National Lakeshore division chief: Lucas Westcott

It takes a strong team to protect the natural and cultural resources of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, while enhancing the experience for more than a quarter-million people who visit the park every year. With that in mind, Friends board member Neil Howk sat down with the park's new Director of Communications and Education, Lucas Westcott. They talked about the skills and experience Westcott brings to the park, his first impressions about what makes the Apostle Islands a special place and about the important work that's ahead.Neil: Where are you from Lucas?Lucas: Originally, I’m from western Massachusetts and eastern New York. The Berkshires in western Massachusetts. We lived in western Massachusetts until I was about 10 and then...

read more
“For a couple hours I didn’t see another person… and yet, I was not alone”

“For a couple hours I didn’t see another person… and yet, I was not alone”

Exploring the many unnamed beaches in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore during the shoulder seasons can be a time for solitude, reflection and discovery. Take a walk on a mainland beach with former National Park Service ranger Neil Howk. Click on the photos to enlarge them if you want a closer look. Earlier this week I bushwhacked out to a remote stretch of beach west of Big Sand Bay to take in the scenery, have a nice picnic, and enjoy a little solitude. I was successful on all counts. The day was cool and overcast, and though the clouds were a bit threatening, it never rained. There was a slight breeze, enough to be refreshing but not enough to cut through my jacket. Fall colors were near their peak. The lack of direct sunshine...

read more
DOUBLE your impact during the Access for All Matching Grant Challenge!

DOUBLE your impact during the Access for All Matching Grant Challenge!

Double is better: If you give right now to the Access for All initiative of Friends of the Apostle Islands, your impact will be doubled by the Matching Grant Challenge offered through the support of the Black Spruce Fund. Double your efforts to create access to the beauty and adventure of the Apostle Islands. Double your efforts to help the one-in-five Americans with mobility concerns, vision, hearing, even cognitive issues that make a national park adventure difficult without your help. Double your donation today with the Matching Challenge Grant and double the difference you can make, for all. Thanks to generous donors, our Access for All campaign has reached nearly 95% of the goal. Money raised will be used to help fund an accessible...

read more
Kwik Trip supports Access for All with generous contribution

Kwik Trip supports Access for All with generous contribution

Friends of the Apostle Islands recently received major new support for its Access for All initiative through a partnership with Kwik Trip. “Kwik Trip is very proud to be a corporate sponsor of the Friends of the Apostle Islands and specifically the Access for All Initiative,” says John McHugh, Kwik Trip’s Vice President of External Relations. McHugh saw firsthand the progress made so far in making the park more accessible to people of all abilities during an accessibility tour of Stockton Island this summer.Friends Executive Director Jeff Rennicke discusses accessibility goals with John McHughAccess for All supporters on an educational tour of Stockton Island this summer“The Apostle Islands are a national treasure and anything we can do...

read more