The Department of Natural Resources will have a strong presence at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show, Feb. 16-25, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
The show is presented by Renfro Productions and opens at 1 p.m. tomorrow.
The DNR's main location is in Tackle Town, in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion. The booth is a one-stop shop for licenses, state park permits, lake-use permits, Outdoor Indiana magazine, and a State Parks GO! bargain-priced bundle.
For $79, the State Parks GO! (Get Outside!) bundle includes an Annual Entrance Pass to Indiana’s state parks and reservoirs, the choice of a DNR camping gift card or State Park Inns gift card, and a backpack. Sold separately, the items have a $98 value. Hoosiers age 65 and older can purchase the same package for $59. Free copies of the DNR’s 2018 Fishing Regulations Guide, 2018 Recreation Guide, and other publications will be available.
State Parks and Inns will have a separate informational booth in the Travel and Tourism area of the show.
Tomorrow and Saturday, Feb. 17, at the ABATE booth at the motorcycle expo in the Exposition Hall (not at DNR booth in Tackle Town), the ATV Safety Sam and Safety Sarah robot will be demonstrated. ABATE and nonprofit group Play For Kate will launch a 3-D interactive ATV safety app designed to engage children. Indiana Conservation Officers will operate the robot, which talks and interacts with the audience.
On Saturday, Feb. 17, and Sunday, Feb. 25, at the DNR booth, the Birds of Prey program, featuring live raptors from Hardy Lake's Dwight Chamberlain Raptor Center, will be presented. Times are subject to change but are set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
Also at the DNR’s main location, on Sunday, Feb. 18, and again on Saturday, Feb. 24, a snakes program will be featured. Times are subject to change but are slated at 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jarrett Manek and staff of O’Bannon Woods State Park will have a dozen native species of snakes, both venomous and non-venomous, in a safe, but close environment.
The main DNR location will feature members of the Indiana Conservation Officers K-9 team with their K-9 partners on Saturday, Feb. 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (times subject to change). The public will have the opportunity to witness demonstrations of how these dogs are used. The public will also have the chance to interact with the officers and their K-9 partners.
Staff biologists from the Division of Fish & Wildlife will be on hand at the main DNR location in Tackle Town throughout the show to answer questions about fish and wildlife habitat development and management; fishing, hunting and trapping opportunities; and aquatic invasive and wildlife species information.
To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.
Media contact: Marty Benson, DNR Communications, (317) 233-3853.