For members of an active company in Northern Michigan, Short’s staffers don’t need Good Morning America to tell them to head over to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. A playground of hiking, kayaking, cross-country skiing, and trail running, the Lakeshore is an international gem with whom we feel so lucky to share a region. And for the protection and preservation of the park, we look to the subject of this next installment of Friends of Short’s: it’s Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes!
Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes was formed in 1994 as a non-profit with a mission of “Protecting resources and heightening visitor experiences in partnership with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.” They’ve now grown to a network of over 700 annual volunteers working on projects from trail maintenance, adapt-a-beach initiatives, and educational programs.
Short’s employees hold a particularly special place in their hearts for kayaking and that’s where their relationship with Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes blossomed. When a couple staffers caught wind of the proposed Bay to Bay Water Trail, they jumped at the opportunity to contribute. So, after some great direction by Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes Chairman of the Board Kerry Kelly on what would be beneficial from a scouting trip, an Epic Paddle was planned.
Three Short’s staffers and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Chief Ranger Phil Akers set out to paddle from Point Betsie all the way north to Good Harbor over two days. They were looking for easy access points for camping, locations for potential signage, and general observations about how the water trail could be most effective. A couple days on the water was just another reminder of how fortunate we are to live and work in Northern Michigan.
We lift a pint to Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes for 20 years of incredible service to our region, and to another 20 more!
