Indiana has gold; you just have to look for it
ALSO INSIDE PROPERTY PROFILE:
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Kingsbury Fish & Wildlife area
Avian symphony Recordings enhance birding experience
2023
When we think of a gold prospector, the mind’s eye may visualize a grizzled old man with a tattered hat, pickaxe and his trusty mule joining the flood of dreamers heading to the California frontier in the mid-1800s.
But gold can be found in lots of places that we may not typically think, and by taking up the charge of looking for the precious metal in their own state, many Hoosiers have found a new hobby they love: gold prospecting.
Indiana does not have natural gold veins like its western counterparts, but people have been finding gold — and even small diamonds — in the streams of Brown and other Indiana counties for well over 100 years, according to the Indiana Geological Survey. Like its neighboring states, Indiana has gold that was brought by vast continental glaciers originating from Canada during the Ice Age. Most of the gold found today is in the form of tiny flakes.
But no matter its size or source, the gold found in Indiana’s streams has captured the imagination of many a seeker.
“The very first time you
find gold, you just can’t describe it. The joy, the amazement, it’s like nothing else,” said Dennis Dayton of Edinburgh.
Dayton has been gold prospecting since 2003, when a cousin bought him a gold panning kit. Dayton was skeptical at first, but became interested after watching the video that came with the kit.
“As soon as I watched it, I was hooked,” Dayton said. “I watched it every day until we were able to get to a creek.”
Dayton found 50 pieces of gold that first day, and he was off and running.
Over the past 20 years, Dayton has panned for gold in countless streams in Indiana, and has branched out to more than 10 other states, including Idaho, where he owns three gold claims and a gold mine. Dayton has become a celebrity of sorts in the Indiana gold panning community, with numerous
YouTube videos and as a co-host of a weekly talk show, Prospectors Radio.
The tools used in gold panning can range from hand-held pans to consid-
natural flow of a stream. Since gold is much heavier than gravel, sand and other items captured, the sluice box is able to separate it from the other items. In deeper waters, however, dredges are often used.
Brian Kuhn, of Fort Wayne, has been coming to Salt Creek in Brown County for the past 12 years. He and a friend typically spend a week or so camping, fishing and panning for gold. Kuhn said he saves money by making most of his own equipment.
“We don’t get enough gold to pay for the gas down here,” Kuhn said. “For us, it’s more the thrill of the chase.”
erably more sophisticated equipment. Some common devices include a highbanker, which uses a pump to force water through a sluice box to mimic the
Kuhn, 57, said that he has always enjoyed the outdoors, and that “Gold Rush,” a reality television series about gold prospectors that debuted in 2010, piqued his interest.
Most people out gold panning are doing it for the social aspects, said Robin
Stevens, owner of the Gatesville Country Store in Brown County.
“A lot of it is social, especially for the older folks,” Stevens said. “They like to sit and talk about (panning for gold) more than doing it, but some of them still get their feet wet.”
Salt Creek has been a hotbed for gold prospecting in Indiana, and Stevens’ store has served as a home base for those coming to the area. The Southern Indiana chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America meets monthly there from March to October, and the Central Indiana chapter meets there, as well.
“Gatesville is a great place,” Dayton said. “You could probably go down there every weekend and meet someone new and interesting.”
Stevens and her husband have owned the Gatesville Country Store since 2001, and the store has been at its present location since the mid-90s, after the old store
was destroyed in a fire. The old store, which was built in the 1930s, also hosted prospectors, Stevens said.
“There are those who would like to make money,” said Richard Lewellen, vice president of the Southern Indiana chapter. “But most of us are here for the camaraderie.”
“Most of us would be happy if we just got a speck or two of gold. We do it for the friendship and to be in nature,” he added.
Lewellen said it is rare to find gold nuggets. Finding “pickers” — what the pros call a piece of gold large enough to pick up with two fingers — is more likely, but even that is not common.
Lewellen advised beginners to find an organization to join so they can have their questions answered and receive help with the transition.
“The people in the group are friendly and always willing to help anyone out,” he said.
“One thing beginners should know is that panning for gold is not easy,” said Clark Hadley, who recently retired as an earth science professor at Franklin College. Hadley took students each semester on a field trip to Salt Creek to pan for gold. Although the feedback he received from students was overwhelmingly positive, they expressed surprise at how hard the work was.
“It is very laborious,” Hadley said. “It takes lots of time and patience.”
«If you were old enough to buy CDs in the ’90s, you may remember listening to stations at superstores that featured music by some of nature’s noisiest creatures: birds. These CDs blended classical music like Brahms’ lullaby with the plaintive call of a loon or smooth jazz coupled with the howls of wolves (“Jazz Wolf,” anyone? It was a 1993 classic). Sometimes the composers even threw in a frog ribbit or cricket chirp in this golden age of nature mashups.
I would put on the headphones at the listening station and chuckle at the sound of a barn owl hooting to Beethoven’s Fifth, wondering who the target audience was.
If you prefer your nature sounds unadorned, consider recording them yourself.
Maybe you’re thinking, “Why bother, when I can go to “All About Birds” and hear those sounds anytime?” The
answer is as simple as you want it to be: Because you need something to keep you interested while hiking, because recording bird sounds captures memories, because you like audio journaling, because you want to contribute to research — or because birdsong can be as ephemeral as the bloom of a morning glory, and you want to hold onto it. If you’re inclined to set your bird sounds to smooth jazz later, then that’s your prerogative.
