Audubon Meeting and Owl Program at Indiana’s Pokagon SP, Nov. 18

The Pokagon State Park Nature Center will host the Stockbridge Chapter of the National Audubon Society for its monthly meeting on Sunday, Nov. 18, followed by a special program on saw-whet owls.

The Stockbridge Chapter represents northeast Indiana. The group’s brief business meeting starts at 2 p.m. The meeting and the owl program are free and open to the public.

The program is “Project Owlnet – Banding the Northern Saw-whet Owl in Northwest Indiana.” Indiana Dunes State Park interpreter Brad Bumgardner will share his work on this diminutive owl of the North Woods.

Saw-whet owls pass through Indiana on migration. For four years, Bumgardner has caught and banded them at Indiana Dunes. Though there will be no live owls at this meeting, Bumgardner will share what he and others have discovered about the birds.

The program is free after the standard entrance fee of $5 per in-state vehicle or $7 per out-of-state vehicle.

For more information, call (260) 833-2012.

Pokagon State Park is at 450 Lane 100 Lake James, Angola, 46703.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining natural areas such as state parks, state forests, recreation areas, etc. There are many divisions within the DNR and each has a specific role. The DNR is not only responsible for maintaining resource areas but also manages Indiana's fish and wildlife, reclaims coal mine ground, manages forested areas, aids in the management of wildlife on private lands, enforces Indiana's conservation laws, and many other duties not named here. According to the department's website, their mission is "to protect, enhance, preserve, and wisely use natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the benefit of Indiana's citizens through professional leadership, management, and education."