Sleeping Bear Dunes (Photo by Cindy Ratowski)

The National Park numbers are in for the summer season, but 2011 did not break the record for the most visitors. Park officials say that 2011 may be the second-busiest on record, as reported in the LeelanauNews.com article “Bullish Numbers at Bear Park.”

According to the article, the numbers are still coming in and Sleeping Bear Dunes has not reached “second-busiest year” status yet, but it is close. The year-to-date visitor count is 1,217,715 through the end of September, which is up 4.3 percent over 2010. The count is not close to the 1999 record of 1,364,834 visitors. The second-busiest year on record was 1988 when 1,317,530 came to visit the majestic dunes. There is a chance for beating the 1988 record this year.

Even with overall visitor numbers not breaking records, Deputy Superintendent Tom Ulrich says the number of visitors at the visitors center in Empire were up 61 percent from 2010. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and the Dune Climb also saw increases over last year of 67.5 percent.

Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau reports the number of website visitors is also up from 2010. Early in the year the number of website visitors was only slightly higher in 2011, but then the numbers of visitors jumped 19% for May, June and July. The big spike came in August when there was an over 300% increase. September 2011 numbers are up 175% over 2010.

Leelanau County merchants are reporting a good fall season as well. Sally Guzowkoski, the president of the Leelanau Chamber of Commerce, says that traffic is up all over Leelanau County during the midweek as well as on the weekends. She is surpassed by the number of people coming in to the office midweek.

The exceptional numbers are attributed to the fabulously warm, dry and colorful fall season as well as the press the dunes received from ABC Good Morning America’s “Most Beautiful Place in America” win, the “Dr. Beach #1 rating for the Best Great Lakes Beach,” and the Food Network star Chef Mario Batali’s ABC News segment “Mario Batali on the Wonders of Sleeping Bear.”

Blog by Ileana Habsburg-Snyder

Official Press Release from Leelanau Peninsula Vinter’s Association

(LEELANAU PENINSULA, Michigan) – In what has become a Northwest Michigan holiday tradition, the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association will hold the 2011 Toast the Season wine tour. Once again, two consecutive weekends of tasting and touring will be offered, November 5 & 6 or November 12 & 13. The self-guided tour includes a gift bag featuring local food items, and you may visit up to 8 wineries each day in any order you choose between the hours of 11am to 5pm Saturday, or noon to 5pm Sunday.

“Toast the Season is lots of fun, giving you a chance to experience the Leelanau wine trail, enjoy a great gift bag, taste some great wine and sample our food pairings,” explains Lucie Matthias of Chateau Fontaine. “It’s also a good time to get a start on your holiday shopping in our tasting rooms and at all the unique shops & stores in Leelanau’s villages. Deer hunting season starts on November 15th this year, and we see a lot of ‘deer widows’ too, who are looking for something fun to do while their husbands are away at deer camp!”

The tour features a special wine & food pairing at each of the 19 Leelanau Peninsula member wineries. At your starting winery you will be given a commemorative glass, an LPVA holiday ornament, a souvenir wine key and a holiday gift bag featuring local food including fair trade coffee from Higher Grounds Trading Company of Traverse City, cocoa-coated chocolate covered almonds from Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate in Empire, and (of course) Michigan cherries from Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor!

Tickets are available online at www.lpwines.com/toast along with Toast the Season packages from a number of local lodging partners.

Food Pairings

Below are a few of the tantalizing wine & food pairings!

• Chateau de Leelanau will be serving the “World Famous Willies Chili” with Solem Farm Red.
• L.Mawby will offer Nature’s Treat dried apples slices with Black Diamond aged white cheddar, paired with the L. Mawby Consort.
• Ciccone Vinyards will feature an Italian Bruschetta with fresh ingredients straight from the garden paired with their 2009 Cabernet Franc.
• Willow Vinyards will be serving up some naughty French Vanilla Pumpkin Squares with Caramel topping, paired with their Semi Sweet Gris.
• Cherry Republic will pair a Gorgonzola, Pecan and Cherry Fondue using their delicious Cherry Bread and with their Great Hall Riesling.
• Verterra is offering different food pairings with their Pinot Gris for each weekend: 1st weekend will be Char-Grilled Pizzetta with sun-dried tomato, fresh spinach, garlic, feta & mozzarella and the 2nd weekend will feature Santa Fe Sweet Corn Chowder.
• Forty-Five North will be serving up carnitas tacos paired with their new 2010 Dry Riesling.