Whether it’s the high-pitched squawk of a dramatically gray, black and white Clark’s nutcracker at Mammoth Lakes, or the fairy tale music of a Swainson’s thrush singing from your garden bird feeder, these sounds are as varied as human voices — and there’s a charm to studying them on your own.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Lance Benner, who captures radar imaging of asteroids in his day job, regularly records birds while hiking and mountain biking. Benner said he has been fascinated by bird vocalizations since he was a child, when he first learned the calls of birds such as northern cardinals, barred owls and common loons.
“Some bird songs are utterly magical,” Benner said. “I love listening to them and
love preserving brief moments in time with recordings.”
Recording bird sounds is how Benner and many others learn them, tuning into what birds may be nearby without being able to see them. “I grew up in New England, where it can be hard to see forest birds in the spring and summer after the leaves come out. If you learn the songs, you can identify many, many more species than visually.” As far as recording equipment, Benner is fond of both simple solutions like his iPhone and more complicated equipment. When using his iPhone, he turns to his Voice Memos app or Voice Record Pro; the latter can perform simple audio editing and conversion to different file formats. There are also bird-specific iPhone apps that record, including Song Sleuth and Bird Genie, which can identify up to around 200 species.
Is it really possible to get a decent recording from your phone?
“It most certainly is,” Benner said. You can also extract sound files from the audio of a video, including on an SLR camera. Sounds haven’t been as good, Benner said, as from sound recorders, but these devices are “surprisingly capable.”
Benner imports the mp4 files from his iPhone into Audacity or Raven Lite, where he can more closely examine and edit them. For an Android phone recording, he recommends RecForge II. You can also plug an external microphone into your phone for better recordings.
If you’d like to increase the quality of your recordings and have a few hundred bucks to divert to your outdoor budget, you can use a separate recorder with an external microphone, which reduces background noise. Your best option for recording low-frequency sounds, like those from owls, mourning doves and grouse, is a shotgun microphone. These long, barrel-shaped microphones absorb sound from a specific direction. You can get them at any Best Buy or major electronics stores, as well as online from a variety of retailers, including B&H Photo Video and Sweetwater.
Benner typically uses a Sound Devices MixPre-3 recorder and an old Olympus LS-10 recorder that’s no longer available for purchase, with an 18-inch Sennheiser ME67 shotgun microphone (no longer available, but you can try a variety of other mics, including the 10-inch Sennheiser
MKE 600 shotgun microphone) while hiking. A windscreen over the mic helps filter out wind.
When seeking to capture sensitive sounds coming from multiple directions, he has also used an omni directional Sennheiser ME62 with a Telinga Parabolic dish.
If you’re looking to record at night (owls and other nocturnal birds, particularly) or at other times when you won’t be near your equipment, consider an open acoustic device called a sound logger, like the AudioMoth or Song Meter Mini, which can automatically record at specified intervals for up to several weeks. Benner discreetly straps these sound loggers to trees far from the trail so they’re not vandalized, leaving them out for a couple days up to a month, and then transfers the files from the SD card to his hard drive to check them. They’re particularly useful, he said, in recording the early morning birdsong called the dawn chorus in the chaparral habitat, and mid- and high elevations in the San Gabriel mountains.
If your recordings are coming out fuzzy or you can’t quite hear the birds, Benner said to get closer and try to record in quieter areas. Don’t talk, don’t shuffle your feet and try not to record in rain, near rushing water or in windy conditions. You may be able to crouch behind a car or a building in order to block out some of the
undesired sounds. Play back recordings to check them, and if birds aren’t audible, try recording again. It may be easier to obtain good recordings when you’re alone as opposed to when you’re in a group. Turn on the low-cut filter, which removes unwanted low-frequency sounds like the hum of a nearby engine or building HVAC system, and turn up the sensitivity and gain, which controls how loudly your birdsong is recorded.
Sharing your recordings is part of the fun — and a great way to contribute to both an international hobby and an important field of research. Benner said that important conservation changes have been made due to bird recordings, like the decision to restore bird habitat in the Devil’s Gate Dam restoration project after recordings of an endangered species, the least Bell’s vireo, were made at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena. Declining species, like spotted owls, may be hard to see, but recordings may help document the numbers of the species.
“There’s an acute need to obtain more sound recordings of many species, of the dawn chorus and sounds at night,” Benner said. He uses recordings of red crossbills to understand the populations of that species, a type of finch, that occur in Southern California and in the Sierra Nevada. “There are at least 12 populations of red crossbills in North
America, and the best way to identify them, by far, is by sound,” Benner said. “In 2011 and 2012, we discovered that the red crossbills in this area are types 2 and 3. None of the others have been documented here yet.”
To share his findings with the world, Benner converts his avian audio files to mp3s and uploads them to two sites: eBird and Xeno-Canto. eBird files go into the Macaulay
Library of sounds at Cornell University, where they exist like museum specimens in archival formats and are used by researchers for academic papers and conservation planning, including site and habitat management and informing law and policy. Xeno-Canto, a Dutch archive, is for everyone, including hobbyists; anyone can download files, and it’s easier to search for files than on eBird.
