The Cook County Visitors Bureau was happy to take over the Outdoor Classroom Program formerly operated by the non-profit Harbor Friends. Moving the materials on June 14 were (L-R) Jerry Hiniker of Harbor Friends, CCVB Administrative Assistant Anna Klobuchar, CCVB Executive Director Sally Nankivell, Ken Hoffman (behind) and Molly Hoffman of Harbor Friends.
After the Grand Marais Park Board turned down a June 7 offer from Harbor Friends to take over its Outdoor Classroom Program, the nonprofit group talked to other Cook County entities to see if they would be interested in accepting the educational materials so they could continue to be shared with the public. On June 14, the Cook County Visitor’s Bureau (CCVB) agreed to take the materials, which will now be offered at the Grand Marais Information Center.
According to Harbor Friends, founded in 2005 to “promote preservation of the environmental integrity of the Grand Marais harbor,” the materials are valued at approximately $150,000. The materials include nine booklets on numerous topics related to the Grand Marais harbor—geology, the lake, birds, history of the harbor, etc. — and they must be distributed to the public at no cost, according to conditions stipulated by the grant.
Harbor Friends had also developed five separate tours of the harbor, four located within the Grand Marais Recreation Area. Two volunteer tour guides are still available to give tours. Also part of the Outdoor Classroom Program is a bicycle information kiosk from which to share the materials with harbor visitors.
All of which led the CCVB to jump at the chance to offer the program to Grand Marais visitors. “It is just a wonderful fit for us,” said CCVB Executive Director Sally Nankivell.
In addition to the materials, Harbor Friends gave CCVB a check for $6,000— remaining funds for the grant that can be used to sustain the program.
This spring, Harbor Friends decided to no longer staff its Harbor Center location and offered the materials to the Grand Marais Rec Park. The Grand Marais Park Board cited concerns about future financial support needs for the program, lack of space for materials, and a belief that it did not fit the Rec. Park mission as reasons for turning down the materials.
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