LC Nature Park to hold several upcoming events

LC Nature Park will hold several events during the month of October. The park is located at 9744 Aboite Road, Roanoke.

Join LC Nature Park for a relaxing evening around the campfire with music by Bobcat Opossum. Enjoy some s’mores, brews or a glass of wine down at the woodland Trillium Tent which overlooks LC Nature Park’s restored prairies and herds of bison and elk.

Bobcat Opossum is made up of Sean Hoffman and Ellen Coplin of Fort Wayne’s favorite new grass band, The Debutants. They draw inspiration and repertoire from traditional music across several genres including Irish, Americana, bluegrass, classical and old-time music.

Cost to attend is $20 per person or $15 for LCNP members. Preregistration required, ages 21-plus.

Join LC Nature Park for guided bird hikes led by knowledgeable birders on October Big Day on October 12. If you’re just getting started or an experienced birder, you’ll have the chance to observe and learn about a variety of bird species as they prepare for winter. A cost of $10 per person (hike and rental binoculars included) plus $5 for Safari Bus, LC Nature Park members get in free.

Registration is not required but get $2 off entry if you do. Birding hikes: 8 and 9 a.m. and Safari Bus, 11:30 a.m. October Big Day is a 24-hour event that allows people to participate in bird research. This is a statewide event hosted by Indiana Audubon and the Indiana Land Protection Alliance (ILPA) in conjunction with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Last October, nearly 36,332 people from 191 countries submitted 83,735 checklists. Birds really bring people together. (NOTE: You will need an eBird account to submit your sightings. Visit https://ebird.org to sign up.)

Learn how to identify trees with a dichotomous key during Oaktober Trees, a tree-focused hike. They will focus on the park’s native trees, highlighting their ecological importance. Oaktober Trees is taught by Stephanie Merkling, Environmental AP/Environmental Science instructor, Homestead High School. Entry fee $10 per person (hike and materials included). Plus $5 for Safari Bus, members get in free.  Registration is not required but get $2 off entry if you do. Tree ID hikes at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Hands-on activities, guided exploration and interactive learning provided by Fort Wayne’s Indiana Wild will be held on October 17 with Nature Explorers for kids. The program runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Indiana Wild celebrates positive human-animal cultural connections through conservation, education and exotic animal rehoming/rescue. Explore the park’s diverse landscapes and wildlife. Reduced rates available upon special request. A fee of $15 per child ages three and up, and $7 per adult (adult members free, registration required).

Open Park Day runs from 1 to 6 p.m. on October 18. Regular entry (no special programs) $7 per person plus $5 per person Safari Bus. Members: free entry.

Prairie Sprites & Lights to follow from 6 to 8 p.m. Join them for a magical evening of Faeries, Sprites and Lights in our prairies and woodlands. Make an owl or crow snack, have some warm cider and make a recycled luminary lantern. Bring your own clean plastic milk jug or two-liter plastic bottle. Next, you can craft a pair of wings you can wear. With your lighted luminary explore our glowing, life-size, mushroom faerie ring. Board the LC Nature Park Safari Bus for a tour through magically lit woodlands. Don’t forget to visit our live, owlie feathered friends from Fort Wayne’s raptor rehabilitation organization, Soarin’ Hawk.

For more information call (260) 999-3153, visit their website at lcnaturepark.org or on Facebook.