Celebrate the migration of bird life through the Indiana Dunes region from May 5-8 at the second-annual Indiana Dunes Birding Festival.
The festival is a partnership with northwest Indiana's major environmental groups, highlighting the dunes area's rich biodiversity and bird watching opportunities. It will benefit area economic and conservation efforts, and offer environmental education for visitors and residents to the Indiana Dunes.
The festival is organized by the Indiana Audubon Society and includes both Indiana Dunes State Park and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and as site hosts.
Activities include nearly 50 guided field trips and car tours to view migrating birds, a vendor marketplace, more than 30 bird-related programs, from live raptor talks to species ID workshops, and special workshops for new bird watchers and educators.
Evening events include excursions for woodcocks and whip-poor-wills, and a family-friendly "birds and brews" social event on multiple nights.
The Saturday night keynote speaker is Iain Campbell, from Tropical Birding Tours. Campbell will present "The Mis-adventures in Bird Guiding," which details his experiences seeking birds around the world. The keynote presentation includes dinner, a silent auction and vendor marketplace.
General early-bird registration begins Feb. 22. Registration for all four days starts at $59 for adults and $45 for youths under age 18. Registration is at indunesbirdingfestival.com.
Thirty partners are supporting the festival. Additional signature sponsors include Chesterton Feed and Garden, Northwest Indiana Migratory Bird Association, Tropical Birding Tours, Accent Signs and Graphics, and Starin Marketing.
In addition to the festival website, more information is available at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 N. State Road 49, just south of the intersection of S.R. 49 and U.S. 20 in Porter. Interested participants can also call the visitor center's information desk at (219) 395-1882 or the Indiana Dunes State Park Nature Center at (219) 926-1390. Or visit each park's respective website at dnr.IN.gov/parklake/2980.htm (state park) or nps.gov/indu (national lakeshore).
Indiana Dunes State Park (stateparks.IN.gov/2980.htm) is at 1600 North 25 E. Chesterton, 46304.
To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.
Media contact: Brad Bumgardner, interpretive naturalist, Indiana Dunes State Park, (219) 926-1390, bbumgardner@dnr.IN.gov.
