Shirley Heinze Land
Trust is inviting the public to explore the natural beauty of the Calumet
Region and beyond in its annual series of educational hikes.
This year’s series
includes four hikes at nature preserves across the region, including
Trillium Ravine Nature Sanctuary in Berrien County, Michigan; Clark and Pine
Nature Preserve in Lake County; Springfield Fen in LaPorte County; and
Cowles Bog at Indiana Dunes National Park in Porter County.
The hikes:
¥From 9 a.m. to 12
p.m. (ET) Saturday, May 4, botanist Scott Namestnik will lead a spring
wildflower hike at Trillium Ravine, a 15-acre Michigan Nature Association
preserve. The property is home to a diverse community of spring wildflowers,
especially trilliums, as well as sedges, ferns, and many other native
plants. This hike will take place on an established trail on level ground.
¥From 9 a.m. to 12
p.m. (CT) Saturday, June 22, Emily Stork, regional ecologist for the Indiana
DNR Division of Nature Preserves, will lead a hike at Clark and Pine Nature
Preserve, a property which is not open to the public. The preserve features
dune and swale topography, one of Indiana's rarest habitat types. The site
has no trails. Participants should be prepared to hike through vegetation
and wet, uneven terrain. High waterproof boots are recommended.
¥From 9 a.m. to 12
p.m. (CT) Saturday, July 13, Derek Nimetz, regional ecologist for the
Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves, will lead a hike at Springfield
Fen Nature Preserve. The preserve protects an upland forest community and
numerous wetland habitats, including a high-quality example of a calcareous
wetland known as a prairie fen. It also harbors many rare plant and animal
species. Participants should be prepared for uneven and muddy terrain.
¥From 9 a.m. to 12
p.m. (CT) Saturday, Aug. 24, mycologist Dr. Greg Mueller will lead hikers to
look for and identify mushrooms at Cowles Bog. Mueller is chief scientist
and Negaunee Foundation Vice President for Science at the Chicago Botanic
Garden.
Group size is
limited to 15, and advance registration and payment are required. There is a
$25 fee per person for each hike.