More than Birds at Upcoming Indiana Dunes Birding Festival

Date: March 9, 2015
Contact: Brad Bumgardner, [phone]
Contact: Bruce Rowe, [phone]

The inaugural Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, May 7-10, will not only feature some of the Midwest’s premier birding locations, but also offer an assortment of nature related workshops, programs, and hikes. The event is being organized by the Indiana Audubon Society and includes both the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes State Park as site hosts.

The four-day festival will appeal to not only birders, but general nature enthusiasts as well. This is due, in large part, to a diverse set of activities tailored to beginning birdwatchers, advanced birders, and dune plant and animal lovers. Three separate photography workshops will be offered that introduce participants to basic camera settings, tips and techniques, and ways to share your work with others. One particular workshop will focus only on spring wildflowers. For those wanting more in the field wildflower identification, specialized hikes will be led during the festival, as well a special session on ways to landscape your lawn for birds and other wildlife. Additional topics will include dunes geology, wildlife management, and even a native plant sale at one festival location.

Registration has already begun, with general registration running through April 1. Children rates are available. Registration can be found online at www.indunesbirdingfestival.com. 

The festival is a joint partnership with the region’s major environmental groups highlighting the dunes area’s rich biodiversity and bird watching opportunities to create a positive impact on the economic, conservation, and environmental education for visitors and residents to the Indiana Dunes region.

In addition to the festival website, more information can be obtained at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, located at 1215 N. State Road 49, just south of the intersection of 49 and US 20 in Porter, Indiana. Interested participants can also contact the information desk at 219-395-1882 or the State Park Nature Center at 219-926-1390. Visit the park’s on the web at www.nps.gov/indu or www.dnr.in.gov/parklake/2980.htm.