Projects Articles

Our Work – Articles about Friends’ projects.

It’s happening at Meyers Beach!

It’s happening at Meyers Beach!

Thanks to the support of people like you, the National Park Service and Friends of the Apostle Islands are proud to announce the awarding of a construction contract for the accessible pathway at Meyers Beach. “As the access point for kayakers heading for the caves and to Meyers Beach, the new accessible walkway will be a kind of bridge to the beauties of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore,” says Jeff Rennicke, Executive Director of Friends. “It is another big and important step in our commitment to the idea that our Lakeshore belongs to all of us.”NPS graphic with diagram of Meyers Beach...

Meyers Beach Project Update:  An open letter from Friends Executive Director Jeff Rennicke

Meyers Beach Project Update: An open letter from Friends Executive Director Jeff Rennicke

Dear Friends: The Board of Directors of Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, in consultation with its staff and the National Park Service, recently voted to delay the planned 2025-2026 construction of the all-accessible walkway at Meyers Beach after contractor bids for construction did not meet expectations. With so many of you playing a part in bringing the project this far, this close to becoming a reality, I wanted to be transparent about the decision, our reasoning, and the path forward to ensuring its eventual completion.Uncertainty over staffing levels and the potential...

Elevating accessibility: Meyers Beach ramp project update

Elevating accessibility: Meyers Beach ramp project update

(National Park Service) Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (APIS) is committed to enhancing accessibility for all visitors. With improvements made annually—including the construction of island boardwalks, restroom upgrades, and accessible campsites—the park has prioritized inclusive access. In 2019, APIS opened a new visitor center and fully accessible outdoor exhibits at Little Sand Bay. Since then, APIS has been collaborating with Friends of the Apostle Islands (FAINL) on their Access For All - Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore initiative. The goal of this program is to...

Wave Watch buoys are live! Watch the deployment video and learn how the buoys can help you stay safe on the water

Wave Watch buoys are live! Watch the deployment video and learn how the buoys can help you stay safe on the water

With light winds, sunshine and mild temperatures, deployment day was nearly perfect. On the morning of May 29th, a team loaded a National Park Service boat with buoys, anchor lines, hardware and high-visibility flags, then set out from Roy's Point for the north end of Long Island - the entrance to Chequamegon Bay. There, they deployed the first solar-powered spotter buoy for the 2024 season, as part of the Wave Watch boater safety project. Watch the video and read on for details.  Click to read video transcript (Adobe Acrobat PDF reader required)The Wave Watch buoy deployed at Long...

Meyers Beach Project Update:  An open letter from Friends Executive Director Jeff Rennicke

Access for All project funding secured, construction of Meyers Beach ramp planned for 2025

Friends Executive Director Jeff Rennicke announced today, June 4, 2024, that the full funding for our Access for All project has been secured. “The $325,000 you helped Friends raise has been matched by $350,000 through the National Park Foundation, corporate sponsors and other sources to make it possible to move forward on the landmark Meyers Beach ramp project,” Rennicke said in making the announcement.Planning and securing bids from contractors will begin in 2024 with ground-breaking to take place in spring of 2025. “We are on our way. This is a huge moment for those who believe national...

Stories that capture the wonder and the possibilities of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are most-read in 2023

Stories that capture the wonder and the possibilities of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are most-read in 2023

As we raise a glass to embrace the new year, we look back fondly on the momentus year that was 2023 for Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and for the park we love. Thanks to your support, hard work by a growing team of passionate volunteers and by the Friends leadership team, we have a lot to celebrate. With your support we helped more people discover the islands, learn about them, and work to protect them than ever before. We set a record for membership, did more outreach trips, more programs, and successfully completed the largest initiative in our organization’s history:...

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...

52 candles – celebrating Founders Day in the Apostle Islands

52 candles – celebrating Founders Day in the Apostle Islands

September 26th marks 52 years for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and kicks off a new commitment for FriendsIt was September 26, 1970. After years of meetings, negotiations, revisions, and debate, there finally came these words: “for the benefit, inspiration, education, recreational use, and enjoyment of the public … there is hereby established the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.” With those words, Public Law 91-424 officially established the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a place that preserves beauty, adventure, and offers reconnection to nature. The twenty-one islands and...

Dave Cooper awarded John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in NPS Archeology

Dave Cooper awarded John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in NPS Archeology

(NPS News Release) Join us in congratulating David J. Cooper, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Archeologist and Cultural Resource Manager, in being awarded the John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in NPS Archeology for Professional Achievement. “Dave Cooper’s work shows the impact one person can have not only within a park, but across a whole landscape,” said Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Superintendent Lynne Dominy. “Dave has spent his lifetime protecting the historical and cultural resources on and around Lake Superior. From portages to fish camps to lighthouses and shipwrecks, Dave...

State Leader Hears from Friends and National Park Service About Accessibility Projects

State Leader Hears from Friends and National Park Service About Accessibility Projects

Coastal management and accessibility projects were on the agenda, as Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore participated in discussions with Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld. The Secretary met on June 29th with representatives from the Ashland, Bayfield and Red Cliff communities in Northwest Wisconsin, as well as six organizations and community groups providing housing, coastal management and conservation services in Ashland and Bayfield counties. In Bayfield, the Secretary met with City of Bayfield staff, former Bayfield mayor and...