Environment & Eco Tourism

Crews will work together on the same block following a set route that helps ensures volunteers are fully utilized and the area is clean when done...goal accomplished.  Volunteers are requested to bring brooms, rakes and shovels; Blight Buster Coordinators will provide safety materials, bags and gloves.  Safety tips will be provided at registration. Blight Clean Up Individuals, Businesses, & Groups Supplies Needed:  Please bring brooms, rakes, shovels, and trimmers. City Provides:         Bags, gloves and safety materials, project location. This activity is great for youth and adults to get involved in.  It is easily scalable and tools and supplies are available through the Blight Buster Team.  Clean up can be combined with other alleys, streets, and vacant lot activities such as positioning of garbage cans/bags, raking of garbage, picking up of paper, bottles and cans, and piling of tires. Register Here

Gary Parks Department, Green Urbanism and National Parks Services celebrate Earth Day by learning about and participating in a variety of environmental activities at your neighborhood national park. The event takes place at the Paul H Douglas Center for Environmental Education and Marquette Park in Gary and will include nature hikes, plant trees, environmental presentations, arts and crafts, and much more. Highlights include: • Hike with a ranger around Miller Woods and out to the beach for the more adventurous. • Talk to a wildland firefighter from the National Park Service fire crew. • Earn a Junior Ranger badge.

Come on out to Mama Pearl’s BBQ, located at 411 East 5^th Avenue in Gary, Indiana, on May 3rd from 6 - 8pm for Green Drinks Gary and learn about the ongoing effort, led by the Calumet Heritage Partnership and The Field Museum, to create a Calumet National Heritage Area. National Heritage Areas shine a light on local heritage that is nationally important. In doing so they can attract tourism, new economic opportunities, and increase civic engagement. They are grass-roots initiatives that receive federal support, but need the support of locals to become a reality. Come learn more, and how you can get involved.   *From 6-6:30pm we encourage attendees to network with one another, order food, and get settled in. The guest speaker's presentation will begin at 6:30pm. Mama Pearl's does not serve alcohol however attendees are welcome to bring their own (byob).*   Presenter(s): Mario Longoni is an Urban Anthropology Manager in the Keller Science Action Center at The Field Museum. His work in the Calumet Region dates back to 2002 when he contributed to the Journey Through Calumet project (http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/calumet/), highlighting the Region's cultural assets. Subsequently he produced the Grab This Fish Tale comic book (https://www.fieldmuseum.org/sites/default/files/FishTale_web_0.pdf) to advise Calumet anglers on smart fish consumption. Like these previous projects, the Calumet National Heritage Area initiative aims to improve local quality of life by building on the existing strengths and resources of local communities and the wider region.   For additional information on this and future events please visit Green Drinks Gary’s facebook page at www.facebook.com/GreenDrinksGary, join our facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1682928161975070/, check out our website at http://www.greendrinks.org/IN/Gary, or send an email to [email protected].   See you May 3rd! Until then…STAY CALM and THINK GREEN.   Green Drinks Gary takes place every first Tuesday of the month. It is open to the public, free to attend and all ages are welcome!   Green Drinks Gary is organized and managed by Rachel Veronesi, Cathy Martin and Cassandra Cannon.

Come enjoy live music and a view that can't be beat! Bring your appetites too! Will Miller & The Jazz Gang, featuring Smooth on Guitar will be playing.

Come enjoy live music and a view that can't be beat! Bring your appetites too! Vincent L. Abrams will be playing.

*Must preregister to attend. While Mount Baldy remains closed to unrestricted public access, you can join a ranger for a special guided hike along a trail on the western edge of the dune that has been found to be free of holes. You must make a reservation for this program that is being held on Friday afternoons from 5:00 - 6:30 pm during the summer. Please check the dates to see which Friday Afternoons we are holding this program at this time slot. This program will begin at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center and you will follow the ranger to Mount Baldy no exceptions. You also must make a reservation by calling 219-395-1882 and you must speak to a ranger to make the reservation. 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.

Join us for an educational bus tour of several of our nature preserves across three counties on Saturday, October 22, 2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The bus will depart promptly at 8:00 a.m. from the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, located at 1215 N. State Road 49, Porter, Indiana. Riders will see Dune & Swale habitat, and the Hobart Marsh area in Lake County, the Meadowbrook Reforestation project in Porter County, and Ambler Flatwoods in LaPorte County, among others. Riders will depart the bus for short hikes at select locations. Staff, board members and guest speakers will provide insights on land conservation and the ecology, geology, and history of Northwest Indiana. Lunch will be provided. The cost to attend the tour is $35 per person, or $60 per couple. Reservations are required and may be made by calling (219) 242-8558. Reservations must be made no later than Monday, October 17, 2016. Seating is limited, so early reservations are advised. The bus is restroom equipped.

