For a chance to help the environment and enjoy the great outdoors with your family, head to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for a 24-hour National Geographic BioBlitz event. During BioBlitz, teams of scientists, volunteers and community members work together to find and identify as many local plant and animal species as possible. The event will be held from noon May 15 through noon May 16.
Part scientific endeavor, part festival and outdoor classroom, BioBlitz’s goals are to record as many living organisms among the dunes in 24 hours.
Following the species count will be the Celebrate Biodiversity Festival on May 16 from 1-4 p.m. with music, talks, displays and opportunities to explore more of the park, to talk with the scientists and to see them in action.
Explorers of all ages are needed. West Beach in Portage will serve as the base camp for both the BioBlitz and the festival. Advance registration is required to participate in BioBlitz but is not required for the festival. Admission for both BioBlitz and the festival is free.
To learn more about BioBlitz or to register, log on to www.nationalgeographic.com/bioblitz or call (800) 638-6400 ext. 6186. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is located at 1100 N. Mineral Springs Road, Porter, Ind. For more information on the dunes, call (219) 395-8914 or www.nps.gov/indu.
