Friends of the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge members Shannon and Rachel Lewis of Oakland City, Susan Haislip of Petersburg and Mike Daleke, traveled to Washington, DC recently to participate in the Friends of the National Wildlife Refuge System National Conference held February 21-23.
The conference had over 500 people in attendance representing 161 Refuge Friends groups who were joined by about 150 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff to discuss such central issues as the impact of climate change on national wildlife refuges, the vitality of citizen science programs, and how the nonprofit organizations can grow. The conference was sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Wildlife Refuge Association and featured nearly two dozen training sessions and special forums in three tracks: Refuge System resource challenges; tools, programs and strategies for success; and Friends capacity building.
Anyone interested in receiving information about the Friends of the Patoka River, or activities at the Refuge, please contact the Refuge office at (812) 749-3199.
Posted in Outdoor News |
After my solo trip last month to the Brimstone Recreation Area in Huntsville, Tenn., I was ready for a little company on my next voyage, and boy did I get it. We had a total of 13 in our party, nine of whom were all staying in a 3-bedroom, 1-bath rental house. Besides waiting our turn for the bathroom, it worked out wonderfully. For our friends and family spring break trip there was only one logical destination, Evarts Kentucky, where they make you feel like you are part of their family. We were staying again with James White “Po’ Whiteboy” who is not only a great host but a pretty darn good guide as well. Our group consisted of four fathers with five children aged 10 to 14 and two adult couples. More »
Posted in Off-Road |
The first time I watched Chad Miles fish, he caught a 23-inch largemouth bass within the first 10 minutes. Tossing a straight-tailed, 6-inch plastic worm beside a submerged flat rock, he took his hand off the handle of his spinning reel as his lure fluttered to the bottom of Nolin River Lake.
He gently shook the rod tip a few times, and then slowly lowered the tip. The rod cracked upward and bowed as he stuck that big hog. He told me the Shakey style was dynamite on Nolin River Lake. He wasn’t lying. More »
Posted in Fishing |
This is the time of year that Tri-State panfish anglers wait for all year. The weather has warmed and the bluegills are staking out their spawning territory in the shallows. Clusters of tightlypacked beds seem to spring up overnight, and suddenly spawning bluegills are everywhere. This is the perfect time to take that youngster fishing with you!
The aggressive and territorial bluegills (and redear sunfish) are quick to pounce on almost any bait that invades their space, so the fishing can be quite exciting. It often doesn’t matter whether you use live bait or small artificials, either. Just get a bait into the strike zone, and then get ready for action. More »
Posted in Fishing |
Just add money – that’s a pretty bold statement given our nation’s recession, but that’s all it will take for the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge to grow.
A little more support from you, the reader, wouldn’t hurt either. If all goes according to expectations, it appears as though the Patoka Refuge might under go a 1,1150-acre growth spurt by the end of this year. For the first time since fiscal year 2005, the Patoka Refuge received a $500,000 appropriation from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the primary funding mechanism for land acquisition for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Money for this fund comes primarily from offshore oil leases. Getting a piece of that pie depends greatly upon legislative support in Washington D.C. More »
Posted in Editorial |
As Spring and camping season rolls around, it’s time to restock your camping supplies. Putting basics back in the camper can save time and ensure you don’t miss any meals.
Since we have really cold winters here in the Midwest, I remove most food items from the RV when I winterize the rig in late fall. Some of the items I put in a large sealable container. When Spring comes, I simply take them back to the RV for the upcoming camping season. More »
Posted in Camping & RVs |
The truth of the matter is that habitat loss is a direct result of our impact on the environment – so it only stands to reason it’s also our responsibility to restore it. Thanks to the habitat programs of the National Wildlife Federation and the Indiana Wildlife Federation we can all make a difference even if it’s just a few acres at a time.
The acreage of our certified backyard habitat allows us the space to provide natural habitat for wildlife in a variety of ways. Native trees, shrubs and flowering plants provide food, shelter and places to raise young. We use some of the fallen branches from the trees to make brush piles and some of the leaves in mulch. A seasonal pond supplies a natural water source and the rocky terrain of our woodland habitat offers shelter. The rocks are a special place to watch skinks as they stretch out to soak in the sun. After a rain the rocks offer a place for us to observe butterflies getting drinks of water from little recesses in the rocks. Rocks are plentiful here so we use them to border many of the garden areas. With slopes and hills, the rocks help to hold in the mulch and soil during heavy rains. We’ve found by using just rocks and mulch you can make great pathways. More »
Posted in Backyard Habitat |