Front Range temperatures remain in the ‘80s and ‘90s and there’s no fresh snow on mountain ski slopes, but Vail Resorts announced projected opening dates for its Colorado resorts.
Keystone is listed as “mid-October, pending early season conditions,” but Breckenridge and Vail are scheduled to open on Nov. 10, with Beaver Creek and Crested Butte to open the day before Thanksgiving, which is Nov. 22. Conditions permitting, of course.
Actual opening dates depend on having sufficiently cold temperatures for snowmaking, sometimes augmented by natural snowfall. Last year Keystone opened on Oct. 28, Breckenridge on Nov. 9, Vail on Nov. 11, Beaver Creek on Nov. 21 and Crested Butte on Nov. 23.
A few other resorts have quietly set projected dates for this year, as well: Copper Mountain, Nov. 13; Steamboat,
Nov. 22; Aspen, Snowmass and Telluride, Nov. 23; Granby Ranch, Dec. 8; Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk, Dec. 9.
Arapahoe Basin marketing vice president Jesse True said his area will open “as soon as possible, as usual,” noting that the five-year average there is Oct. 19. Last year A-Basin was the first area to open on Oct. 23, followed by Keystone on Oct. 28, Winter Park on Oct. 31 and Loveland on Nov. 3. According to records kept by the Denver Post, Arapahoe Basin has been the first Front Range area to open in 10 of the last 12 years, usually with Loveland or Keystone close behind.
Loveland marketing director John Sellers says he expects that area to open in mid-to late-October, as usual.
According to the 90-day outlook by the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, Colorado temperatures are forecast to be above normal.
Address: 5344 S. Hupp Road
LaPorte, IN 46350
Phone: 219-393-3612
Website: https://www.in.gov/ dnr/fish-and-wildlife/ properties/kingsbury-fwa/
A gate on the west side of the property restricts access from an industrial park. Property users should enter from the north via South Hupp Road.
Free
Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT
Property hours: 24-7. Some activities may have specific open times, especially if there is a draw.
DESCRIPTION
Kingsbury Fish & Wildlife Area provides quality outdoor recreational opportunities while maintaining 7,400 acres of grasslands, crop fields, thick brush, marsh areas and a 30-acre lake. visitors can enjoy hunting, fishing, wildlife watching and the shooting range on the property.
Kingsbury FWA is a remnant of the old Kingsbury Ordnance Plant, which produced shells, cartridges and mortar rounds for World War II and the Korean War. The land was deeded to the state of Indiana in 1965 by the federal government, and wildlife management began at that time.
Most revenues used in land acquisition, development, operation and maintenance of Kingsbury Fish & Wildlife Area are derived from the sale of hunting, fishing and trapping licenses. Funds are also derived from the federal Pittman-Robertson and DingellJohnson programs to aid fish and
wildlife restoration. These funds are derived from taxes levied on sport hunting, shooting, and fishing equipment.
Pit toilets are in the parking lot of the check station; accessible indoor restrooms are available at the shooting range during range hours.
Fishing: Public fishing areas are found along the Kankakee River, drainage ditches and the 30-acre Tamarack Lake. The lake is stocked with channel catfish every other year. Primary species also include bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass. A maximum 12-volt electric motor is allowed on the lake.
Gas motors are allowed on the river. Boat ramps are located at parking area 5G for the Kankakee River and parking area 5A for Tamarack Lake.
Shoreline fishing is located along the drainage ditches and the Kankakee River.
Resident and non-resident licenses and stamps are sold at the office.
Hunting: Deer, pheasant, rabbit, squirrel, furbearers, dove, duck, goose, and wild turkey hunting are common. Registration is at the self-service kiosks. The kiosks are always open and are located at 5344 S. Hupp Road and on Hupp Road west of Travis Ditch. Maps are available in the self-service area and online. Kingsbury FWA has three refuges where hunting is
prohibited. These refuges are clearly marked.
Advance registration is required for wild turkey, dove hunting and some waterfowl hunting. The Kingsbury FWA office operates a deer and turkey check station.
The use of hunting dogs is allowed. A dog training area is provided in area 6.
Kingsbury FWA holds multiple events for new shooters and hunters throughout the year. For more information, call 219-393-3612.
Resident and non-resident licenses and stamps are sold at the office.
All hunting at Reynolds Creek is by preseason draw. As wildlife populations rebound, hunting opportunities will expand.
Shooting range: The range has 37 shooting positions: 10 positions at 50 yards, five positions at 100 yards, 18 positions at 10, 15 or 25 yards, and four shotgun stations. An archery range is available to the public on a first-come, firstserved basis.
Fees for the shooting range are $5 a day for age 18 and older, $2 a day for younger than 18 (under 18 must be accompanied by an adult), $10 a day for a family (example: 2 adults and 2 children). A yearly pass is available for $100 per calendar year.
The shooting range is ADA compliant and staffed by range officers. Indoor accisible restrooms are available.
Bring your own targets and ammunition. 3-D deer targets are available for rent for archery range use. Use of eye and ear protection is required of all participants and observers.
Trapping: The trapping draw is the first Saturday in October at 10 a.m. CT at the property office. Kingsbury FWA has five trapping units, and the draw is for twoweek periods. There is also a youth trapping unit.
