Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore celebrates 51st anniversary with virtual events
From staff reports
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is continuing to celebrate the park’s 50th anniversary with the theme of “51 is the new 50.” The Lakeshore and Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes are holding a virtual celebration on the park’s anniversary, Thursday, Oct. 21. This half-hour long Zoom event will begin at 7 p.m. and is free to the public. Links to this Zoom session can be found on the park’s website events calendar.
The Lakeshore was established by Congress on October 21, 1970. Although the pandemic has thwarted efforts to hold any big, in-person gathering for the 50th anniversary year, these events will be a great opportunity to celebrate this milestone, as well as provide a chance to learn and engage with park rangers, partners, and visitors from the comfort of your own home. Attendees can expect messages from park staff and park partners, unveiling of the name of the park’s new mobile visitor center, and a chance to see the park’s time capsule before it is left untouched for the next 25 years. Visitors to the virtual event will be able to interact with park staff via Zoom’s question and answer function.
Along with the virtual anniversary celebration, the Lakeshore virtually hosted Eric Hemenway, Anishinaabe historian, on Tuesday, October 5. This hour-long Zoom event covered fundamental information about the Native American tribes in Michigan with a focus on the Odawa of Western Michigan. Links to this Zoom sessions can be found on the park’s website events calendar.
For more in-depth information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, please visit Nps.gov/slbe. Also, visit the Lakeshore on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
