Free Admission Day at Indiana DNR Properties, May 1, 2022 @indnrnews

ABOVE: Spring Mill State Park in Lawrence County near Mitchell, Indiana, one of the participating parks on Free Admission Day (May 1, 2022)

Indiana DNR Press Release

A free day of outdoor recreation with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is coming your way on Sunday, May 1, 2022, kicking off Visit Indiana Week, a promotion of the Indiana Destinations Development Corporation that runs May 1-7.

For starters, the Indiana state parks, state recreation areas, reservoirs (on.IN.gov/stateparks), and state forests (on.IN.gov/forestry) that charge a daily gate fee for each entering vehicle will waive that fee for all guests on May 1. Sunday is also the first Free Fishing Day of the year. Indiana residents will be able to fish on that day without a fishing license or trout/salmon stamp, with all size and bag limits applying for those who keep fish.

Free Fishing Day applies to all public waters in Indiana, and free admission provides the perfect chance to fish at one of the many DNR destinations that offer fishing. You can find a fishing destination at on.IN.gov/recfinder.

Free Fishing Day is an ideal chance for anglers to share fishing with someone who does not have a license. To help them get started, fishing tips and videos are at on.IN.gov/learn2fish. You can find public places to fish at on.IN.gov/where2fish. This year’s other Free Fishing Days are June 4-5 and Sept. 24. Learn more at on.IN.gov/fishfree.

When you visit a DNR destination on May 1, regardless of whether you fish, make sure to check in with an Indiana State Nature Passport. Doing so will launch your eligibility for winning prizes from DNR. The grand prize is a package that includes a 2022 State Parks Pass, a $50 gift card for camping, and a subscription to Outdoor Indiana magazine.

In addition, those who donate to the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (on.IN.gov/nrfdonate) in May will earn a free check-in on their nature passport. 

To view more DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.

Woodcarver Exhibit at Eagle Creek Park, Mar. 9-10, 2019

Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, Indiana.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2010, all rights reserved.

By Kylie Money
On behalf of the event organizers

Indianapolis, IN – Eagle Creek Park is hosting the annual Woodcarver, Woodturner & Woodburner Exhibition. The exhibition is on Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10, 2019, from 9 am to 5 pm each day.

This event will showcase Indiana woodworkers and their wide array of artwork depicting beautiful wildlife, flora and fauna and/or traditional Native Americans through the fascinating art of woodcarving, woodturning, and woodburning.

In the past, both artistic and functional wood pieces on display have included Nativity sets, wine stoppers, salt and pepper mills, animal puzzles, fan pulls, lidded boxes, earring and napkin holders, and much more.

Artists will provide insight into their craft through colorful stories and answering questions. They will even provide some demonstrations for their art pieces.

There will be a family activities area with soap carving, decorating tree cookies, a free play area, coloring pages, and a nature’s woodcarver’s station highlighting how native wildlife utilizes wood.

The exhibition will be at the Earth Discovery Center in Eagle Creek Park and is free with park admission. Park admission is $5 per vehicle for county residents, $6 per vehicle for out of county.

Most of the artwork at the exhibit will be for sale, making for some great gifts or wonderful new decorations for your home! The artist entry and 15% of sales will go toward the Eagle Creek Park Foundation. The foundation works to promote, preserve, protect and enhance Eagle Creek Park through the support of the local community and volunteers.

For more information visit www.eaglecreekpark.org.

Veterans and Active Duty Military Free Admission Day at DNR Properties, Nov. 11

Clifty Falls State Park near Madison, Indiana.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2016, all rights reserved.

Press Release
Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources

All veterans and active-duty military personnel, and everyone in their vehicle, will be admitted free to DNR state parks, reservoir properties and state forests on Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. Veterans and military personnel should present ID or evidence of military service where entrance gates are in operation.

“We appreciate the sacrifices and service of our veterans and active-duty military and look forward to recognizing them with a day to explore some of the best outdoor places in our state,” said Dan Bortner, director of Indiana State Parks.

For proof of military status, gate attendants will accept:

—Discharge papers (veteran’s DD Form 214).
—Veteran license plates: Ex-POW, Purple Heart, Disabled Hoosier Veteran, Pearl Harbor Survivor.
—Veteran license plates also include:
—Air Force Veteran
—Army Veteran.
—Coast Guard Veteran.
—Marine Corps Veteran.
—Merchant Marine Veteran.
—Navy Veteran.
—U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Award Letter.
—Veterans hunting and fishing license.
—Documents showing veteran benefits with veteran’s name on document.
—Any other certificate or verification letter or form.

