#MyParkStory Volunteer Marvin Ivy

Thank you Marvin Ivy for volunteering with the Sleeping Bear Dunes barn restoration project! Each year, park staff choose a barn, shed, or outbuilding and hold a multi-day restoration workshop. These workshops give volunteers a hands-on opportunity to learn and practice historic construction skills. The program, running since 1997, has restored countless buildings that needed attention.

Marvin says, "I worked as a police officer 40 years in Texas with 26 and a half as police chief in several small towns. I am a public servant at heart and the Sleeping Bear is a jewel. There is never enough money to maintain all the old barns and our efforts make a difference in what our grandkids will be able to see someday. I enjoy working with experienced carpenters and helpers alike. Good people having fun and making a difference."

To learn more or to volunteer, visit Barn Workshop - Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear (phsb.org)