Native Roots: Nature Events in West Central Indiana
INPAWS member Joan Mohr Samuels publishes this quarterly newsletter “to promote the enjoyment & stewardship of natural areas in West Central Indiana!”
Why this newsletter? Says Joan, “If you’re like me, you’d like to have all your nature news in one place—so you don’t miss out on some interesting natural history programs or stewardship opportunities. That’s my intent here.”
Submissions for JUL-AUG issue need to reach Joan by JUN 20th.
To receive Native Roots via email, contact Joan Mohr Samuels, Editor, at mohrsamuels@comcast.net.
Copies of Native Roots & Wednesdays in the Wild will be available at Lilly Nature Center, Wah-ba-shik-a Nature Center (except in the winter months when WNC is closed), Morton Center, the local LAF-WL libraries, Sunspot Market, and the Wild Bird Shoppe; copies are also distributed at various meetings, events, and can be downloaded from the state INPAWS website: http://indiananativeplants.org (click on “Gatherings” then “Calendar of Events” then “Regional Chapter Events”).
Feel free to pass on to anyone you think is interested.
Below are some new items or supplemental info to items already in the APR-JUN issue of Native Roots.
A DAY-LONG CELEBRATION of KANKAKEE SANDS-SAT MAY 12th
Saturday, May 12th we will be hosting a Celebration of Kankakee Sands! Start your day at the Kankakee Sands Office, 3294 N US 41 and we’ll point you in the right direction for each activity. Bring a lunch and plan to stay for the day.
The family-friendly day will include the following (times are CDT):
- Birding Walk from 8 am to 10 am
- Friends of the Sands Native Plant Sale from 9 am to 4 pm
- Volunteer Workday to plant milkweeds along a new Milkweed Trail at Kankakee Sands from 9 am to noon
- Guided Hike on the Prairie at 1 pm (**Details about hike)
- Bison Interpretation all day long
Thanks everyone! Alyssa Nyberg (Friends of the Sands and Indiana TNC)
MORE INFO: Alyssa Nyberg 219-866-1706 or anyberg@tnc.org
**Details about this Guided Hike on the Prairie from the current issue of Native Roots:
SAT MAY 12th 1pm CDT “A YEAR OF GRACE – Part I” – Newton Co.
Join Mary Kay Emmrich & Friends of Kankakee Sands on this first of 3
hikes at the Grace Teninga Discovery Trail. Meet at parking lot on
CR 600N, a half-mile east of CR 600N / 200W intersection in Lake
Village. MORE INFO: Jeanette Jaskula jmjaskula@yahoo.com
PLANT SALES…
Prophetstown State Park “Annual Native Wildflower and Plant Sale”
SAT MAY 12th 9am-4pm Plant_Sale_List_2018.xls
MORE INFO: Angie Manuel 765-320-0503, amanuel@dnr.IN.gov
INPAWS Native Plant Sale & Auction – SAT MAY 12th 9:30am-12:30pm
Park Tudor School Upper Gym –7200 N College, Indy 71st St Entrance
MORE INFO: www.inpaws.org/gatherings or plantsale@inpaws.org
Friends of the Sands Native Plant Sale – SAT MAY 12th 9am-4pm CDT
Kankakee Sands Office – 3294 N US 41, Morocco, IN
MORE INFO: Alyssa Nyberg anyberg@tnc.org or 219-866-1706
Native Plants Unlimited: PLANT SALE DAYS continue through MAY 20th
at Geist Nursery – 9890 Mollenkopf Road, Fishers, IN
Plant Inventory/Sale hours/Directions: www.nativeplantsunlimited.com
MORE INFO: 317-607-7343 or george@nativeplantsunlimited.com
TWO WILD PLANT WALKS this weekend along Wabash River trail
SAT May 12 starting 6pm and
SUN May 13 starting 9 am ~ both walks led by Nick Harby
For both walks, meet Nick at the middle of the pedestrian bridge over the Wabash near downtown Lafayette and from there the group will walk along the Lafayette side of the Wabash River trail.
Nick’s message to all:
Hope you are enjoying the spring weather. There are lots of good edible wild plants appearing along the Wabash River trail. Pokeweed is coming up, and I am finding nettles and sochan there. Even see some catnip for your cat. Since everyone has different times that they want to do a plant walk, I will schedule two of them for this weekend along the Wabash River trail.
These will be easy, non-strenuous walks as we look at and discuss the plants and wildlife along the way.
MORE INFO: Contact Nick Harby at nickharby@yahoo.com
NATIVE PLANT RESCUE/WORKSHOP
at Cary Home property: 1530 S 18th St, Lafayette, IN 47905
Join us for a hands on workshop on native plants transplanting and landscaping! All participants will be able to take home native plants with them.
