Each month we will be highlighting various opportunities, events, and notable volunteers. Check out our website, and call or email us for any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you at Indiana Dunes National Park!
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Indiana Dunes National Park is remaining open in accordance with state and federal guidelines, including Indiana's mask mandate. Due to continuing COVID-19 concerns, Indiana Dunes encourages social distancing, frequent hand-washing, and masks. For details on park operating hours and COVID response please visit the park's website.
Most volunteer programs have resumed, some on a modified basis. The Park Connection office is open every Wednesday 9am-3pm. To stay updated on event cancellations and park closings, please visit our Facebook page.
Thank you and stay healthy!!
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Brody
BARK Ranger Brody (and his loving human companion, volunteer Bruce Dudek) can't be deterred by a little winter weather. A regular on the park's eastern beaches of Kemil and Mt. Baldy, Brody and Bruce can be found patrolling the sand any month of the year. Together, they act as ambassadors for the park's canine visitors by demonstrating responsible dog and owner behavior. Thank you, Bruce and Brody, for being such friendly and considerate visitors and for your dedication to volunteering!
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In winter, the low sun plays on the crest of a dune at Central Beach, drawing a dividing line between snow and sand. Last year, brutal storms pummeled these dunes, stripping Central Beach bare and leaving it inaccessible for all of 2020. Volunteer photographer Paul Kemiel has been documenting the park's efforts to restore the beach, which finally reopened in January. Only time will tell the fate of these stubborn sand forms as they battle the effects of climate change.
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Last month we entered a new year, and now it's time to bring the volunteer program with us! We are working hard to restructure and update, but we need your help. Please take a brief moment to review these tasks:
1. If your contact information, address, or emergency contact has changed since you were onboarded as a volunteer, please fill out and sign a new Volunteer Service Agreement and email it to parkconnection@gmail.com.
2. We rely on your feedback to be the best supervisors we can be. If you have suggestions or comments about your volunteering experience, please respond to this brief survey and send it to Volunteer Program Manager Jim Whitenack at james_whitenack@nps.gov.
3. The park's resource guide has been updated for 2021 and contains tons of valuable information about the park. Feel free to review it for background on the park's purpose, history, ecology, and more!
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We regret to inform everyone that due to continuing concerns regarding the pandemic, Indiana Dunes will not be hosting its annual Maple Sugar Time Festival this year. However, the sugar shack at Chellberg Farm will be serviced in early March, so if visitors would like to see the sugar shack in operation, they can feel free to stop by during the first week of March for an exclusive look. We hope to be able to host large events later this year, so please stay tuned for updates!
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Christmas bird count update
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Every year the Indiana Dunes holds a Christmas Bird Count citizen science program. It covers the Indiana Dunes West circle, a 15-mile diameter circle including parts of Portage, Burns Harbor, Gary, Hobart, New Chicago, Lake Station, Merrillville, and Griffith. Data from the December 26, 2020 count is compiled here and more information on the project can be found at the Audubon Christmas Bird Count website. If you're interested in participating in the 2021 Christmas Bird Count, please email Ranger Christy Gerlach no later than November.
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Diana of the Dunes Dare
Check out a new feature on the Succession Trail at West Beach called the Diana Dunes Dare! We are doing a soft launch opening of this new activity and are asking for feedback. Let us know what you think about it. All you have to do is hike the one mile loop trail, read the signs, and learn about Alice Mabel Gray, also known as Diana of the Dunes. Then take a selfie along the way; post it on social media with the hashtag #DianaDunesDare. Be sure to pick up a sticker at the Visitor Center or Douglas Center to show off your accomplishment. Once you have done the Dare, drop a line with your thoughts to Education Manager Kim Swift at kimberly_swift@nps.gov.
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Drop-In Volunteering
Saturday, February 20th, 9am-12pm
Meet at Park Connection Office
Drop-in volunteering provides hassle-free opportunities at Indiana Dunes! With no previous sign-up or experience required, drop-ins are perfect for those with just a few hours of free time. Events are held on the third Saturday of the month at the Park Connection Office (618 N. Mineral Springs Rd.). Projects vary by date and season, but can include working with invasive species, and land and building restoration.
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Trash Trekkers
Every day 9am-4pm
Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center
Trash Trekkers is an easy way to get involved at the park at your convenience! Simply check in at the Visitor Center on Route 49 to receive trash bags, then choose from one of our many beaches or hiking trails to collect trash. Visitors are awarded with a free, reusable water bottle for filling up their bags. Together, we can keep our beaches beautiful!
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Virtual Park Tours
Join park rangers as they guide you through some of the Dunes' most popular destinations. Whether you're from near or far, anyone can enjoy the park from their couch with these entertaining and educational original videos! Find them here.
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Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor adventure that combines technology with nature exploration. Players use a GPS and phone app to locate hidden containers around the world. You can find these treasure troves around Indiana Dunes National Park without breaking social distancing guidelines! Find instructions on how to play here.
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Are you bored at home, missing the excitement of serving the park? Never fear, you can volunteer without ever leaving your computer! Below is a list of free trainings that may help you prepare to get going when we reopen -- or just stimulate your mind! Time spent on training DOES count for volunteer hours, so make sure to include it on your monthly hours report.
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Trail Riding 101
Equine professionals created this course to prepare riders to make informed decisions when riding horses on trails. This 3-5 hour course will prepare you to take on Indiana Dunes' riding trails like a pro!
Find course here.
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Foundations of Interpretation
This introductory course provides the philosophical groundwork for why we do interpretation, what interpretation is, and how interpretation works form personal connections between the meanings of the resources and the interests of the audience.
Earn certificate issued by the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, Indiana University
Find course here.
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Leave No Trace Online Awareness Course
This brief course will provide you with a better understanding of recreation-related impacts, the Seven Principles and how Leave No Trace skills and ethics can help protect the outdoor places we love.
Earn Leave No Trace certificate
Find course here.
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Trail Safe!
This program is a unique safety training program designed specifically for National Park Service (NPS) Trail Volunteers, but is useful to everyone! It's based upon NPS Operational Leadership Training, where the Human Factor of safety is explored. Trail Safe! captures the core learning objectives of the 16-hour Operational Leadership course while allowing volunteers to learn from their homes online.
Earn Trail Safe! certificate, SPE/GAR card, and pin
Find course here.
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Introduction to the National Park Service
Learn about the ideas that formed and later transformed the National Park Service (NPS), the people who generated those ideas, and the laws that continue to shape the NPS today.
Earn certificate issued by the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, Indiana University
Find course here.
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Fire Extinguisher Training
National Park Service employees are required to complete annual fire extinguisher training. It's important to knowing how and when to operate an extinguisher, whether you are volunteering at the park or not!
Find course here.
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Get Text Updates!
The volunteer office has rolled out new texting program. These updates will include reminders for volunteer events and socials, as well as spontaneous opportunities. This is a great way to stay connected, but only if you opt in! Sign up below and we will add you to our list.
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Please don't forget to turn in your times monthly to parkconnection@gmail.com.
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