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Contact: Ryan Koepke, 219-395-1882
DECEMBER PROGRAMS AT NATIONAL LAKESHORE The following programs are being offered at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore next month. Please see the individual program descriptions listed below. For more information on any of the programs at the national lakeshore, contact the information desk at 219-395-1882 or check the park's website at www.nps.gov/indu. Program Announcement #1 Release Date:November 30, 2012 Contact:Ryan Koepke, ryan_koepke@nps.gov, 219-395-1882 Douglas Center Open House at National Lakeshore Discover the stark beauty of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's Miller Woods during the waning days of the fall season. Then warm up inside during the Paul H. Douglas Center during its open house every Saturday afternoon between 1 pm - 3 pm. Check out the center's interactive exhibits, park video, and even the live animal room. The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is located at 100 North Lake Street in the western portion of the national lakeshore, one mile north of U.S. Highway 12. For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call 219-395-1882 or check the park's website at www.nps.gov/indu. Program Announcement #2 Release Date:November 30, 2012\ Contact:Ryan Koepke, ryan_koepke@nps.gov, 219-395-1882 Kids Rule at National Lakeshore Visitor Center Does the cooler weather have you looking for indoor activities for your children? Then bring them out to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's visitor center for an afternoon of fun kid's activities. Join a national park ranger every Sunday from 1 pm - 3 pm in the visitor center's activity room to help your children learn a little more about your neighborhood national park. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is located at 1215 N. State Road 49 just south of the intersection of State Road 49 and U.S. 20 in Porter, Indiana. For more information about this program or other activities at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, contact the information desk at 219-395-1882 or check the park's website at www.nps.gov/indu. Program Announcement #3 Release Date:November 30, 2012 Contact:Ryan Koepke, ryan_koepke@nps.gov, 219-395-1882 Holiday Traditions Program at National Lakeshore INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE: Celebrate "Holiday Traditions in the Dunes" on Saturday, December 8, from Noon - 3 pm at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Enjoy live holiday music and dance, tour two historic homes decked out in their holiday finest, let the kids make some holiday crafts, and even get a free taste of some traditional holiday treats. You don't even have to get chilled thanks to a free shuttle bus that runs between Chellberg Farm and the Bailly Homestead. Tour the Chellberg farmhouse and Bailly Homestead between Noon and 3:00 pm and learn about the Christmas customs brought to this area by some of the early duneland settlers. At the Swedish farmstead, volunteers, in traditional dress, will share the legends of Jul Tomte (Santa) and Santa Lucia. Enjoy the holiday decorations while the children tell Santa their holiday wishes. In the kitchen, see if anything is cooking on the woodstove while you savor a Christmas cookie and see a display of a typical Swedish holiday feast. Then walk down the trail or take a free shuttle to the Bailly Homestead, a National Historic Landmark, to discover the French-Canadian holiday customs that may have been practiced by pioneer Joseph Bailly and his family. Listen to traditional stories and songs in the homestead, see a holiday food display and get a taste of Yule Log cake and warm up with some hot cider. Stop by the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center at 1:00 pm for a special performance by the dance group Nordic Kids. Watch or join in on some dances that celebrate the Scandinavian heritage of some of our early dunes settlers. After the dancing, let the kids settle down by joining a ranger in making some traditional holiday decorations. At the Douglas Center, green activities take center stage between 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Families can take photos and make greeting cards, create a new style of green wrapping paper, or craft a fun ornament to take home.After releasing that inner artist, take a brisk hike outdoors and then enjoy hot beverages inside the center. For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit or contact our information desk at 219-395-1882. Program Announcement #4 Release Date:December 7, 2012 Contact:Ryan Koepke, ryan_koepke@nps.gov, 219-395-1882 Music Heritage Series at National Lakeshore Enjoy traditional holiday music while learning more about our shared heritage. Tune up your vocal cords and sing along with Save the Tunes Council at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on December 21, from 7:30 pm - 9 pm at the Indiana Dunes visitor center. The Save the Tunes Council is a group of local musicians devoted to preserving and passing on folk songs in the traditional way, using a variety of musical instruments including guitar, autoharp, dulcimer, banjo, harmonica, bagpipe, penny whistle, hurdy-gurdy, and other obscure instruments. Meet at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center located at 1215 N. State Road 49 just south of the intersection of State Highway 49 and U.S. 20 in Porter, Indiana. For more information about this program or other activities at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, contact the information desk at 219-395-1882 or check the park's website at www.nps.gov/indu. Program Announcement #5 Release Date:December 13, 2012 Contact: Christy Gerlach, christine_gerlach@nps.gov, 219-395-1609 Christmas Bird Count at National Lakeshore INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE: On December 27, join in at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and be part of the longest running Citizen Science survey in the world: the Audubon's 113th annual Christmas Bird Count. Tens of thousands of participants, from beginner to expert, will help provide critical data on population trends and have a lot of fun while doing it. Each count takes place within a "Count Circle" that focuses on a specific geographic area. The national lakeshore is hosting the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore West Circle. Park rangers and experienced volunteers will lead bird counts in the western sections of the park on December 27. If you can't come out to the park, but live in Burns Harbor, Portage, South Haven or Ogden Dunes you can do the count from your own backyard bird feeder. To sign up for a national lakeshore bird count or to learn how you can help by counting the birds from your own backyard, contact park ranger Christy Gerlach by e-mail at Christine_Gerlach@nps.gov or call the national lakeshore's information desk at 219-395-1882. www.nps.gov Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is part of the National Park System.More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 398 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov. |
Last updated: April 10, 2015