INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE: On Dec. 27, join in at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and be part of the longest running Citizen Science survey in the world: Audubon's 113th annual Christmas Bird Count. Counts are taking place across the country from Dec. 14, 2012 to January 5, 2013. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission - to find and count as many birds as possible. Audubon and other organizations will use the data collected to assess the health of bird populations and to help guide conservation actions.
Each count takes place within a "Count Circle" that focuses on a specific geographic area. The national lakeshore is hosting the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore West Circle. The circle is located in the western portion of the national lakeshore, the northeastern part of Lake County, and the northwestern part of Porter County.
If you're interested in helping out, please contact park ranger Christine Gerlach. She can be reached by e-mail at christine_gerlach@nps.gov or by phone at 219-395-1885. The deadline to register for this count is December 21.
www.nps.gov/indu
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is part of the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 398 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