Tickets

Tickets for Toast the Season are $50 per person or $75 per couple (couple ticket holders receive two glasses, pours and food at each winery, but only one gift bag and ornament). Tickets are available online at http://www.lpwines.com/toast/.

The LPVA encourages using a designated driver or local transportation services when touring its wineries. Visit www.lpwines.com for more information including lodging packages at many great area hotels, B&Bs and resorts!

Official Press Release of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

October 6, 2011

Sleeping Bear Dunes Confirms Type E Botulism in Recent Bird Die-off and Expects More This Fall

Four gull carcasses collected from beaches in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) have tested positive for type E botulism toxin (avian botulism). Type E botulism is a powerful neurotoxin that has been linked to large bird die-offs throughout several areas of the Great Lakes in past years. More than 200 birds have already been found dead on National Lakeshore beaches this summer, and based on trends from recent years, that number is expected to increase this fall.

Avian botulism is a paralytic, often fatal disease of birds that results when they ingest toxin produced by the native Clostridium botulinum type E; an anaerobic bacterium found in nutrient-rich lake bottoms. The bacterium spores rest in the gills and digestive tracts of fish living in many North American lakes. The spores can remain viable for years and are harmless until the correct environmental conditions prompt them to germinate. Type E botulism occurs only when the spores germinate and the bacteria multiply and produce toxin. Changes in the Great Lakes ecosystem have increased the growth of the botulism bacterium, which has led to an increase in birds poisoned by eating toxin-tainted fish or invertebrates.

The National Lakeshore is conducting a study of avian botulism to determine whether any steps can be taken to control outbreaks. Dead birds and fish are identified, counted, and collected for analysis. Dedicated National Lakeshore volunteers have helped discover that die-offs begin in the heat of the summer and reach their peak during the fall bird migrations. It is believed that the large flocks of migrating birds ingest the toxin in offshore waters, where it has been accumulating throughout the summer, resulting in the fall die-offs. These are usually detected when strong autumn storms blow the dead birds to shore. At this time last year, nearly 300 birds had been found dead, and then from early October to mid-November, another 385 birds washed ashore.

In addition to actively monitoring the shoreline for sick and dead birds, the park is collaborating with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the University of Michigan, and Northwestern Michigan College’s Water Studies Institute, to conduct studies in the Lake Michigan nearshore environment to better understand the mechanisms of toxin transmission. Many of these studies are funded through President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to assure that Great Lakes beaches, fish, and sources of public drinking water are safe, and that the ecosystems that fish and wildlife depend upon are healthy.

Lake Michigan beaches within the National Lakeshore remain safe for swimming and recreation, however, park visitors should exercise caution upon encountering bird or fish carcasses. Type E botulism is not an infectious disease. It is a poison. You must ingest the toxin, usually by eating an undercooked infected fish or animal, to become ill. You are not at risk for contracting botulism by swimming in Lake Michigan. Visitors bringing pets to the park should keep them leashed and away from dead animals on the beach. Pets may be poisoned if they eat dead birds or fish containing botulism.

For more information, please call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe. Also, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.

Official Press Release of the Environmental Protection Agency

Traverse City, Michigan – October 6, 2011

EPA Provides Over $1.1 Million for Sleeping Bear Dunes and Grand Traverse Band Watersheds

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced funding for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative projects in Northern Michigan totaling $1.1 million.  The projects will help to restore the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Grand Traverse Band watersheds and put people back to work, using a conservation corps model to hire unemployed workers to improve habitat and clean up shoreline.

