Meet Bear Force One!The mobile visitor center, nicknamed Bear Force One, was designed to help reach a new audience of visitors. Park rangers can reach visitors that do not usually have the chance to visit the National Lakeshore in person. The mobile visitor center is a way to bring a little bit of the park and the National Park Service to folks in communities and urban areas across the state and beyond. The vehicle will serve as a mobile contact station at outreach events throughout Michigan. Park staff worked closely with Montage Marketing Group to design, fabricate, and deliver the converted Ram Promaster 3500 van. Montage is a metro-DC company with experience supporting federal and commercial customers with outreach and community engagement through experiential marketing. Park staff look forward to using this great tool to serve park visitors and people elsewhere in Michigan and neighboring states. It will allow staff to help new audiences learn about the park, build their excitement to perhaps visit someday, and to understand that it is all within their reach. Sleeping Bear Dunes is unlike any other area; it encompasses so much through its spectacular scenery, amazing geological and biological resources, and rich maritime, agricultural, and indigenous history. The mobile visitor center is designed to reflect that richness through both visual appeal and engagement opportunities. If you spot the new visitor center out in the wild, please snap a photograph and share it using the hashtag #BearForceOne. If you would like us to visit you on location or at a specific event, please contact us at slbe_education@nps.gov. |
Last updated: October 22, 2021