Wildlife watching, birding: The 7,400 acres of fallow land, crop fields, thick brush, grasslands, waterways and scattered stands of conifers and hardwoods attract hawks, owls, bald eagles, shorebirds, wading birds and a wide variety of resident and migrating songbirds. Registration at a selfservice kiosk is required.
Other: Bicycling is allowed on all paved and gravel roads.
Dog running is allowed in Area 6. Foraging for mushrooms, berries, antlers and nuts is permitted; however, a written permit is required to remove plants, animals, rocks and fossils.
While there are no designated trails, there are mowed lanes that can be used to explore the property. Hunter orange is suggested.
Kingsbury has a 30-acre lake and marsh area that can be utilized for kayaking or canoeing. Lake and river access is free of charge. Swimming is not allowed. Boat launches are located at the Kankakee River and on Tamarack Lake.
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«Earlier this summer, Adam Ducharme made an unpleasant discovery while helping volunteers install signs telling visitors where to camp, park or launch boats near Leadville, a mountain town surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks in central Colorado.
“We were digging holes, putting in signs, and then backfilling the holes with rocks and sort of compounding it with dirt,” Ducharme said. “And every third rock that I picked up to put into the hole had human waste on it.”
Ducharme, the region’s first tourism director, was hired last year to not only market the area, but also to help manage the effects of throngs of visitors who have descended on the scenic state after outdoor recreation boomed during the pandemic.
To address sustainability concerns, Colorado is the first state to fold what tourism officials call a “destination stewardship” department into its state-level tourism office, said Hayes Norris, the communications manager at the Colorado Tourism Office.
Most states welcome visitors, who are vital to their economies. In Pennsylvania, for example, 124 state parks attract 40 million visitors annually, according to the governor’s office. Outdoor recreation adds an estimated $14 billion annually to the Pennsylvania economy and supports 150,000 jobs, the state said. But the economic benefits are accompanied by crowds that can degrade the natural resources of fragile ecosystems.
There’s even evidence of human waste in the regional groundwater supply in and around Leadville, Ducharme said. One of his tourism counterparts in Ouray, a high-altitude Colorado town with a population of 923 known as the Switzerland of America, said officials no longer actively promote their summer season because they are at capacity. Instead, they try to draw
PHOTO By TRIBUNE NEWS SERvICEpeople year-round to lessen the impact of one season, and they focus on encouraging responsible tourism among their existing visitors.
“Summertime, we don’t really necessarily promote coming to Ouray,” said Kailey Rhoten, the tourism and destination marketing director for the city. “We promote what you can do when you’re in Ouray. Summertime is when I’m actually going out in the field, meeting people. That’s when we’re hitting it the hardest with more of that educational piece.”
The outdoor recreation boom was already on the rise before people sought socially distant fun during the early days of the pandemic. But it has been exacerbated by heavy use as people continue to plan hikes, pitch tents and seek out lakes and rivers during the extreme heat events that are now part of most American summers. Often, that recreation is in places that haven’t had adequate budgets for maintenance or staff, said Marci Mowery, president of the nonprofit Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation.
In Pennsylvania — where all state parks and parking are free — there’s an effort to direct people to less-visited parks or trails, Mowery said. Their volunteers also have been actively teaching some visitors about Leave No Trace principles, which are a framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors.
“We need to educate people that there are other alternatives and to have an alternative in their pocket,” Mowery said. “So if they show up at a very popular trailhead, rather than making
their own parking space and wedging themselves in, to go to another trail in the state park system or in the forest or in a nearby park.”
Overuse can diminish the overall visitor experience for people seeking the solitude of wilderness or the outdoors. And it can make it more challenging for rural search-and-rescue teams to respond to emergencies, especially when new or inexperienced outdoor enthusiasts seek out adventure.
In Washington state, for example, a popular federal wilderness area known as the Enchantments allows limited overnight camping, accessible only to backpackers via a competitive lottery. But people are allowed to hike the challenging 18-mile route during the day without a permit. Fueled by social media posts of clear mountain lakes and mountain goats, as well as online lists touting the Enchantments trek as a world trail-running highlight, a growing number of enthusiasts try to complete the trek in one go. They can’t always finish, and some must call for emergency help, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office told the Seattle Times.
A study of pandemic recreation habits by Pennsylvania State University, the University of Montana and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics found that nearly half of adults in the United States now participate in outdoor recreation “at least once per month.” Twenty percent of those people may be entirely new to outdoor recreation since the pandemic, the study found.
That new popularity coincides with the challenges many state parks now face because of climate change, said Rachel Norton, executive director of the California State Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that supports state parks and forests. She points to the 2020 fires that burned more than 97% of the state’s beloved Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Portions of the park reopened last year for day visitors with reservations.
“It was really a gut punch to a lot of people in California because that park was so well loved and it was like, OK, it’s here,’” Norton said. “We love these places, we value these places, and now climate change is here and it’s threatening these places. They’re actually getting beat up more by the impacts of climate change and visitation. And so there’s just really a need to fund them and maintain them and manage them somewhat differently as the climate
changes.”
In Pennsylvania, state parks and forests got a $75 million bump in the 2022 state budget, thanks to money from federal American Rescue Plan Act. It is “a down payment on this larger need to invest,” Mowery said. But state funding often is not enough to address the backlog of needs or the future effects of climate change, she said, pointing to the flood damage at one park that recently experienced 5 1/2 inches of rain in 45 minutes.
