Looking to get involved with Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes this summer? You’ll have a chance this weekend, as the organization kicks off the summer season with a volunteer training session scheduled for 1-3pm Sunday (May 18) at Glen Arbor Town Hall.

Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is a nonprofit that exists separately from the National Park Service, but which assists in “protecting resources and heightening visitor experience” within the National Lakeshore. Specifically, the organization runs park accessibility programs, cleans up trails and beaches, supports piping plover protection efforts, hosts education programs, and more. Last year, the Friends tallied 13,000 volunteer hours from 450 volunteers.

According to a press release, Sunday’s event is open to “anyone interested in helping the Friends support the park.” Program managers from the various Friends teams will be present “to answer questions about volunteer opportunities for specific programs such as our Track Chair, Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR), Adopt-A-River, and Trail Ambassador programs.”

In addition, rangers and staff from the National Lakeshore will be on hand to share an update on “what’s ahead for the park this year.” Those updates could prove notable, given some of the question marks this year around park staffing in the wake of federal budget cuts and hiring freezes.