By Amy Orzel
Imagine being a student at a school presentation and stepping inside an inflatable black dome. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by a brilliant night sky—or submerged underwater alongside a team of scuba-diving scientists exploring Lake Michigan! Ranger-led presentations inside a portable planetarium are helping local students discover Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in fascinating new ways.
With support from the National Park Foundation, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes helped bring a dome planetarium to the Lakeshore in 2024. Using a specialized laser projector, the inflatable dome transforms into a 360-degree screen, immersing students in the wonders of the night sky and the hidden world beneath Lake Michigan.
The planetarium sessions combine these one-of-a-kind presentations with activity stations and Q&A sessions with the park rangers. Through Star Stories, students explore the northern Michigan night sky through Anishinaabe perspectives, learning about Indigenous knowledge and cultural traditions connected to the stars. Sleeping Bear from Below takes students beneath the surface of Lake Michigan and the Platte River to discover conservation challenges shaping the Great Lakes. Filmed using an underwater drone camera, the program follows conservation scientists as they scuba dive and explore Good Harbor Reef. Students see scientists diving to depths of nearly 40 feet below the water’s surface to study invasive mussels that arrived in the Great Lakes after hitching rides on cargo vessels from the Caspian and Black seas. The presentation also includes scenes of shipwrecks and footage of salmon running in the Platte River, sharing unique views of the Lakeshore’s natural and cultural history.
For Education Lead and Interpretive Park Ranger Dave Fenlon, the students’ reactions are one of the best parts of the experience.
“Sleeping Bear from Below is one of my favorite programs to facilitate, because the kids are just so excited. I've heard variations of ‘is this real?!?’ multiple times at this point. It's quite literally immersive, and to see them looking around all wide-eyed is such a thrill.”
During the 2025-2026 school year, 1,625 local students attended dome presentations. Those experiences can spark curiosity about science, deepen appreciation for Indigenous knowledge, and even inspire the next generation of Great Lakes stewards.
By helping bring the portable planetarium to Sleeping Bear Dunes, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes donors are supporting innovative educational programs that make learning tangible, engaging, and accessible to students—whether they’re gazing at the stars or exploring the hidden world beneath Lake Michigan.
Your support can help bring more learning experiences like these to local students, inspiring the next generation to explore, understand, and protect Sleeping Bear Dunes!
Donate today to help Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes connect more students with the Lakeshore’s natural and cultural wonders: https://www.friendsofsleepingbear.org/donate-now