To manage crowds and provide more opportunities for local and out-of-state visitors, some states, including California, North Dakota and Pennsylvania, have opened or are planning new state parks or trail systems to accommodate more visitors. North Dakota recently devoted $17.9 million to its maintenance backlog, and has an $8 million plan to expand a remote recreation area near the Canadian border into its 14th state park. Plans call for 35 campsites and about six cabins at the Pembina Gorge in northeastern North Dakota, which has steep valley cliffs and the largest continuous, undisturbed forest in the state.
The gorge is closer to Winnipeg than it is to any populous North Dakota cities, said state parks director Cody Schulz, so officials anticipate that when it opens in 2025, the new park will be a four-season draw for Canadian visitors. He said he was struck when he started the job two years ago by how, while the borders were closed during the height of the pandemic, Canadian visitors to state parks dropped by 63%. But overall visits to state parks were up by about 20% and continue to remain steady. The park hopes to tap the Canadian market even as it serves its own residents, he said.
“There’s some pent-up demand and we just want to make sure that our supply matches the demand,” he said. “This is a unique opportunity for us to check all of those strategic boxes: stewardship and conservation, economic development and tourism.”
Even as they accommodate more visitors, many state parks also hope to expand who has access to the outdoors, especially visitors of color who’ve been excluded in the past, and those of limited economic means who rely on the affordability of state parks for recreation.
In California, where it can cost as much as $20 a day to park at some beach parks, the state plans to boost spending on a popular program that allows people to
check out free day passes from their local libraries. And at North Dakota state parks, visitors can nab a $2 tent camping site on Tuesdays, a less popular day for visitors.
Other state park systems, including in Colorado and Oregon, have tweaked their online reservation systems so that people who can’t plan ahead for a spot at popular campsites are more likely to land lastminute vacancies.
Colorado has tried to tailor its tourism marketing efforts to the needs of individual communities, Norris said. About a third of the state’s 17 recent tourism marketing grants to local boosters have an element of responsible tourism or destination stewardship.
Other state marketing efforts include campaigns like “Doo Colorado Right,” a $40,000 push aimed at educating visitors about outdoor toilet etiquette. The campaign began in the Gunnison Valley, another highly trafficked locale with many backcountry visitors. Local tourism officials around the state handed out 3,500 backpacking trowels with fungal mycelium-based tablets that speed the disintegration of human waste. The instructions: Dig a 6-inch-deep cathole, drop in the tablets and a biodegradable wipe, and cover it up with dirt.
Ducharme said that his own family has adapted new toilet habits when camping, based on what he’s unearthed recently — and the campaign. When car camping in remote places without bathroom facilities, for example, they bring a portable toilet. So-called wag bags also are an option for backpackers, who can pack out poo and dispose of it in municipal trash instead of digging up fragile high-elevation tundra.
The trowel campaign is a playful take on the state’s existing “Do Colorado Right” messaging, Norris said. That campaign got its start during the pandemic to educate visitors about responsible and respectful travel in Colorado — even as they make the most of their trip by choosing lesserknown attractions and off-peak times for their visits, she said.
“It’s done really well on social channels, does really well on TikTok and Instagram because it makes it very fun and lighthearted and less finger-wagging,” Norris said. “It’s more like ‘do this and you’ll have a better experience.’”
Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization focused on state policy.
With near-endless sunshine, world-class theme parks and abundant outdoor experiences, California is an ideal destination to embark on an unforgettable adventure.
To make it easy for travelers to plan their trips, the 2023 California Road Trips guide includes 13 action-packed itineraries that begin and end at one of the state’s 27 commercial airports, highlighting how easy it is to fly into any region of the Golden State and hit the road.
“California’s natural beauty, diverse topography and culturally rich communities are the perfect backdrop for an epic road trip experience,” said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California, a nonprofit organization that partners with the state’s travel industry to develop and maintain marketing programs that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. “This year’s guide showcases how the state’s vast network of international and regional airports provide travelers with convenient access to every corner of the California Road Trip Republic.”
The guide’s cover star, Dwyane Wade, a three-time NBA champion, dad and owner of Napa Valley winery Wade Cellars, moved to Los Angeles after his retirement in 2019. Wade said California granted him a soulful landscape and much-needed quiet time.
“I like to find moments where no one can expect anything of me and California allows me to have those moments,” Wade said. “I’ll drive to the beach and walk next to the water. I’ll drive all over
to find those moments to connect with myself... I get my energy from that.”
While California’s world-renowned coastline provides a dramatic backdrop, adventures can be found in every region of the Golden State. Featured drives take travelers to both cities and classic small towns, family attractions and far-reaching, otherworldly landscapes. A few sample road trip itineraries include:
l “Animals, Desert and Offbeat Art” combines kid-friendly experiences like LEGOLAND California and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with the rich arts culture and stargazing opportunities in Borrego Springs.
l “Cactus and Cocktails” explore both the cosmopolitan pleasures of Palm Springs and the rugged sceneries of Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave National Preserve.
l “National Park Adventures” is a 412-mile adventure that begins at Fresno Yosemite Airport and explores the wonders of Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
l “Road to Gold” is a four-day trek that begins in Sacramento, explores Lake Tahoe and meanders back through Gold Country with photo opportunities at every turn.
l “Innovation and Agricultural Bounty” features a San Jose-based itinerary that showcases cutting-edge arts, charming seaside villages and bountiful farmlands on a 238-mile journey. To order a guide, go to VisitCalifornia.com/Travel-Guides.