Celebrate autumn with an Apples Festival at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's historic Chellberg Farm on Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18 from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Fun is the theme of the weekend interleaved with the celebration of the all American Apple. This new event is part of the national lakeshore's year-long, 50th Anniversary celebration. Admission and parking are free. Enjoy lots of fall seasonal activities such as tractor-pulled hayrides, a Kid's Corner with games and crafts, and even apple-chucking. Local musicians will provide continuous entertainment and the Northwest Indiana Storytellers will be spinning tales. Then help make cider using an apple press, learn how to cook apples for applesauce and apple butter, ferment apples into vinegar, make apple pomanders and discover dozens of other uses for apples. Free tasting of most of these products will be available. Or, purchase lunch or a snack from one of seven food vendors and make a day of it. Have you ever wondered why there are so many apple trees in Indiana? We can thank Indiana native, "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman for their abundance. During this festival, visitors can watch the classic Disney short on Johnny Appleseed and then help with the planting of 16 apple trees as we reestablish an orchard at Chellberg Farm. The farm even has resident chickens now thanks to festival partners Dunes Learning Center and the Friends of Indiana Dunes. For information on this event or other anniversary programs being offered this year at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call 219-395-1882.

*Pre-registration required - Parents and toddlers are invited to participate in this monthly nature exploration program. Nature Tots, aged 2-5, will enjoy ranger-led story time, crafts and outdoor play. Parents will enjoy meeting other parents and learning fun ideas for bringing nature into their child’s life. This program is free, but pre-registration is required by calling 219-395-1821.

Paddlers can play a key role in detecting and preventing both aquatic and terrestrial species invasions in the Lake Michigan Coastal area of Northwest Indiana. Come to the Sunset Paddle a little earlier than usual 5:00 – 5:30 pm. – to find out species we should be concerned about in Miller, how you can report them, and why they should be reported. You’ll also learn how to use the easy-to-use smartphone application for mapping and reporting invasive species offered by the Great Lakes Early Detection Network (GLEDN). A smartphone is not required, however, as the data can also be entered into www.eddmaps.org/Indiana. To maximize your participation, you may want to create a profile for yourself on www.eddmaps.org/Indianaand download the free GLEDN application. This program will be led by Susan MiHalo, Conservation Coordinator, The Nature Conservancy and Chair of the Indiana Coastal Cooperative Weed Management Area. to reserve a kayak please contact Zully JF Alvarado

We need you! Shirley Heinze Land Trust is looking for volunteers to help us construct a new boardwalk addition and also collect seeds from the prairie at our Gordon & Faith Greiner Nature Preserve in Hobart. We are working to improve this site with additional trails, boardwalks, informational signs, and a new parking area. Seeds collected will be used in upcoming restoration projects. The site features a diverse landscape of restored prairie, wetlands, and sand savanna. There is a large boardwalk that allows visitors to cross the forested wetland between the prairie and woodland areas. Unusually high water levels have prevented visitors from reaching the boardwalk from the prairie. We would like to extend this boardwalk to prevent trail closures and habitat disturbance. Seed collection is a fun activity for all ages and is a good opportunity to learn about some of the native plants found in tallgrass prairies. Shirley Heinze Land Trust has several large restoration projects coming up that will require large amounts of native seed. Volunteers play a critical part in helping us harvest this seed - otherwise, purchasing seed can be very expensive. Collecting seeds from existing preserves also helps to ensure that the seeds used for restoration projects are from local genotypes and will be well suited to the habitat where they are planted. The workday will also include moving lumber out to the site and installing support boards and decking to extend the existing boardwalk. The conditions will likely be muddy ground and/or standing water (rubber boots recommended). Volunteers may use power tools such as drills and saws to help construct the new boardwalk. Staff will have all the necessary tools and equipment on hand, including extra gloves, safety goggles, and drinking water. We depend on volunteers to help us keep trails open, restore important habitat, and continue to protect these special places for the region's health and enjoyment. You are an essential part of our mission! Directions to site: From Ridge Rd. (East 37th Ave) in Hobart, travel south on Liverpool Road about .80 miles. The entrance is located on the west side of Liverpool Road. Please RSVP to our Stewardship Director, Eric Bird at [email protected] or by calling (219) 242-8558. We hope you can come out and lend a hand!