The National Park Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs projects were selected from 44 proposals totaling almost $25 million, which were submitted in response to a $6 million challenge that EPA issued in August to encourage federal agencies to sign up unemployed workers to implement restoration projects in federally-protected areas, on tribal lands and in Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin.  To qualify for funding, each project is required to provide jobs for at least 20 unemployed people.

“The tremendous response to EPA’s challenge underscores the large backlog of Great Lakes restoration projects that are ready to be implemented and the strong support that exists for using a conservation corps model to get the job done,” said Susan Hedman, EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager, today at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. “This week, EPA is announcing a total of eight restoration projects worth $6.6 million as part of this challenge.  Each project will produce immediate, direct ecological benefits and will help to put unemployed people back to work.”

The National Park Service will receive $891,225 to expand wetland restoration work in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  The Bureau of Indian Affairs will receive $255,365 to work with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians on watershed restoration – part of $876,810 awarded to BIA to allow it to expand its work with tribal governments to complete Great Lakes restoration projects in Indian country.  Other tribes that will participate in the project are the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

“The National Park Service is very proud to contribute to this effort,“ said National Park Service Midwest Regional Director Michael T. Reynolds. “Our participation in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has given us a terrific opportunity to do restoration work in all of our Great Lakes national parks that might never have been accomplished otherwise, and on a scale that can really make a difference.  This project at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will not only provide jobs in an area with a high rate of unemployment, but will also accomplish much needed work to restore impacted sites throughout the 71,000 acre park.”

“The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians is very pleased to announce that we have received $255,365 to be utilized over 2 years.  We will be using the award to employ 4-5 individuals for ‘on the ground’ field work,” said Tribal Chair Derek J. Bailey.  “The work crew will be supervised by a Grand Traverse Band/Natural Resources Conservation Service collaboratively funded position.  Work will include removing woody debris, planting grasses and shrubs, river shoreline restoration, and hands on placement of bank stabilization materials.”
Selected projects will advance the goals and objectives of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan, developed by EPA with 15 other federal agencies in 2010.  The action plan, which covers FY 2010 through 2014, ensures accountability by including measures of progress and benchmarks for success over the next three years. It calls for aggressive efforts to address five urgent priority “Focus Areas”:

• Cleaning up toxics and areas of concern.
• Combating invasive species.
• Promoting near-shore health by protecting watersheds from polluted run-off.
• Restoring wetlands and other habitats.
• Tracking progress, education and working with strategic partners.

More information on selected projects is available at http://www.glri.us

Official Press Release of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

October 3, 2011

Fall was traditionally “shipwreck season” on the Great Lakes.  One hundred years ago, surfmen of the U.S. Life-Saving Service (LSS) set out each night to hike the shoreline in search of ships in distress.  The public is invited to relive history and join Park Rangers to recreate a traditional evening beach patrol.  Dress for the weather and meet at the Sleeping Bear Point Life-Saving Service Station/Maritime Museum in Glen Haven at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 8 and/or October 15.

Beach Patrol Surfman with Life-Preserver

Before radio communications were used at sea, ships could not call for help.  Spotting a vessel in distress from the shore was the only way rescue crews knew that their assistance was needed.  The beach patrol was one essential part of an LSS surfman’s duties.  Following a more in-depth explanation of the patrol process and some local shipwreck stories told from inside the station, the public will accompany National Park Service Rangers for a lantern-lit hike along the beach.  There are always a few surprises along the way and everyone should carry a flashlight for safety.  Wind and rain will only make the patrol more authentic, so be ready for any weather!

 Unlike the original surfmen, hikers may turn back at any time during the one-hour, one mile roundtrip beach walk and return to the Maritime Museum.  There, they will be welcomed by a volunteer and find shelter, warmth and a chance to see how the Life-Saving Service surfmen once lived in the restored crew’s quarters.  The entire program lasts about two hours.

For more information, please call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe.  Also, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.

