Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Privacy Policy

At Friends of the Apostle Islands, your privacy matters to us. Whether you are donating, asking a question, joining our mailing list, or signing up for an event, Friends works to honor and respect your privacy.

Personally Identifiable Information: Friends of the Apostle Islands receives your specific data only when you provide that information voluntarily through filling out a form to be added to our mailing lists, donating, signing up to volunteer, or requesting more information from us. We promise you that this information will be used only to fulfill your specific request, to keep you informed about Friends projects and events, or to make you aware of important information regarding the islands or our organization.

Friends will never sell or trade your personal information to any other company, organization, or government agency.

Donation Information: Your generous donations to our organization are vital to our success. Because we honor your donation, we often recognize gifts in such places as our Annual Report using only your name and the general category of the gift. No contact information is released through our Annual Report. You have the right to opt out of such recognition by simply requesting that your donation and your name not be made public.

Your information is collected in our database for internal use only so that we may keep you informed of such things as upcoming events, fundraising opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and special projects. Friends will never sell or trade your personal information to any other company, organization, or government agency.

Please note that with respect to on-line donations made via credit card, we receive only the name of the donor, their address (if provided), the amount of the donation and the purpose for which it was made. No credit card information, i.e., the name on the card, the number, expiration date, issuing company, etc., is provided to us. Such information is strictly a matter between the donor and our processing agent, PayPal.

Non-personal (Generic) Information: Friends of the Apostle Islands does gather some generic, non-personal information automatically from users of our website. This generic information does not reveal the identity of the visitor. It usually includes information about the number and frequency of visitors to our website, which web pages were visited, and the type of browser used to reach the site. Friends gathers this information for the limited purpose of monitoring website traffic, page usage, and determining customer service and website improvements.

Exceptions and Limitations: Notwithstanding the foregoing and in compliance with applicable laws, Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (i) cooperates fully with state, local, and federal officials in any investigation relating to any content (including personal or private electronic communications transmitted to Friends) or purported unlawful activities of any user of the website, and (ii) takes reasonable measures to protect its proprietary rights. For the limited purposes of accomplishing such cooperation and measures and in compliance with applicable laws, Friends could be required to disclose personally identifiable information.

Because of our privacy policy, we hope you can enjoy our website, sign up for our newsletter, join our organization, shop, and make donations with confidence that Friends of the Apostle Islands respects and honors your privacy to the fullest extent possible. We are glad that you are here and care about the islands. We will do all we can to make your online experience safe, enjoyable, and private.

This policy may change from time to time without notice, so please check back periodically to review this information.

Your Friends at Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Restoration of historic dock completed at Little Sand Bay

Dec 13, 2022 | History, News, Places

The fabled gales of November couldn't stop reconstruction of the historic Hokenson Brothers Fishery dock at Little Sand Bay in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Battered by storms for decades, the dock and related buildings are listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places and are the focus of a $1.4 million preservation and restoration effort by the National Park Service.This summer, construction crews from Pearl Beach Construction Company of Michigan used heavy equipment and a barge to rebuild the dock as historically accurately as possible, using wooden pilings and...

Advanced technology science mission to study Lake Superior fish launches in Ashland

Aug 9, 2022 | News, Science

Blue skies and a stiff breeze marked the launch ceremony for an advanced technology mission designed to improve the accuracy of fish population measurement in the Apostle Islands and beyond. That breeze will be important, as the wind is what will power two uncrewed sailboat-like drones as they sail predetermined patterns across Lake Superior with solar-powered hydroacoustic equipment and nearly two dozen other scientific instruments onboard. The US Geological Survey (USGS) and and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission invited dignitaries and journalists to the launch event on the dock next to...

New mission details: unmanned research vessels Llaunch in Ashland on Tuesday

Aug 8, 2022 | Science

Two bright orange, solar-powered sailing vessels will launch from Ashland this week on a mission to study the changing fish populations in the Apostle Islands and across Lake Superior. One goal is to better track the sustainability of lake trout populations, by gathering more precise data about the prey fish the trout eat.Saildrones being assembled at the Great Lakes Science Center Ashland Biological Station dock – Dave Olson photoThe US Geological Survey (USGS) says the month-long fisheries science mission will involve two uncrewed saildrones from Saildrone, Inc., and two two long-range...

Unmanned Sailing Vessels to Study Fish Populations in the Apostle Islands

Aug 3, 2022 | Science

They might be the strangest looking sailboats that you’ve ever seen navigating the Apostles, but later this month, two bright orange saildrones, with no sailors onboard, will be traversing Lake Superior, collecting data about fish populations. Two 23-foot-long Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) are scheduled to launch from Ashland on August 8th, as part of a research project by the US Geological Survey (USGS). These scientific sailboats operate on wind power and solar power. They will use acoustic, or sound technology to gather fish distribution and density data around-the-clock, near Madeline...

Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle Islands

Apr 1, 2021 | Events, Evergreen Content, Features, Our Work, Resource Symposium Day 1, Science

Fish are an important part of the local culture and fisheries management has faced many challenges over the past 50+ years. Declines in fisheries due to invasive species and over-harvest began in the 1950’s and by the formation of the Apostle Island National Lakeshore in 1970 the fish populations were at historic lows. Fisheries management successfully focused on Lake Trout restoration goals thorough cooperative management of all users in Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior. Current management is focused on monitoring and setting safe harvest limits for fisheries through fisheries management...

A Retrospective – Research and Resource Management at Apostle Islands NL

Apr 1, 2021 | Discover the Park, Events, Evergreen Content, Features, Resource Symposium Day 1, Science, Wildlife

The Apostle Islands are a homeland, a place of adventure, solace and beauty, afascinating natural laboratory, habitat for diverse plant and animal communities, a refuge for those that are rare, and a place of national significance. Over time there have been many who have worked tirelessly and passionately to learn, understand, and uncover secrets of this “special collection of islands.” During this presentation, I will provide an overview of the history of natural resource management and research at the national lakeshore over the past 5 decades – highlighting changing issues and needs; the...

“Friends” groups are a collective force for water and land protection

Mar 11, 2021 | Discover the Park, Our Work, Places, Science, Video

Your Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore participated in Wisconsin Water Week, a weeklong celebration and study of all things water in our state. This virtual event highlighted innovative ways that groups devoted to protecting the state's most important resource are advancing their work in the face of unprecedented challenges. Erica Peterson Friends of the Apostle Islands Board Chair Erica Peterson was an invited guest on a panel discussing the importance of “Friends” groups in the Wisconsin Lake Superior region. Peterson joined Mike Koutnik from the Lake Superior Reserve in...

Lakeshore Logbook – Larry Johnson

Feb 17, 2021 | Discover the Park, Evergreen Content, Features, History, Lakeshore Logbook, Our Work, Park Info, Wildlife

As part of our 50th Anniversary celebration, we are collecting and sharing the stories of people connected to the islands, whether they are park guests, former residents or former park employees. This is the second in our series called “Lakeshore Logbook,” a collection of memories provided by former National Park Service employees. Living and working in the park on a day to day basis, they’ve experienced a lot to be sure. We hope you enjoy their perspectives. After 37 years with the National Park Service, Larry Johnson retired as the Superintendent of Ozark National Scenic Riverways in...

Where in the park is Neil? The week 18 answer is South Twin Island

Aug 20, 2020 | Discover the Park, Evergreen Content, Features, History, Island Stories, Our Work, Park Info, Places, Science

As part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, we’re going on a virtual tour with Neil Howk, a man who has spent decades exploring the islands and teaching people about what makes them special. He knows the islands like the back of his hand. Beaches tend to be some of the most heavily used areas in the Apostle Islands. The fragile vegetation on these sandscapes cannot survive frequent trampling. Today Neil is taking a close look at efforts to help revegetate the sandscape on this island. At the eighteenth stop on our digital tour, Neil is on...

Where in the park is Neil? The week 12 answer is Manitou Island

Jul 9, 2020 | Activities, Discover the Park, Evergreen Content, Features, History, Island Stories, Park Info, Science, Where's Neil

As part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, we’re going on a virtual tour with Neil Howk, a man who has spent decades exploring the islands and teaching people about what makes them special. He knows the islands like the back of his hand. At the twelfth stop on our digital tour, Neil is on Manitou Island, at 46.9640° N, 90.6594° W. This island is near the center of the archipelago. Beginning in the late 1800s, commercial fishermen built fishing camps on most of the Apostle Islands so they could live closer to locations where they set their...

Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Privacy Policy

Fisheries Articles

Restoration of historic dock completed at Little Sand Bay

Advanced technology science mission to study Lake Superior fish launches in Ashland

New mission details: unmanned research vessels Llaunch in Ashland on Tuesday

Unmanned Sailing Vessels to Study Fish Populations in the Apostle Islands

Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle Islands

A Retrospective – Research and Resource Management at Apostle Islands NL

“Friends” groups are a collective force for water and land protection

Lakeshore Logbook – Larry Johnson

Where in the park is Neil? The week 18 answer is South Twin Island

Where in the park is Neil? The week 12 answer is Manitou Island

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