For general information about state park, reservoir and forest properties, visit http://dnr.IN.gov.

For information about interpretive programs at state parks and reservoirs, visit InterpretiveServices.IN.gov.

Temporary State Park Closings November 2017

Spring Mill State Park is one of the parks affected by this announcement.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2010, all rights reserved.

DNR Press Release

Multiple state park properties to close temporarily for deer reductions

Select Indiana state park properties will close temporarily to allow for controlled deer reductions in the coming weeks.

The dates for the temporary closings are Nov. 13-14 and Nov. 27-28, 2017.

The state parks affected are Chain O’Lakes, Charlestown, Clifty Falls, Fort Harrison, Harmonie, Lincoln, McCormick’s Creek, Ouabache, Pokagon and Trine State Recreation Area, Potato Creek, Shades, Shakamak, Spring Mill and Cave River Valley Natural Area, Tippecanoe River, Versailles, and Whitewater Memorial.

These properties will close to the general public the evening before each two-day reduction effort and reopen the morning after each effort.

Only individual hunters selected from the draw in September and their designated hunting partners may participate in the hunts.

DNR biologists evaluate which parks require a reduction each year based on habitat recovery and previous harvest rates at each park. The state parks are home to more than 32 state-endangered plants and numerous significant natural communities. The reductions help control browsing by deer to a level that helps maintain habitat throughout the state parks for all plants and animals.

Information on 2018 state park deer reductions, including online applications, will be available next summer at dnr.IN.gov/fishwild. The application deadline is usually the end of August.

Additional information on state park deer reductions is at stateparks.IN.gov/6289.htm.

NinjaZone Academy Now Open at Grand Park in Westfield

The NinjaZone Academy is located inside Grand Park Events Center in Westfield, Indiana.

By Bob Burchfield, Editor
AroundIndy.com, LLC

Today I visited the NinjaZone Academy at Grand Park – The Sports Campus at Westfield in #Westfield #Indiana to check out this new gymnastics, martial arts, obstacle training, and freestyle movement facility with my 12-year-old grandson, Zion.

The NinjaZone, which just opened last week, is located INSIDE the Grand Park Events Center at 19000 Grand Park Blvd in Westfield. It’s part of a national network of these franchises that just started two years ago. Right now, according to the manager, it’s open Mon-Sat 9 am to 12 pm and Mon-Thu 4-8 pm (hours may fluctuate as traffic patterns and classes develop).

This is a really cool fitness gym for kids with state-of-the-art equipment and fully-trained coaches and trainers. As you can see in the photos, trainer Tyler Robling was right there to keep an eye on Zion as he went through a little exercise routine on “The Rig!” in the The Challenge Room.

“The Rig!” in The Challenge Room at NinjaZone Academy.

(Here’s a tip: my grandson has autism, which presents a lot of challenges of its own. But Zion kicked off his shoes and took to the equipment like a duck to water! I think kids will naturally be drawn to this equipment.)

Zion tries his hand at walking the tight rope, under the watchful eye of trainer Tyler Robling.

Grand Park is the first-ever Academy location for NinjaZone — and there’s going to be a 2nd location opening this summer in the Geist area at 116th Street and Olio Road.

The NinjaZone Academy offers child-centered personalized instruction with small classes of a 6:1 ratio. Students receive one class per week and eight 20-minute challenge classes per month. Each regular class lasts for 40 minutes.

It is designed to meet the developmental needs of children ages 3 to 13 (you can enroll your kids up to age 11 and they can stay on through age 13).

Trainer Tyler Robling helps Zion on the monkey bars.

So although Zion is too old to enroll in the Academy, two of my favorite bloggers Jenny Lear (Fortville Mama) and Katy Mann (Indy with Kids) have kids in that age group who are ideal candidates for this program.

In fact, Jenny Lear is actually the one who suggested that I visit NinjaZone and check it out, and when I got there, I discovered that both Jenny and Katy have already beat me to the punch!

By the way, NinjaZone can also do birthday parties for your group!

I’d like to personally thank Scott Rudicel (yes, it’s Rudi: THAT Scott!) and Megan Noel for taking time out of their busy day to give Zion and me a tour of the facility. And as a bonus I discovered that my good friend Jason Nye, who used to work with me at the University of Indianapolis, is now the Digital Content Manager for NinjaZone!

For more information, visit http://theninjazone.com/location-learn-more/ or call 317-418-8761. You can also follow NinjaZone on Twitter @ninjazonegpacad or on Facebook at https://facebook.com/. Check it out when you get the chance!

DISCLOSURE NOTICE: Rudi gave Zion a free T-shirt during our visit.