«Climbers who summit Yosemite’s Half Dome can expect panoramic views of the national park’s luscious valley — but now park rangers say they might also spot traces of black bears, or even the animal itself.
Park rangers recently found evidence pointing to the presence of a black bear at the top of Half Dome, Yosemite officials said. The animals are natural climbers and, unlike people, do not need 425 feet of cable to scale the quartz rock formation’s 46-degree angle.
“This observation serves as a good
reminder that bear safety applies EVERYWHERE in Yosemite,” park officials said on Facebook. “For the safety of people and animals alike, keep your friends close and your food closer.”
Yosemite officials reminded visitors to keep smelly objects like food or sunscreen locked away in lockers or canisters. On the trail, hikers should keep backpacks and other items within reach lest they be ransacked by bears or the Half Dome ground squirrels.
Bear encounters are not uncommon in Yosemite, which is home to an estimated
300 to 500 black bears. The animals usually cause property damage or snatch food. People are rarely injured, and no one has died of a bear attack in Yosemite, according to the park service.
As of July, officials have recorded 10 incidents involving bears in Yosemite, with all but one occurring in a residential area, according to the park’s bear activity log. One bear, on a jag this spring, broke into multiple unlocked vehicles. Another found its way inside an unsecured home.
Visitors also encounter the creatures on the road. At least one bear has been
struck by a vehicle in Yosemite this year, according to the park. Collisions are noted as one of the leading causes of death for bears in Yosemite, according to the organization Keep Bears Wild.
Overall, encounters with humans are up by 83% compared with last year. Black bears are active day and night, and more have recently been spotted on the valley floor, park officials said.
Bears tend to avoid humans, but there are critical tips to stay safe in case of an encounter. If a bear enters a trail, campground, picnic area or parking lot, officials recommend scaring the animal away by yelling loudly and aggressively until it leaves. People can stand close together to appear larger but should not surround the bear. Pepper spray is not allowed in Yosemite.
If the bear won’t go, pack everything and leave, officials said. Throwing food at the creature or leaving nourishment behind will encourage its behavior and could make it aggressive with humans; in these cases, the bear might be euthanized. And, although it might go without saying, rangers advise people not to try getting their food back from a bear.
Visitors who encounter a bear in undeveloped areas of Yosemite should keep a distance of at least 20 yards. Black bears may show dominance by bluff charging, especially when cubs or food are involved, park officials said.
Half Dome, in Yosemite National Park, has long been a California icon, serving as a muse for legendary photographer Ansel Adams, and eventually becoming his resting place. The rock surface, which some compare to a football helmet or a broken bowling ball, is framed by a granite monolith, el capitan and a collection of cliffs known as cathedral rocks.
Visitors need to obtain a permit to scale the Half Dome. Hiking the trail can be dangerous, and the park service recommends that it be done only in summer. Rangers put up removable steel cables every season to help climbers ascend the last few hundred feet to the top.
Hiking to the summit requires climbing at least 14 miles while gaining 4,800 feet in elevation. Only 300 people can visit the Half Dome Trail each day.
Once a bear has noticed you and is paying attention to you, additional strategies can help prevent the situation from escalating. Here are some general tips. However, please check recommendations for each park you visit: recommendations do vary from park to park based local bear behavior.
Identify yourself by talking calmly so the bear knows you are a human and not a prey animal. Remain still; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you as a human. It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening.
Stay calm and remember that most bears do not want to attack you; they usually just want to be left alone. Bears may bluff their way out of an encounter by charging and then turning away at the last second.
Bears may also react defensively by woofing, yawning, salivating, growling, snapping their jaws and laying their ears back. Continue to talk to the bear in low tones; this will help you stay calmer, and it won’t be threatening to the bear. A scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack. Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal.
Pick up small children immediately. Do not make any loud noises or screams — the bear may think it’s the sound of a prey animal. Slowly wave your arms above your head and tell the bear to back off. Do NOT run or make any sudden movements.
Hike and travel in groups. Groups of people are usually noisier and smellier than a single person. Therefore, bears often become aware of groups of people at greater distances, and because of their cumulative size, groups are also intimidating to bears.
Make yourselves look as large as possible (for example, move to higher ground).
Do NOT allow the bear access to your food. Getting your food will only encourage the bear and make the problem worse for others.
Do NOT drop your pack as it can provide protection for your back and prevent a bear from accessing your food.
If the bear is stationary, move away slowly and sideways; this allows you to keep an eye on the bear and avoid tripping. Moving sideways is also non-threatening to bears.
Do NOT run, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse both uphill and down. Like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals.
Do NOT climb a tree. Both grizzlies and black bears
Leave the area or take a detour. If this is impossible, wait until the bear moves away. Always leave the bear
Be especially cautious if you see a female with cubs; never place yourself between a mother and her cub, and never attempt to approach them. The chances of an attack escalate greatly if she perceives you as a danger to her cubs.
