Presentations Available
Hammock Camping 101
Learn all about hammock camping; what gear to buy or make, the pros and cons, and how to get started. We've learned a lot of things the hard way, so you won't have to!
Trip Planning: Backcountry Camping, Kayak Camping, or Canoe Camping
Customized for your group's interest and skill level, from beginner to intermediate. From selecting destinations to packing your gear and food, this overview will get you headed in the right direction.
Environmentalism and Outdoor Recreation
Explore the direct links between the personal experience of camping and the collective experience of caring for habitats, watersheds, and public lands.
20 Years on North Manitou Island
This wilderness island in Lake Michigan has experienced many changes over time. Learn about what to expect, and where to go. We will look at historical maps and changes to the structures.
Adventure Camping Over 50
What does it take to get out and have adventures when you are past 50 years old? This beginner's presentation will answer all of your questions!
Leave No Trace Awareness Workshop
Stacie is a Certified Leave No Trace Trainer, and can provide awareness training for your group. Learn about the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace, and be a better steward of our outdoor public lands.
Packing Your Backpack, Kayak, or Canoe
What you'll need to know about planning packing up your shelter, food, and gear for a weekend or a week in the backcountry. Top 10 essentials and wilderness ethics, leave no trace, will be covered.
Our Top 10 Michigan Outdoor Destinations
Learn about some prime outdoor recreation spots, what we love about them, and what you'll need to know for your next trip.
Thin Places: Spiritual Discovery in Wilderness
Explore spiritual practices that can enhance your walk through the neighborhood or your next camping adventure. This can be modified to a workshop-style field trip.
Historic Preservation on a Remote Wilderness Island in Lake Michigan
Learn about the Katie Shepard Hotel Project, a restoration project by Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear. This 11+ year project has taken an island home from near ruin to ready to open to the public. For 10 days a year each August, volunteers have traveled the remote location to continue the work.
The History of North Manitou Island
Learn about the influences of Native Americans, early loggers, homesteaders, summer cottage vacationers, the Manitou Island Association years, and the National Park Service era.
North Manitou Island: The History of Cottage Row
North Manitou Island is a place of mystery, with many shuttered old homes and ruins, evidence of a once-thriving community. In this exploration of the Cottage Row community, learn about the people who were regular summer residents, and how their lives were shaped by the relationships built in this special place over time. LEARN MORE
Have another idea or suggestion? Let us know and we can create a custom presentation!
Speaker Professional Bios
Stacie Longwell Sadowski
Stacie has extensive experience in outreach, education, and public speaking, with a professional background in business and marketing. She has worked with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear for 10 years in various volunteer roles, including the Katie Shepard Hotel Project and on the Board of Directors, and is a former Board Chair. She holds a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Michigan State University, and a master's degree in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University. She is a Certified Leave No Trace Trainer. She has spent much of her career in healthcare and education, with an emphasis on nonprofit work, having served on numerous boards. Stacie is employed as the Major Gifts Officer at the Leelanau Conservancy in Leland, MI. She is also a Nature Writer, and Outreach and Marketing Specialist.
Vince Sadowski
Vince specializes in computer repair, client education, and creative solutions. He is the owner and sole proprietor of Vince Sadowski Computer Doctor, a computer repair business. He studied Computer Science at Michigan Technological University in Houghton. His early career began as a help desk analyst at the Kellogg Company. Focused on helping people, he found that he enjoyed working directly with clients and decided to create an independent business in 2003. His expertise is in making information accessible to clients, both in his computer repair work and in teaching basic and advanced outdoor skills. He has been a volunteer with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore since 2014. He has worked in the North Manitou Island Katie Shepard Project, and participated in the Port Oneida Fair. Vince has been a regular visitor to the North Manitou Island since 2000, logging dozens of trips mapping the island's interior.
Recent and Future Presentations
| Date | Event | Topic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 25, 2025 | Solar Outdoors, Livonia, MI | Wilderness Within Reach: Planning Your Visit to North Manitou Island | |
| June 19, 2024 | Sharecare Leelanau, Leland, MI | Outdoor Adventuring Over 50 For Beginners | |
| April 20, 2024 | Oral History Workshop, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Virtual | Dealing with Sensitive Topics and Issues | |
| April 12/13, 2024 | Festival of Faith & Writing, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI | Writing and Creating for Digital Platforms | |
| March 19, 2024 | Leelanau Historical Society, Leland, MI, and Virtual | Women of the Manitou Islands | |
| March 9, 2024 | Canoecopia, Madison, WS | Hammock Camping 101 | |
| March 2, 2024 | Quiet Adventure Symposium, East Lansing, MI | Wilderness Within Reach: Planning Your Visit to North Manitou Island | |
| September 11, 2023 | Leelanau Historical Society North Manitou Island Day Trip | History of the US Life-Saving Station Complex | |
| June 3, 2023 | Paw Paw District Library Oral History Workshop, Virtual | Dealing With Sensitive Topics and Issues | |
| April 29, 2023 | Michigan Oral History Association Workshop, Virtual | Creating Oral History Videos | |
| April 27, 2023 | Kuehl Kuest, Backcountry Couples, YouTube | SEASON 2 - Ep 19 Two Weeks In A Hammock | |
| September 8, 2022 | Benzie Area Historical Society Speaker Series, Benzonia, MI | North Manitou Island: The History of Cottage Row | |
| March 11-13, 2022 | Canoecopia, Madison, WS and Virtual | Hammock Camping 101 | |
| March 11-13, 2022 | Canoecopia, Madison, WS and Virtual | Wilderness Within Reach: Planning Your Visit to North Manitou Island | |
| March 11-13, 2022 | Canoecopia, Madison, WS and Virtual | Kayaking the Upper Peninsula’s Fox and Manistique Rivers: A Beginners Guide for What Not to Do | |
| March 11-13, 2022 | Canoecopia, Madison, WS and Virtual | Outdoor Adventuring Over 50 For Beginners | |
| March 1, 2022 | Quiet Adventure Symposium, Virtual | Wilderness Within Reach: Planning Your Visit to North Manitou Island | |
| March 1, 2022 | Historical Society of Michigan: History Hounds | The Katie Shepard Hotel: History and Restoration on a Wilderness Island | |
| September 13, 2021 | Leelanau Historical Society North Manitou Island Day Trip | History of the Katie Shepard Hotel | |
| May 13, 2021 | Michigan Historic Preservation Network Annual Conference | Historic Preservation on a Remote Wilderness Island |
