Mackinac Associates To Fund New Historic Interpretors at Park Sites

For drawing student attention, science has dissections, language arts has fiction, and history has Mackinac State Historic Parks, specifically, the Living History program, where costumed interpreters at park sites give rifle demonstrations, cook historic meals, and play old tunes on drums and bugles.

For many visitors to Mackinac State Historic Parks, said Diane Dombroski, the living history is what makes the parks so memorable. An interactive experience, she said, stays in the mind longer than just looking at an exhibit.

Ms. Dombroski helps direct Mackinac Associates, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting a number of park activities, including the education outreach program and, this year, three new historic interpreters for the Living History program. One would be stationed at Fort Mackinac on the Island and two would take up residence at Colonial Michilimackinac on the mainland.

It will cost about $12,000 to pay the new interpreters and supply their uniforms, which the friends group hopes to raise during its spring appeal.

Mackinac Associates receives most of its money through membership dues and two appeals, one in the fall and one in the spring. Last fall’s appeal was unrestricted, and the money could go toward different programs in the park. The spring appeal will be restricted to paying for new interpreters.