Official Press Release of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

September 30, 2011

Please join Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 8, for the Families United with Nature (FUN) event.  This time, join Park Rangers for a FUN afternoon of exploring the outdoors and create your very own nature book!  Meet at the D. H. Day Campground Log Cabin to take a closer look at nature, make bark and leaf rubbings, and wax paper leaf pressings.  Back at the log cabin, everyone can make a nature book about their adventures.  Be sure to dress for the weather.

FUN is a free outdoor activity club for families of all shapes and sizes that is hosted by the National Lakeshore.  Park Rangers lead programs for families to get outdoors together and try their hand at something new, breathe a little fresh air, and meet other families who enjoy being outside.  FUN meets once a month with additional special events throughout the year.  Some of the FUN activities this year included Winter and Summer Olympics, fishing, and a campfire!  Families do not have to attend all activities; just join in on the FUN whenever you can.

Join the club by attending a FUN event and filling out a membership card.  Members will receive free journals to document their outdoor activities.  FUN activities are free; however, a National Lakeshore Entrance Pass is required for each vehicle.  The Entrance Pass costs $10 and is good for a full week for everyone in the vehicle.  The Annual Park Entrance Pass is only $20 and good for a year from purchase date.  Buy either pass at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire.  Reservations for programs are not required, but are recommended by contacting Park Ranger Sarah Chalup at 231-326-5135, ext. 331, or sarah_chalup@nps.gov.

For more information, please call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe.  Also, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.

Official Press Release from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

September 30, 2011

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) Superintendent Dusty Shultz announced today the availability of the South Manitou Island Boat Dock Extension Environmental Assessment for public review and comment.  The Environmental Assessment describes and analyzes alternative approaches for providing boat dock access to South Manitou Island.

The South Manitou Island boat dock lies in shallow water in an area subject to sediment accumulation.  Eventually, this buildup of sediment forms a sandbar beneath the boat dock that extends out into open water, blocking access to the dock.

The South Manitou Island boat dock, located on the southeast shore of South Manitou Island bay, is the only manageable access point to the island for public visitors and National Park Service staff.  From the dock, visitors have a short walk to the lighthouse, a U.S. Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard Station that now serves as a ranger station, and several historically preserved 19th century farm buildings.  The island’s many trails begin from the dock landing and allow visitors a scenic hike to the high perched dunes overlooking the island’s western shore, a natural inland lake (FlorenceLake), three designated backcountry campgrounds, and numerous other natural features.

Under the “No Action” Alternative, the proposed dock extension would not be constructed.  The existing dock facility would continue to operate.  There would be a continued need for ongoing maintenance dredging to support ferry operations.  This dredging would be conducted as needed and would result in the removal of materials from the dock area and the disposal of such materials in nearshore aquatic habitats.

Under the Preferred Alternative, the existing dock would be extended further into Lake Michigan.  This extension would allow boat access in deeper waters and would minimize or eliminate the need for future maintenance dredging at South Manitou Island.  Construction of this facility is expected to be completed in a three to four week timeframe.  The structure would be constructed out of wood and steel connectors.  Wood pilings would be driven into the lake bottom to form the basis of the structure and would be of a similar type as the existing dock facility.

The National Lakeshore encourages you to comment on the Environmental Assessment until the public comment period closes on November 4, 2011.  The document may be reviewed on the National Lakeshore’s website at www.nps.gov/slbe (just click on the “South Manitou Island Boat Dock Extension EA” icon).  Paper copies are available for review at theNationalLakeshoreVisitorCenter in Empire, the Glen Lake Community Library, Leelanau Township Library, Leland Township Library, and Suttons Bay Bingham District Library.

Please submit your comments electronically through a link on the National Lakeshore’s website.  Alternatively, you may mail comments to:  Superintendent, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore,9922 Front Street, Empire, MI 49630.

