The Hoosier National Forest will conduct a voluntary recreation use visitor survey through Sept. 30, 2009. The nationwide survey is designed to determine how many people visited the Forest and the recreation activities in which visitors participated while they were there.

Forest users may see Forest Service employees talking with visitors as they leave the Hoosier National Forest’s developed recreation areas, wilderness area and general forest areas (roads and trailheads). If the location is an interview site, there will be a “Traffic Survey Ahead” sign, and the interviewers will be wearing Forest Service uniforms and bright orange vests.

Responses to the recreation survey are voluntary and completely confidential. Names are not written anywhere on the survey. The basic interview takes approximately 15-20 minutes.

The visitor will be asked for information regarding: the number of people in the group; length of visit; satisfaction with facilities and services; and amount of money spent during the visit.

Information will be requested regarding the purpose of the Forest visit – sightseeing, swimming, hunting, hiking or other activities. Forest planners and local tourism officials will use the survey results to determine future recreation needs for the public.

“The survey is completely voluntary and provides a great opportunity for the Forest Service to talk with people who visit their national forests” said Nancy Myers, outdoor recreation planner. “We appreciate their taking a few minutes to participate in the interviews.”

If you have questions regarding the survey, call Nancy Myers, Tell City Ranger District office, at 812-547-9241.

Raccoon State
to host trapper education

Raccoon State Recreation Area will be hosting a Trapper Education Course on Nov. 1. The class will be at the property office from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Indiana Trapper Education and Safety courses can help prepare you for safe and successful trapping experiences. Each class provides information about the art of trapping furbearing animals; trap selection, preparation and maintenance; furbearer biology; scouting for furbearer signs; and fur handling.

Rules and regulations, safety, sportsmanship and ethics, as well as making successful trap sets for land and water, are also covered.
All courses have demonstrations and hands-on experience to enhance the learning process.

Please register for the class by contacting Stu Grell in Attica, Ind., at 765-572-2207, or by e-mail at sgrell@wptc.us

The course is free of charge. For more information about this event, call 765-344-1412.

Raccoon State Recreation Area is located on U.S. Highway 36 in Parke and Putnam counties, in west-central Indiana, 50 miles west of Indianapolis and 35 miles northeast of Terre Haute.

State tree seedlings available

As the leaves start to change color, don’t be lulled into complacency. Remember, making the kind of green foliage you’ll want to plant next spring a reality means ordering tree seedlings through the State of Indiana Nursery Program now.

Orders will be taken through the end of May 2009, but to maximize the chance your order is filled with your primary requests, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Forestry recommends ordering early.

Consumers may choose from approximately 50 different species and age classes of native plants, including low-cost seedlings for a variety of planting needs. Visit www.in.gov/dnr/forestry for this season’s order form and ordering information, or call Vallonia Nursery at 812-358-3621.

Educator workshop

A free two-day workshop for educators, which includes an overview of the significance of Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA) to bird migration, trips to sites on the property and discussions on planning a student field trip to the property, will be offered Nov. 6-7.

The program is Project Webfoot and Flying WILD professional development workshop for educators teaching grades 4-6, and will run from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. CST at the Wheatfield Public Library in Wheatfield, Ind. Fieldwork will take place at sites at Jasper-Pulaski FWA.

The workshop is hands-on and includes inquiry-based cross-curricular activities that can be brought back to the classroom. Activities have been correlated to National and Indiana standards. Background information on wetlands, beginning birding techniques and migration-related activities will also be provided.

Educators will receive all curriculum materials and lunch both days at no cost to them. According to Angie Tilton, Indiana Project WET Coordinator, participants will receive curriculum and materials valued at more than $300, courtesy of Ducks Unlimited.

The workshop is made available through Indiana Projects WET and WILD, programs of the DNR’s Division of Fish and Wildlife.

To register by the Oct. 24 deadline, contact the Natural Resources Education Center at 317-562-1338 or e-mail nrec@dnr.in.gov

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.