Date: April 30, 2010
Celebrate birds at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes State Park on May 8th and 9th. In conjunction with International Migratory Bird Day, the national lakeshore and state park are joining forces to offer a weekend full of family-friendly activities, hikes, and a mini-bioblitz all about our feathered friends.
Highlights of the weekend include four bioblitz hikes where experts and visitors will explore distinct habitats in order to find and identify as many bird species as possible. These “mini-bioblitzs” are a follow-up to last year’s highly successful 24-hour Indiana Dunes bioblitz that drew over 150 scientists and 5,000 visitors and resulted in the identification of over 1,200 species. Join one of the bioblitz hikes on May 8, or sign up in advance by calling the national lakeshore’s information desk at 219-395-1882. All participants in the bioblitz bird count hikes will get a commemorative water bottle.
The bioblitz hikes are just part of the weekend’s avian celebration. The state park is featuring seven activities on the weekend including a special presentation on chimney sweeps by wildlife rehabilitator Shirley Needham at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and a bird banding demonstration at 10 a.m. on Sunday. See the list below for all of the weekend’s activities at both Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes State Park.
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
May 8
Bioblitz bird count at Heron Rookery (East lot) 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Bioblitz bird count at West Beach (Long Lake lot) 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Bioblitz bird count at Miller Woods (Douglas Center lot) 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Bioblitz bird count at Dune Ridge Trail (Kemil Road lot) 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Douglas Center Open House 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
May 9
Kid’s Fun on Birds at the Visitor Center, (Visitor Center) 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Indiana Dunes State Park
May 8
“Spring Birding in the Dunes” hike at Wilson Shelter, 9:00 a.m.
“Winged Migration” video at Nature Center, 10:00 a.m.
Chimney Swift program at Nature Center, 2:00 p.m.
“Our Featured Friends of the Night” program at Nature Center, 8:00 pm.
May 9
“Feed the Birds” program at the Nature Center, 9:30 a.m.
Bird banding demonstration at the Nature Center, 10:00 a.m.
“Birds & Blooms on Mt. Tom” hike at the Nature Center, 2:00 p.m.
For directions or more information on the activities at the national lakeshore or to sign up for one the four bioblitz hikes, call 219-395-1882 or for information on activities at the state park call 219-926-1952.
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is one of 392 units of the National Park System ranging from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore includes 15 miles of the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan and 15,000 acres of beach, woods, marshes, and prairie in the northwest corner of Indiana. More than 2 million visitors come to this national park each year. More information can be found at www.nps.gov/INDU.
The Indiana Dunes State Park is located on the north end of State Road 49. The State Park is one of 33 state park and reservoir properties in Indiana. For more information about the State Park visit www.stateparks.in.gov or call the Nature Center at 219-926-1390. Daily park entrance fees apply for admission. DNR annual passes are also available.
