Donor Stories Articles

Support Us – Stories from people who have made donations to Friends.

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...

Reaching for the stars: Bayfield gallery sponsors Starry Skies Initiative

Reaching for the stars: Bayfield gallery sponsors Starry Skies Initiative

For Dale and Mary Whittaker, the inspiration to become major sponsors of our Starry Skies Initiative came from above, literally.“We lived for seven years in a small cabin on Madeline Island,” they said recently. “Most nights were silent except for wind, water, and wildlife — and above us, a sky full of stars. Those dark, quiet nights kept us grounded, reminded us of our place in a much bigger story and sparked so much of our creativity. Preserving the night sky is both a conservation effort and a creative one — it protects a source of awe that humans have looked to for inspiration for...

The art of aurora: Local artist inspired by the northern lights

The art of aurora: Local artist inspired by the northern lights

We all know that keeping our skies dark can be important to migrating birds and to scientists who study the stars. But, looking up at the night skies over the Apostle Islands can also be an inspiration to artists like Lissa Flemming of Silverwaves Jewelry. “I stepped out and looked up into the velvet inky sky as pink tourmaline, blue topaz and emeralds danced around a diamond dusted night,” she says of a recent night spent stargazing. “Orion winked as I gazed into an unpolluted and pristine night where the Milky Way formed a hazy arch.”Inspired by that beauty, Flemming created a work of art...

Friends cruise guests experience the magic of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Friends cruise guests experience the magic of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

It was a magical night for guests on the sold-out Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore cruise. Magical because Canadian wildfire smoke that had shrouded northern Wisconsin for weeks disappeared just in time. Magical because nearly glass-calm conditions made it easy to dine on catered delicacies and home-made treats. Magical because many guests were able to cool off by wading in the clear waters of Julian Bay, then cap off the evening with a beautiful sunset. And magical because a shared love of the Lakeshore brought all of these like-minded people together for an evening of fun...

Friends wins $10,000 grant from 100 Who Care of Ashland and Bayfield Counties

Friends wins $10,000 grant from 100 Who Care of Ashland and Bayfield Counties

Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is honored to receive $10,000 from the local civic group, 100 Who Care of Ashland and Bayfield Counties. Group members chose to support Friends following a presentation by our Executive Director Jeff Rennicke. He outlined how we would put $10,000 to good use, enhancing boater safety with the Wave Watch program, bringing history to life with our lighthouse gardening volunteers, offering scholarships for individuals with accessibility needs through our new Access Opportunity initiative, and inspiring the next generation of Lakeshore lovers...

Business Member Spotlight: It’s in the water with AquaMedix

Business Member Spotlight: It’s in the water with AquaMedix

For Will Benson of AquaMedix, the Apostle Islands cast a deep net into the waters of family history. “My great-grandfather Karl Bernstein was an early commercial fisherman on Rocky Island from the early 1900’s until his death in 1945,” Benson says. “Many of the buildings he used for that operation are now a part of the Rocky Island Historic District. Several members of the Benson family and I still come up to preserve the site and to enjoy the islands.”For several years now, Benson has been involved in the work of the Apostle Islands Historical Preservation Conservancy. Now, the...

Business Member Spotlight: Island City Kombucha & Friends are a batch made in heaven

Business Member Spotlight: Island City Kombucha & Friends are a batch made in heaven

They had us at that label. One look at the branding of their Elderberry Wellness – the familiar Sand Island Lighthouse perched on the edge of Lake Superior -- and we knew that Friends and our newest Business Member, Island City Kombucha, were a perfect match. So did Samantha Haertle, co-owner of Island City Kombucha. “I’d been wanting to find programs and initiatives that aligned with our company’s values,” Haertle says, “and so when Instagram pushed forward one of your posts I went on your website and knew immediately that this was perfect. And then you guys made it so easy to join and have...

Bodin Fisheries honors Friends with unexpected catch

Bodin Fisheries honors Friends with unexpected catch

The Bodin family knows a thing or two about fishing on Lake Superior. Nils Adolf Bodin immigrated from Sweden in the late 1800s, marrying Elizabeth Johansson. Together, they had six children and began the family fishing legacy that continues to this day.Lake Superior fishing tug - Jeff Rennicke photoRunning a successful fishing business takes both an understanding of and appreciation for the ways of the lake. So, when Bill Bodin recently received an unexpected opportunity to pick a local nonprofit to receive a donation, he immediately thought of Wave Watch and Friends of the Apostle...

20 years of helping people to help the park: Friends celebrates million dollar milestone

20 years of helping people to help the park: Friends celebrates million dollar milestone

The year was 2004. Swimmer Michael Phelps won his first gold medals in the Athens Olympics. Martha Stewart went to prison for insider trading. Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook in his Harvard dorm room. The Boston Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years. And NASA's Spirit rover landed on Mars. 2004 was also the year a small group of visionary leaders founded Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore to support the park we love. And fittingly, it was the year when the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness was established on the islands to honor the Wisconsin Senator's vital role in...

Friends of the Apostle Islands and you: the art of making a difference

Friends of the Apostle Islands and you: the art of making a difference

A letter from our Executive DirectorsDear Friend, With so many good causes out there this time of the year, how do you decide which organizations to support? Well, making a difference is an art. As you plan your charitable gift-giving this holiday season, we hope you will consider:Giving to support the a place you love: the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is one of only three national lakeshores in the country, “a unique collection of islands” according to Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day and sponsor of the 1970 legislation to create the national lakeshore.Giving to a group that...