Date: March 27, 2015
Contact: Ryan Koepke, 219-395-1882
The following programs are being offered at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore this April. Please see the individual program descriptions listed below. For more information on any of the programs at the national lakeshore, contact Ryan Koepke at 219-395-1882 or check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/indu. All programs are free.
Program Announcement #1
Kid’s Rule at National Lakeshore Visitor Center
Join a ranger in the visitor center’s activity room for a Sunday afternoon of kid’s activities, puppet shows, stories, and fun in the month of April. Stop in between 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. in the Indiana Dunes 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 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 #2
Music Heritage Series at National Lakeshore
Join in with the Save the Tunes Council as they perform traditional music associated with the current time period. Tune up your vocal cords and gather up for a sing-along on April 17 from 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore 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 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
Stewardship Day –Attacking the Invasives
The lakeshore is under attack by more than 50 invasive plants. In honor of Earth Day and National Park Week, please volunteer to help save the great biodiversity of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore’s Heron Rookery. Join a ranger on April 18, from 9:00 am – noon, in removing invasive species along the trail. Wear comfortable clothes; work gloves and equipment will be provided. Insect repellent and sunscreen are recommended.
Meet at the Heron Rookery’s east parking lot (600 East Road). For directions or 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 #4
Spring Wildflower Hike at Heron Rookery
Blue, red, yellow & pink are just some of the colors you’ll discover as you explore the Little Calumet River flood plain's great diversity of spring wildflowers. Meet the ranger at the Heron Rookery Trail parking lot on Saturday, April 18, at 1:00 p.m. for this two-hour leisurely walk. While looking at the rainbow of colors you can also listen to the spring songs of birds and frogs. Meet in the Heron Rookery’s east parking lot. Be prepared for possible muddy conditions.
The Heron Rookery’s east parking lot is located on 600 East Road in Michigan City. For directions or 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
Douglas Center Open House at National Lakeshore
Enjoy hands-on family activities in the park’s west end visitor center, especially the new Nature Play Zone where unstructured play in nature is the tradition. Help feed the center’s resident turtles or fish or join a ranger for a hike in Miller Woods. The open houses will be held on Saturdays in April from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm.
The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is located in the western portion of the national lakeshore at 100 North Lake Street, about 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 #6
Kayak Fishing with a Ranger at the National Lakeshore
Join a ranger for an early spring paddle on Lake Michigan or, weather depending, in the Burns Waterway and join in the pursuit of the Coho Salmon. This program will be held at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on April 5 and it will begin at 7:00 am. You must provide all of your own equipment, obey state fishing laws, and wear a lifejacket. Please keep in mind that the water temperature will be extremely cold. Portage Lakefront & River walk is located off of Hwy. 249, north of Interstate 94 at 100 Riverwalk Drive in Portage, Indiana. 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 #7
Fishing in the Dunes at the National Lakeshore
Where can I fish? What can I catch? Join a ranger on April 4, at 1:00 pm in the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center and get the answer to these questions and many more about fishing in the national lakeshore. There will be a 45-minute program presented followed by a question and answer session.
Meet at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center located at 1215 N. State Road 49 just south of the intersection of 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 #8
Pinhook Bog Hike at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Fourteen thousand years in the making, and a remnant of the last Ice Age, Pinhook Bog is a rare and beautiful environment. Ranger-led nature hikes through Pinhook Bog will be held on Saturday April 11. Two, one-hour hikes will be offered during the day. The first starts at 9:00 a.m. and the second at 1:00 p.m. Because of the bog's fragility, the tours are limited to 15 people. Reservations are required. Call 219-395-1882 to learn more or make a reservation. The tours meet at the visitor center and caravan out to the bog.
Meet at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center located at 1215 N. State Road 49 just south of the intersection of 49 and U.S. 20 in Porter, Indiana. For more information about this program or other activities at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, or to make a reservation for the program contact the information desk at 219-395-1882 or check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/indu.
Program Announcement #9
West Beach Dune Hike on April 19
Join a ranger for a hike along West Beach’s Dune Succession Trail and learn about the constantly changing dunes environment. The trail features a climb of 250 stairs up to a spectacular view of Lake Michigan with Chicago on the horizon. This program takes place on April 19 from 12:00 – 1:30 pm at the West Beach unit of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Meet the ranger on the north side of the parking lot by the bulletin board.
West Beach is located ¼ mile north of highway U.S. 12 on County Line Road in Portage. 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 #10
Cowles Bog Geocache Hike at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Join a ranger on April 19, from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm for a hike at Cowles Bog. During the program, use GPS equipment to locate different Geocached clues along the trail to solve the mystery of “Who's Invading Cowles Bog?” Meet the ranger at the Cowles Bog “greenbelt” parking area (near the South Shore train stop).
The Cowles Bog parking lot is located on Mineral Springs Road just north of US Highway 12 adjacent to South Shore Railroad train stop. 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 #11
Green Gary Day at the Douglas Center
On April 25, from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, join rangers and partners the annual Green Gary Day in celebration of both National Park Week and Earth Day. This free, family-oriented event takes place at the national lakeshore’s Paul H. Douglas Center and features hikes, kid’s activities and guest speakers throughout the day. For more information on this program and for a schedule for the day call 219-395-1821.
The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is located on north Lake Street in Miller, one mile north of U.S. Highway 12. For more information on other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call 219-395-1882 or check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/indu.
www.nps.gov/indu
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is part of the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 407 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.
