Hiking the Succession Trail at Indiana Dunes National Park

I recently had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with my family at West Beach, part of the Indiana Dunes National Park. We were wanting something peaceful, yet active, to enjoy the nice weather. I had heard about the Succession Trail from a coworker and thought that I would check it out. The four of us: my mom, my dad, and my small dog, Harbor, made the trip with a small backpack filled with water and snacks…

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Nature Notes: Meadow Muffins - Dung Beetles at Kankakee Sands

We often talk about the types of plants that our Kankakee Sands bison are eating, and how that will affect the prairies. What we rarely talk about is what is happening at the other end of the bison. Bison poop, bison patties, dung, feces, meadow muffins…there are a whole host of flowery alternatives (my kids and I came up with 23 different terms!) to describe the very important resource that our bison are contributing to the prairie. …

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South Shore Trails: Oak Savannah Trail

By Tom Dabertin The Oak Savannah Trail is one of my personal favorites. The paved path starts at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park (301 South Colfax in Griffith). There is always plenty of parking available; it’s scenic, and has both under and overpasses to avoid major street crossings at I-65, Broadway and Cleveland. The path is multiple use, but bicyclists far outnumber joggers, etc. and people are always polite in yielding…

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