#MyParkStory Volunteer Dave Card

Dave Card stands behind a bike rack he constructed.

We would like to recognize and thank Dave Card, a volunteer from East Lansing and Glen Arbor, who has been involved with a number of cultural preservation projects with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear Dunes (PHSB) since 2013.

Dave served in the Navy for four years, and then became a civil engineer in the Greater Lansing area. He loves boating, biking, gardening, and vacationing at his condo at The Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor that he has owned since 1992. “Dave clearly values the historic aspect of Sleeping Bear Dunes and is always sharing Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear’s newsletters and our mission with others. He loves to bring people to the Port Oneida Heritage Center, and has been a long-time member of our organization,” says Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear’s Executive Director Susan Pocklington.

Each year, usually twice a year, Dave brings up a group of youth that he mentors at the Christian Services Brigade in the Lansing area. To date, they have contributed a total of 700 volunteer hours. Dave and his youth groups have participated in a wide variety of projects throughout Sleeping Bear Dunes. They have helped PHSB restore fences and handrails at historic sites, including the Boekeloo Cabin and the Eitzen Farm. At the historic Kraitz Cabin, they installed the flooring and a French drain. They have constructed storage racks for lumber, and bike racks for the Heritage Center, and have also assisted with spring cleaning at the Olsen Barn and in the PHSB gardens. In addition, Dave and his youth groups were some of the first to clear non-native vegetation throughout the park, including at the Treat, Basch, and Miller Farms!

If that wasn't enough, Dave has also brought in his friends from a professional tree company. Each winter, they donate their services to prune and remove trees in the park which are endangering park structures or taking over the cultural landscape. This year's project included removing young trees at the Kropp Farm to prepare the site of this year’s park barn workshop. Dave and our Project Coordinator work alongside the tree professionals, often in very cold weather, helping to carry and stack all of the wood removed. The amount of savings this work leverages for the park is substantial.

Why does Dave volunteer at Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear? In his own words, “citizens have rights and responsibilities, and responsibility means you do something for your community - you serve your community. We can’t rely on the government to do everything. I connected with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear, given that their office and the Heritage Center are right down the road from the Homestead. I’m always looking for ways that my ties with the Lansing area Christian Services Brigade can help. They are often teenage youth and volunteering with PHSB provides them with opportunities to learn new skills. It also introduces them to the park and the human history of the area.”

Thank you Dave, for all the work that you have done within Sleeping Bear Dunes! Your work helps to keep the park's history alive.