Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore, in partnership with the Indiana Coastal Invasive Plant
Network, will be premiering a new opportunity to adopt trails and help keep
invasive species from eroding park biodiversity at a hands-on training
event, from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 11, at the Douglas Center, 100 N
Lake St. in the Miller section of Gary.
Early detection and
control efforts can be one of the most effective ways of keeping invasive
species from gaining a foothold in the National Lakeshore and other managed
natural areas in Northwest Indiana. During the event, participants will
learn how to identify the most threatening invasives in the region, where
they’re most likely to be found, and how to report them, once found, to
www.eddmaps.org/Indiana
or via a smartphone using the free Great Lakes Early Detection Network
application.
All attendees will
receive a free set of laminated cards that can be used for species
identification in the field. Participants will also learn which National
Lakeshore Trails can be adopted and what is required of volunteers involved
in that effort.
The Indiana Coastal
Invasive Plant Network was recently launched to help call public attention
to the area’s invasive species and their impacts Organizations involved
include the National Lakeshore, The Nature Conservancy, Save the Dunes, the
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Coffee
Creek Watershed Preserve, and the Wildlife Habitat Council.
Early detection
efforts are important for several reasons Understanding where species are
being found allows control strategies to be prioritized while populations
are still small. When infestations get larger, control efforts become more
difficult and costlier Reports of invasives in neighboring parks or
properties also give natural area managers a heads-up.
Funding for this
program was provided in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Lake
Michigan Coastal Program, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, and
ArcelorMittal.
If you have one, be
sure to bring your smartphone. To RSVP or for further information, contact
Susan MiHalo at smihalo@tnc.org by June 6.
For more
information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore,
call (219) 395-1882 or visit
www.nps.gov/indu
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Posted 6/7/2016
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