Spring 2016

Welcome to the latest edition of the Sycamore Warbler! Below, you will find the schedule of events that cover this issue. Also, please note that Wednesdays in the Wild events will now be included below. To get the entire list when it is ready via email, write Joan Mohr Samuels at mohrsamuels@comcast.net or pick up a listing at Lilly Nature Center (LNC).

The latest issue of the Warbler can be found here -> Warbler Vol 41, Issue 1

Wednesdays in the Wild – March 30 1-3 p.m. Benefit of Controlled Burns. Brad Weigle, NICHES Steward. Outdoors at NICHES Granville Sand Barrens. Lots of sand so wear closed toe shoes! See and discuss the benefits of burning various ecosystems.

Wednesdays in the Wild – April 6 1-3 p.m. Exploring the Unique Features of the Big Pine Valley at Crow’s Grove – Bob Easter, NICHES Steward- outdoor pgm – NICHES Crow’s Grove Property, one of NICHES’s newest reserves. [12:15 LNC carpool]

Wednesdays in the Wild – April 13 TIME to be determined. INVASIVES – Ellen Jacquart, TNC. – indoor/outdoor pgm – LNC. Includes an UPDATE on local invasives work & a Garlic Mustard Pull!

Saturday, April 9 – Birds and Wildflowers of Fall Creek Gorge. 7:30 a.m. carpool at the gravel lot at Celery Bog or be at Fall Creek at 8:30 a.m. Note: parking space there is limited. Early Spring Wildflowers & birds.

Thursday, April 14 – Program: Have You Seen a Goatsucker Lately? Remember hearing Whip-poor-wills or flushing coveys of Bobwhite quail? Alan Bruner will discuss changes in populations of some of our bird friends that are now rare and/or difficult to find. Ten bird species that were once easily found in our area through the 1980’s will be highlighted and their current & past status and possible reasons for declines considered. Lilly Nature Center, WL 7:15 p.m. Free parking and refreshments.

Friday – Sunday, April 15-17 – Spring Bake & Plant Sale. See p. 2. Donations and helpers needed. Proceeds going to Hand of the Future Junior Nature Club. Contact Susan Ulrich (p.7) for questions or to volunteer to help.

Wednesdays in the Wild – Apr 20 1-3 p.m. WILD EDIBLES – Talk, Walk, Eat! – Angie Manuel, Prophetstown Naturalist – outdoor pgm at Prophetstown STPK [no park entry fee] . Learn and taste various wild edibles found in the park.

Saturday, April 23 – Garden Expo. See p. 2. 9:30-3 p.m. Tippecanoe Fair Grounds Hog Barn. Again donations are needed and people are urged to contact Susan Ulrich (p. 7) if they have questions, need to arrange to make donations, or volunteer to help out. Door prizes, lectures, loads of vendors.

Wednesdays in the Wild – Apr 27 1-3 p.m. Field Guides 101: Putting a Name with those Wildflower Faces– Mary Cutler. Indoor/outdoor pgm-LNC. Mary will talk about field guides and walk participants through the use of Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide (easily mastered by non-botanists). We’ll take our guides into the field and use them to ID spring flowers. Bring your Newcomb’s guide or borrow or purchase one that day (at discounted price of $15 courtesy of Von’s Book Store!).

Wednesdays in the Wild – April 27 7-9 p.m. National Park Service at 100 Years – Purdue Environmental Ed Students.- indoor pgm -LNC . America’s greatest idea turns 100 years old. What is the current status and history of this program?

Saturday, April 30 – Goose Pond Excursion. Contact Barny if interested. This is a 2.5 hour trip and may involve overnight arrangements such as going down Friday to bird that night and then the next morning.

Tuesday & Thursday, May 3 & 5 – Fifth Grade Camp Walks. People are needed to help teachers lead bird walks at Camp Tecumseh in White County. See story on p. 1. Carpool leaves from Celery Bog at 6:30 a.m. for 7 a.m. start.

Wednesdays in the Wild – May 4 1-3pm Spring Warblers & Other Migrants – Susan Ulrich. Indoor/outdoor pgm – LNC. Indoor talk about migration and the birds that are coming through, followed by an outdoor bird walk at Celery Bog. Binoculars available if needed.

Thursday – Sunday, May 5-8 – Indiana Dunes Birding Festival. See p.2 &/or www.indunesbirdingfestival.com/. People interested in carpooling should contact Barny Dunning, see p. 7.

Wednesdays in the Wild – May 11 1-3pm Moyer Gould Woods Wildflower Hike – Brad Wiegel – outdoor pgm—at NICHES/Moyer Gould Woods. (Carpool LNC time not yet specified). The property along the Tippecanoe River has a wealth of wildflower species.

Thursday, May 12 – Program: This Was Indiana: The Natural Landscape of the Hoosier State in 1816. Join Michael Homoya, botanist and plant ecologist with the Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves, as he takes us to a time when Indiana possessed a grandeur we can only imagine today. During this Indiana bicentennial year, it is appropriate to remember the Indiana that was. Prior to statehood Indiana was a land of vast forests, expansive wetlands, and prairie as far as the eye could see. Herds of bison traveled ancient paths, passenger pigeons darkened the skies, and wolves, bears and panthers roamed the land. All this we know from eyewitness accounts provided by early explorers, pioneers, and government surveyors. 7:15 p.m. Lilly Nature Center, WL. Free parking and refreshments.

Saturday, May 14 – Big Day In May Bird Count. See story on page 1. You can help with either the Tippecanoe or Warren County count. Any birds seen within the 24 hours of May 14 can be included. Please contact the county compiler to volunteer and get your territory to cover and the reporting forms.

Saturday, May 21 – Mind BOGgling Event. See story on p.1. Lots going on. More detailed information available shortly so watch for it, but it is sure to be a fun day for everyone attending.

Saturday, June 11 – Two Prophetstown Field Trips: Both meet at the far end of the park road. Species seen will count towards the 100 State and National Park birds needed for the Bicentennial Big Year.

+Grassland and Other Birds of Prophetstown. 6:30 a.m. to around 8:30 a.m. We’ll
look for the typical grassland species and see what else we can find in our local state park.

+Audubon at the Overlook. 9 a.m. Stick around the overlook and join SAS members to
see and learn about local birds that might put in an appearance.