3 opportunities to participate at 1530 S 18th St, Lafayette, IN 47905 :
SAT May 12th 9am-12pm
TUE May 15th 9am-3pm (lunch included)
SUN May 20th 9am-12pm
Learn more, see the species list, and sign up here: http://www.wabashriver.net/workshops/
MORE INFO: Shannon Stanis 765-807-1094 (work), 847-287-6840 (cell)
or email Shannon at watershed@wabashriver.net
A Mind BOGgling FAMILY NATURE CELEBRATION-SAT MAY 19th
10am-3pm at Celery Bog Nature Area (1620 Lindberg Rd, West Lafayette) –RAIN OR SHINE
This fun event will include a live native animal presentation, live bee hive, hikes, nature activities, and music by local SAMI musicians. Emergency Munchie Truck selling lunch items from 11am-1:30pm and the Jr. Nature club will be selling lemonade all day.
SPECIAL EVENTS SCHEDULE — Meet at Celery Bog’s Outdoor Amphitheater
10:15 – 11:00 LIVE: Mind BOGgling Fur, Feathers, and Shells! – Wildcat Creek Wildlife Center, Inc. and Hoots to Howls, Inc. – sponsored by Sycamore Audubon Society & Friend of the Celery Bog Nature Area
11:10 – 11:30 Dedication of the new educational exhibits in Lilly Nature Center
11:40 – 12:10 Bugs & Blooms – join Tippecanoe County Naturalist Mary Cutler for this all-ages interactive stroll, exploring the connections between spring plants and pollinators.
12:15 – 1:00 Live music by musicians from the SAMI organization
1:00 – 1:30 Wildflower Walk – Nick Harby will help identify wildflowers in bloom
1:40 – 2:20 Family Nature Bug Hunt – Zonda Bryant will lead this walk to locate insects
PLUS MANY ALL DAY ACTIVITIES listed in the attached flyer (such as an active bee hive, an insect scavenger hunt, sidewalk chalk nature drawing, FIREFLY Posters by Cumberland Elementary School Students on our new state insect, and MORE!)
FOR INFO/Schedule: Dan Dunten ddunten@wl.in.gov 765-775-5172
OUTDOOR EXPLORE VOLUNTEER CALLOUT—SIGN UP by JUNE 1st**
With the expansion of the event this year, volunteer needs are even greater than last year.
VOLUNTEER TIMES are SAT JUN 9th: 9:30 – 1:00 and 12:30 – 4:00.
VOLUNTEER DUTIES are varied and take place at both venues: Tippecanoe Co. Amphitheater and Bicentennial Nature Area. Duties can include but are not limited to: greeting visitors, working registration booths, selling water bottles and soft drink fill-ups, selling climbing tower tickets and fitting harnesses for climbers, re-stocking water stations, serving as runners to provide drinks & snacks to booth providers, helping at fishing areas with baiting hooks and untangling lines, helping with planting in pollinator demo gardens, and so much more!
** Interested folks can contact Mary Cutler by phone (765)567-2993 or email mcut@msn.com with any questions or to register to work. All volunteers receive a free Outdoor Explore! stainless steel water bottle, which can be filled with free soft drinks at the Amphitheater this year – and in years to come if they bring it back with them! (One of our efforts to reduce disposable items – cup waste.)
OUTDOOR EXPLORE! 10am-4pm SAT JUN 9th at two venues!
Come learn about and experience 30 different outdoor activities at this all ages community event!
LOCATION of the two different venues:
Tippecanoe County Amphitheater– 4449 State Road 43 North, West Lafayette
Bicentennial Nature Area– just off Sagamore Parkway (US Hwy 52)
between Duncan Road and Schuyler Avenue, Lafayette
See attached flyer for a listing of the many FREE** outdoor activities for ALL AGES!
All activities listed take place continuously throughout the day; each activity listed is featured at a booth where folks can easily locate the activity.
Generally speaking, land-based activities are held at the Amphitheater and
water-based activities (fishing and boating activities) are held at Bicentennial Nature Area (BNA.) However, there are some activities at BNA in addition to things on the water: birding, geocaching, all the canine activities and a booth on pollinators with a pollinator planting demo gardening project.
To find out where each activity is happening specifically, folks can contact Mary Cutler at 765-567-2993 or visit our Outdoor Explore! Facebook page where Mary will be posting daily “countdown to Outdoor Explore!” posts – starting with an overview of the event organization and location of each specific activity. People can scroll through the posts to get more detailed information on each activity.
**Bring cash for a few activities such as the climbing wall and for EMT food truck purchases.
FOR MORE INFO: Mary Cutler 765-567-2993 or Chris Remley 765-474-9992, ext 3