Bear attacks are rare; most bears are only interested in protecting food, cubs or their space. However, being mentally prepared can help you have the most effective reaction. Every situation is different, but below are guidelines on how brown bear attacks can differ from black bear attacks. Help protect others by reporting all bear incidents to a park ranger immediately.
Brown/Grizzly Bears: If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAy DEAD. Lay flat on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face.
Black Bears: If you are attacked by a black bear, DO NOT PLAy DEAD. Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to fight back using any object available. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear’s face and muzzle.
If any bear attacks you in your tent or stalks you and then attacks, do NOT play dead — fight back! This kind of attack is very rare, but can be serious because it often means the bear is looking for food and sees you as prey.
— National Park Service
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources encourages the public to help it track sightings of common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) in southeastern Indiana.
DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife biologists recently observed an estimated 20 to 35 wall lizards living in a rock-lined embankment bordering the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg, about 2 miles from the Ohio state line. Since that initial discovery, members of the public and DNR have identified additional wall lizard colonies in Aurora and Rising Sun.
Common wall lizards are not native to North America and are not generally dangerous. However, there is some concern among herpetologists that common wall lizards may outcompete native species like common five-lined skinks for food and shelter, though more research is needed to understand their interactions.
Sightings of common wall lizards, especially those backed by photographs, should be emailed to HerpSurveys@dnr. IN.gov. All currently known sites are located along the Ohio River where the lizards inhabit rocky and vegetated banks of the river and a nearby rock wall. DNR is conducting additional surveys to better understand the situation.
The common wall lizard is a European species that became established in Cincinnati during the early 1950s after several of them were intentionally released. This non-native species has since colonized much of the Cincinnati area, including parts of northern Kentucky, and is currently expanding into nearby areas of southwest Ohio. They have been approaching the Indiana border in recent years.
Common wall lizards are approximately 5½ to 8 inches in length as adults and usually have a brown or gray back with mottling or spotting on the sides. Some of them have a reticulated pattern on their back. This species tends to thrive in urban and suburban areas where they inhabit stone walls, rubble heaps, degraded building infrastructure, rocky hillsides, and shoreline areas like that of the Ohio River.
Find out more about common wall lizards at wildlife. IN.gov/wildlife-resources/animals/wall-lizards/
Attorney General Todd Rokita is taking measures against federal plans to unlawfully expand the scope of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — a move that would hurt everyday Hoosiers by putting builders, farmers, outdoor enthusiasts and others under the thumb of a distant bureaucracy, he said.
The proposed rules would enable the Fish and Wildlife Service to designate land parcels as indispensable habitat for endangered species — even if no such species inhabit the parcels.
“We all want to save endangered wildlife,” Rokita said. “And we all want to preserve the critical habitat where they live. As it turns out, these new rules don’t protect wildlife — and they literally violate the Endangered Species Act.”
In a letter, Attorney General Rokita and other state attorneys general press federal officials to withdraw their plans which will potentially put local businesses in peril.
“We are taking action because these proposed new rules represent a power grab,” Attorney General Rokita said. “These new rules infringe on Indiana’s constitutional authority over our own natural resources and fail to provide additional meaningful protection to endangered wildlife species.”
Attorney General Rokita has a long history of defending Hoosiers and the Indiana economy against federal overreach in matters involving habitat and wildlife, his office said in a press release.
“If these regulations were to go into effect, the businesses and economy of places like the Twin Lakes would be in greater danger,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Look what the current regulations have done to contribute to draconian actions that have ruined the local economy during some years.”
When he served in Congress, Attorney General Rokita fought federal policies that forced the draining of Lake Freeman and Lake Shafer in northwestern Indiana as part of U.S. Fish and Wildlife efforts to protect endangered mussels in Tippecanoe River. Such federal mandates wreaked havoc on the seasonal economies of Monticello and surrounding communities.
“We need commonsense policies that conserve both wildlife species and constitutional government,” Attorney General Rokita said. “We can protect jobs, the economy and wildlife all at the same time.”
Magician Jerry will perform a wide variety of magic to entertain campers and day visitors at Monroe Lake’s Paynetown State Recreation Area (SRA) on two dates this fall.
Magician Jerry will perform sets lasting 10 to 15 minutes, on repeat from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, and from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14. He will be located under a pop-up canopy at the playground next to the campground gatehouse.
Paynetown SRA is located at 4850 S. State Road 446 in Bloomington. The daily entrance fee is $7 per vehicle with Indiana license plate and $9 per vehicle with out-of-state plate. Indiana State Park Annual Entrance Permits are also accepted.
Questions should be directed to the Paynetown Activity Center at 812-837-9967 or email Jill Vance at jvance@dnr.IN.gov.
Volunteers are needed to help clean, repair, and cut brush to camouflage hunting blinds in Monroe Lake’s Stillwater-Northfork Wildlife Area in preparation for the upcoming waterfowl hunting season during a workday on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 9 a.m.
Advance registration is greatly appreciated at bit.ly/camouduckblinds-2023 by noon Oct. 6, but last-minute volunteers are also welcome to come without registering.
Volunteers will meet at the Northfork check station, which is located east of Bloomington off State Road 46, 1/3 mile south of the intersection of Kent and McGowan roads. For directions, call 812-837-9546.