The National Lakeshore looks forward to receiving your comments concerning the South Manitou Island Boat Dock Extension Environmental Assessment.  For more information, please contact Facility Manager Lee Jameson at 231-326-5134, ext. 500, or visit the National Lakeshore website at www.nps.gov/slbe/

About the National Park Service:  More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 395 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.  Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Official Press Release from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

September 27, 2011

The National Park Service will burn debris piles this fall at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  About 45 burn piles were produced as non-native Austrian pines were cut during an invasive tree removal and dune restoration project.  Burning these piles will remove the woody material from what used to be a more open beach area, and allow native dune vegetation to again become established.  The restoration area is located in a remote section of dunes about a mile southwest of the mouth of the Platte River.

 To ensure safe, but effective consumption of the piles, they will be burned only under a specific set of weather and fuel conditions, or “prescription.”  In addition to safety, smoke dispersal is a primary concern and wind direction and speed will be monitored to minimize smoke drifting into developed areas and roadways from the remote fire location.  The prescribed fire program at the National Lakeshore is conducted by trained and experienced National Park Service fire personnel.

 Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of 395 units of the National Park System ranging from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty.  More information can be found at http://www.nps.gov/slbe/.

Contact:  Steve Yancho, 231-326-5134, ext. 421, Steve_Yancho@nps.gov

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service:  More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 395 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.  Learn more at www.nps.gov.

By Naturalist Photographer, Mark S. Carlson  

D.H. Day Barns First Autumn Light by Mark S. Carlson

With these cooler nights and bright sunny days my visual brain begins to imagine the colorful photo opportunities that lie just ahead. My favorite Michigan season has always been the one that’s most fleeting – autumn. This mid-October, I’ll once again embark on my annual vision quest with autumn dunes in my viewfinder. If someone were to diagnose my habit as an addiction, I’d probably have to agree. I just can’t resist inciting that rush of adrenalin to course through my veins each time I compose autumn reflections in the lake or the D.H. Day barns in their fall setting. During the Autumn Dunes’ Great Lakes Eco/ Photo Tours Weekend, I have the privilege of leading participants to some of my favorite ‘eye-candy’ spots throughout the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the surrounding area.

White Paper Birch Leaf in River Autumn By Mark S. Carlson

I love to chase the light and train my camera on some of the most spectacular scenery the Great Lake State has to offer. Sometimes, it’s the high dune ridge against an azure sky where golden dune grasses bend and sway, surrendering to relentless winds. Other times, when it’s cloudy, I look for the subtle nuances of autumn, hidden in the open on the forest floor. Such intimate landscape subject matter is often my favorite type of ‘naturalist photography’. It’s always an exciting challenge and a good exercise in composition, allowing my innate visual artist to emerge. Early morning sunny days also yield fantastic autumn dune photo opts. Alongside many of the inland lakes, bull rushes arch against backdrops of blazing color reflections. My heart pounds like the woodpeckers in the distance as I select focus though a reed grass forest looking more like an abstract painting in my viewfinder than a captured image. In the shadows of a stream, more reflections attract my attention as I notice a birch leaf caught on a submerged rock with a current full of color passing over it.

The Little Finger Peninsula has so much to offer anyone with a camera. With an artful eye, it’s easy to take a good photograph in the autumn dunes of Sleeping Bear, however, when you capture a great one, well, that’s when you have a problem …because then you’re addicted.

Mark S. Carlson along with his partner, Robert Grzesiak, are owners of Great Lakes Photo Tours. Mark and Bob treat photo tour participants to some of the most inspiring scenic and natural areas in the Great Lakes region. From digital ‘snap-shooters’ to advanced amateur photo enthusiasts, all will benefit from Mark and Bob’s over 50-years worth of combined experience as professionals in their respective fields. Mark presents a wealth of naturalist information to attendees, as well as many helpful tips & suggestions on how to make better nature photographs, regardless of equipment or skill level. Bob offers his expertise assisting digital photographers with their camera and accessories, allowing them the opportunity to create cherished photographs, not just memories, while enjoying their eco/photo tours or excursions.

This years Fall Dunes Eco-Photo Tour is planned for October 14 – 16, 2011 with lodging provided by The Homestead. To register for the photo tour weekend, visit markscarlson.com or call 517.230.1655.