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Category: Great Outdoors

Bison Calf at Kankakee Sands - © Jason Whalen/Big Foot Media

Nature Notes: Prairie Parents - Bison at Kankakee Sands

By Alyssa Nyberg, Kankakee Sands Efroymson Restoration on

Header photo credit © Jason Whalen/Big Foot Media Just like many of us that are working from home, our bison continue to work from their home at Kankakee Sands. The bison have been busy enriching the plant diversity by eating a plethora of grasses, creating sandy depressions when they wallow in the ground, and pooping out nutrients to enrich the soil, just as they have been doing since they arrived in 2016 when they were brought to Kankakee Sands to assist us in managing our prairies. And this spring, about 25 of our 70 bison will take on an additional job… parenting…

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John Hardwick - Buffalo Man at Kankakee Sands

The Buffalo Man at Kankakee Sands

By Alyssa Nyberg, Kankakee Sands Efroymson Restoration on

On a chilly March morning, John Hardwick pulls into the bison viewing area at Kankakee Sands. With his thermos of hot coffee handy, he’s ready to begin his day. John volunteers as a Bison Ranger at Kankakee Sands. He’s been doing this for four years, and in those four years he has inspired hundreds of visitors with information about Kankakee Sands and our bison herd. …

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Birding - Cranes, Mike Schoonveld

Northwest Indiana for birding or just bird enjoying

By Capt. Mike Schoonveld, Indiana North Coast Charter Assoc. on

Photo:More than 15 thousand cranes stop in NW Indiana on their migrations north and south each year.  Wild birds are an important part of almost every outdoor person’s enjoyment of the natural world. Whether a person is hiking, picnicking, fishing or just sitting on a Lake Michigan beach, birds will be encountered. For some, the bird will just be a flitting glimpse, a bit of color. For others, perhaps spotting wedge of geese or a storm of swarming gulls is a momentary diversion. Birds are just a part of the overall mix which makes an outdoor activity enjoyable…

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Jasper Pulaski Sandhill Cranes - Katherine Stob

Viewing a Moment of a Majestic Migration - Sandhill Cranes

By Katharine Stob, Guest Blogger on

My grandfather loved birds. He used to bird watch and enjoyed learning about them. This love of birds was passed down to my mom. It was with knowing this that our old neighbors, years ago, first took my parents to see the Sandhill Cranes at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area. We have since gone as a family about three times before going for the fourth time this past week. Always the week before or of Thanksgiving. Each time we are amazed by what we see. …

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Gabis Arboretum - Carolyn Hricik

Gabis Arboretum: Twilight in the Garden

By Carolyn Hricik on

Looking to spend the remainder of your good summer days outside? I was lucky enough to stumble upon one of the best hidden-gems in Northwest Indiana, the Gabis Arboretum. Tucked away in southern Valparaiso, driving around the area you wouldn’t expect to find six miles of gorgeous hiking trails anywhere near you. Spending most of my hiking time at the Indiana Dunes National Park, it didn’t occur to me that there was a secret oasis right in my backyard. …

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Butterfly Day at Kankakee Sands by Leigh Littiken

Nature Notes: Green Time - No Batteries Required at Kankakee Sands

By Alyssa Nyberg, Kankakee Sands Efroymson Restoration on

Photo: Butterfly Day at Kankakee Sands by Leigh Littiken We all know that getting out in nature is great for our health, but sometimes our busy schedules make it difficult to find the time to get our “green time”. Fear not, it’s really much easier that you might think – because green time is all around you! Getting you green time is truly as simple as standing outside and noticing the nature around you. No batteries, tools or fancy footwear required…

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