Lunch will be provided for participants. Volunteers should dress for the weather and bring work gloves, hand tools useful for cutting brush, and a water bottle. Youth younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers can leave anytime.
Questions should be directed to Emmett Holsapple, Monroe Lake wildlife biologist, at 812-837-9546.
Purdue University will host a new collaborative U.S. Geological Survey research unit focused on delivering actionable science addressing fish, wildlife, plants and other natural resources in Indiana and beyond, including the connection between the health of wildlife and the health of people.
The Indiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, or CRU, that Purdue will host, brings together the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Purdue University, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and the Wildlife Management Institute.
“An Indiana CRU has been a long time coming and we are thrilled to welcome the new unit to the CRU family,” said Jonathan Mawdsley, USGS Cooperative Research Units chief. “We look forward to working with all of the cooperators to provide worldclass scientific research, graduate student training, and technical assistance to our partners in Indiana.”
The Indiana unit will be the 43rd USGS Cooperative Research Unit in a nationwide program that began in 1935. The program’s goal is to increase opportunities for graduate education in fisheries and wildlife science and to facilitate research and technical assistance between natural resources agencies and universities.
Though the CRU will be focused on natural resource management needs in the state of Indiana, many of these are also regional needs on which the USFWS will advise and coordinate.
“The creation of this new unit is another milestone in the highly successful USGS Cooperative Research Units Program, and we are proud to join the state of Indiana, Purdue University, the USGS, Wildlife Management Institute, and others to address conservation questions facing Indiana and the region,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Science Applications Program Assistant Regional Director Craig Czarnecki. “We look forward to engaging with the students and professionals at Purdue University as we co-develop scientific research and support the next generation of conservationists.”
The CRU Program is results focused, bringing together natural resource managers and researchers to work as a team to address
Since River School began in 2006, thousands of Hoosiers have had their first experience paddling on the White River. River School’s goal is to provide safe, fun, and engaging on-the-water educational experiences that enhance personal connections to the White River and the natural world.
River School is great for company retreats, team building, youth groups and any other groups looking for a fun and educational experience on the beautiful White River.
Visit https://friendsofwhiteriver.org/outdoor-recreation/ for details and pricing. River School trips are available from midMay until the end of October.
The standard program days begin between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and conclude after four hours, including shuttling, setup, briefings, 1.5 to 2 hours of paddling time, and post trip cleanup. Afternoon or early evening times are possible upon request.
the most pressing natural resource management needs with science. As such, the partnerships formalized with the creation of CRUs lead to true co-production of research.
The new Indiana CRU will begin operations once new USGS CRU staff are in place at Purdue University, planned for 2024.
To learn more about the CRU program, please visit the Cooperative Research Unit program website.
Monroe Lake offers flora field days on the first Tuesday of each month through October. Field day emphasis is on the proper use and application of an ID key, which opens the door to identifying thousands of species.
The naturalist works with each attendee based on their prior experience. If you’ve never worked with wildflower ID before, this is a great way to learn. If you have prior experience, it’s a fun way to practice your skills with other people.
On Tuesday, Oct. 3, the session will take place at Monroe Lake’s Underwood Parcel on Strain Ridge Road at 9:30 a.m. Registration and details are at bit.ly/florafield-oct2023.
Questions should be directed to the Paynetown Activity Center at 812-837-9967 or email Jill Vance at jvance@dnr.IN.gov.
No matter how much experience you have on the water, prepping your boat — and your passengers — before leaving the dock can make for a more enjoyable experience.
To prepare for a safe and comfortable trip, review this pre-departure checklist to ensure your vessel is in good working order and well-stocked for the adventure:
l Documentation Have all required documentation for planned activities, including boat registration, fishing permits and boater education cards readily accessible.
l Float Plan File a float plan with a responsible party who will remain on land. Provide contact info, explain where you’re going, when you intend to return and what to do in case he or she doesn’t hear from you.
l Weather Forecast Always check the forecast before you head out on the water. To regularly monitor any changes, keep a handheld radio onboard.
l Fuel Before leaving, check that your fuel level is adequate for the trip and that other fluids, like oil and coolant, are at the proper levels.
l Batteries Check to make sure the boat’s battery, as well as battery-operated items like flashlights and handheld radios, are fully charged and operational.
l Lights Check to make sure you have properly func-
tioning navigation and instrument lights and pack a flashlight, as well.
l Life jackets Ensure you have at least one U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device per passenger with a minimum of two onboard. If your boat is longer than 16 feet, you’ll also need a throwable device.
l Anchor Keep at least one anchor, attached to an anchor line, and at least two fenders for docking onboard.
l Bilge Before launching your boat, ensure the bilge is dry, clear of waste and has a properly functioning pump.
l Fire extinguisher Keep a U.S. Coast Guard-approved fire extinguisher securely mounted in an accessible place.
l Distress signals Store flares and day signals in a dry, accessible location and ensure all passengers onboard know how to use them. Also have a noise-making device, such as an air horn, bell or whistle, capable of producing a 4-second blast audible for at least 1/2 mile readily available.
l Tools Keep a basic toolbox onboard with commonly used tools and spare parts like wrenches, screwdrivers, batteries, fuel filters, hull plugs and light bulbs.
l First-aid kit Keep a well-stocked first-aid kit - and extra sunscreen - in an accessible location in case of accidents.