You’re invited to come to “Arts & Nature in the Calumet Region & Nationwide,” an event at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore that celebrates the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore’s 50th Anniversary and National Park Service’s Centennial. We convene at the Paul Douglas Center for Environmental Education on November 12th. This event includes: Soundwalk on the Miller Trail—Enjoy unique listening experiences at the Douglas Center and along the Miller Woods trail, and consider how soundscapes experienced here relate to wildlife conservation and our appreciation of northwest Indiana’s natural splendor. Stay afterwards, as we talk about the soundscapes experienced in Miller Woods. (11 a.m.-noon) Arts Making Activities Inspired by Nature, including leaf poem collage-making, mixed media artworks, and other activities. (ongoing, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.) Poetry Readings and Performances by youth and adults, including high school and college students from the Calumet Region, including Gary and Chicago. (1-3 p.m.) “Arts & Nature in the Calumet Region & Nationwide” is presented by the Borderbend Arts Collective, in partnership with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and other park partners. 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 in the Miller section of Gary. For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call 219-395-1821 or check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/indu. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is one of 413 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. Check our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IndianaDunesNL.

*Free but reservation required by calling 219-395-1882. Join a ranger this fall or winter for a two-hour tour of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in one of the park's 16-passenger buses. This is a great way to see the park’s fall colors and winter landscapes without having to do a lot of walking. The tours meet at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, which is located at 1215 North State Road 49, about one mile north of Interstate 94, in Porter, Indiana. After a brief introduction, participants will board a bus for a two-hour tour, during which the ranger will share interesting facts about the national park and surrounding area. Upcoming tour dates and start times are November 13, 2016, 9:00 am and 1:00 pm, December 18, 2016, 9:00 am and 1:00 pm, and January 22, 2017, at 1:00 pm. *The tours are free, but reservations are required. Call 219-395-1882 to make reservations and to find out more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Also, please check out the park’s website at www.nps.gov/indu.

Join staff and fellow volunteers on Saturday, November 19, 2016, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Dunes Learning Center for a morning of stewardship. We will continue to transform the old tennis courts into programming space for the Dunes Learning Center’s new raised garden beds. Activities will include cutting brush, removing soil, fixing gates, clearing trails, and more. Meet at the gravel parking lot across the street from the historic Camp Good Fellow Lodge. Dunes Learning Center is located in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore at 700 Howe Road in Porter, Indiana between U.S. Highways 12 and 20 on the grounds of the historic Camp Good Fellow. For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call 219-395-1882 or check out the park’s website at www.nps.gov/indu.

In partnership with Gathr Films, Green Drinks Gary is bringing the new award-winning film, SEED: The Untold Story, to the AMC Hobart 12 movie theater in northwest Indiana. SEED is an eye-opening award winning documentary about the dramatic loss of seed diversity and the movement to restore the future of our food, from the creators of The Real Dirt on Farmer John& Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? SEED features Vandana Shiva, Dr. Jane Goodall, Andrew Kimbrell, and Winona LaDuke. Synopsis: Few things on Earth are as miraculous and vital as seeds. Worshipped and treasured since the dawn of humankind. In the last century, 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared. SEED: The Untold Story follows passionate seed keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy. As biotech chemical companies control the majority of our seeds, farmers, scientists, lawyers, and indigenous seed keepers fight a David and Goliath battle to defend the future of our food. In a harrowing and heartening story, these heroes rekindle a lost connection to our most treasured resource and revive a culture connected to seeds.Recent winner of the GREEN PLANET AWARD at Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Discovery Channel ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD at Sheffield Doc/Fest in England, GRAND JURY PRIZE at the Nashville Film Festival, and BEST IN FESTIVAL at the Princeton Environmental Film Festival, and in BEST OF FESTS section in IDFA in Amsterdam. SEED: The Untold Story is Executive Produced by Marisa Tomei, Marc Turtletaub (Little Miss Sunshine), and Phil Fairclough (Grizzly Man, Cave of Forgotten Dreams). Tickets for this film are not and will not be available for purchase at the AMC Hobart 12; you can only purchase tickets for this film online at http://gathr.us/screening/17960. We MUST have at least 60 tickets reserved by December 19th or the showing will be cancelled. So please reserve your tickets ASAP! Your credit card will only be charged once the screening has met the minimum number of reservations. View SEED: The Untold Story trailer at https://vimeo.com/97882647 For additional information on future events please visit Green Drinks Gary’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GreenDrinksGary, join our Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/1682928161975070..., and/or check out our website at www.greendrinks.org/IN/Gary. See you January 3rd at AMC Hobart 12! Until then... STAY CALM and THINK GREEN. Green Drinks Gary takes place every first Tuesday of the month and is open to the public! Green Drinks Gary is organized and managed by Rachel Veronesi.

You say you have your shopping done? Great, join us for our traditional Christmas Eve stroll through the dune forests. We’ll explore the winter life and beauty of the dunes on this 1 hour walk starting at the Nature Center, culminating with a warm fire and hot cocoa at the nature center! Come out and start a new family tradition with us!