Date: June 29, 2007
Contact: Lisa Myers, 231-326-5134
Would you like to know more about the shipwrecks, coyotes, birds, trails, stars or the history of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore? National Park Service Rangers are offering a variety of interpretive programs throughout the Lakeshore this summer and they invite everyone to join them. Every day, visitors to the National Lakeshore will have several options.
July’s schedule includes the always-popular “Heroes of the Storm” program every day at 3:00 p.m. at the Maritime Museum in Glen Haven. Rangers recruit the assistance of young audience members to serve as US Life Saving Service surfmen to recreate a shipwreck rescue on land! They haul lines and use replicas of historic equipment in an effort to save Raggedy Ann and Andy from their sinking vessel. Every Thursday, immediately following “Heroes”, Park Volunteers and staff fire a blackpowder-fueled Lyle Gun – the only cannon ever invented to save lives!
Each evening, there are two programs from which to choose. At the Platte River Campground Amphitheater, Rangers teach you to identify animals by tracks and scat, amaze you with facts about migratory birds, explain how the dunes were formed, identify constellations of the night sky, and share stories and legends of the area. You do not have to be staying at the campground to attend the evening programs. Starting time is at 8:00 p.m.
If you prefer to be in the Leelanau district, the rangers will give some programs in the DH Day Campground Amphitheater, but will also offer a walking tour of Glen Haven, a beach rock talk at Glen Haven and a driving tour to historic log cabins in Port Oneida.
“Saturdays at the Lakeshore” in July will focus on beavers and their habitat. Every Saturday -at 1:00 p.m., a Park Ranger will gather a group at the Visitor Center in Empire to receive an introduction to the industrious mammal and then, all will drive to a designated location and take a short walk to a beaver pond.
Interpretive programs are free and suitable for all ages. No reservations are needed, and participants need only purchase the park entrance pass to join in the fun ($10/vehicle valid for seven days or $20/vehicle for an entire year). For more information about the schedule or other Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore activities, please call the Visitor Center at 231-326-5134.
