Friends of
Fort Harrison State Park
MARCH 2014 NEWSLETTER
THE BUGLER
F EATURES
Friends Annual Meeting
Upcoming events at the Museum of 20th Century
Warfare
A few numbers from Doug Wickersham
B O ARD ME MB E RS
Indiana Master Naturalist Classes
Hoosier Trail Rides
Volunteer Opportunities
Membership Renewal
Upcoming Events
MISSION
The purpose of the Friends of Fort Harrison State Park is to
collaborate with Fort Harrison Park in order to: Support
property staff in projects and events that preserve, manage and
interpret both the natural and cultural heritage and recreational
opportunities of Fort Harrison State Park.
K ir k W heeler , pr es ident
Do n G o r ney, vic e
pr es ident
T om Cr ouch, t r ea s ur er
J o hn Cr a wf o r d,
s ecr et a r y
Dir ect or s :
No r m a n K lief g en
Tom P lim pton
Da vid W a ldm a n
L ucie P a r ker
DNR R epr es ent a t ive:
Doug W ick er s ha m
Friends Annual meeting
Please plan on joining us for our Annual Meeting to be held on April 3, 2014, at 7:00 PM. The
meeting will be held in the Roosevelt Room at Fort Harrison State Park Inn. Click here for a map
of the location.
We are pleased to announce that Mr. Benjamin Clark, Chief of Cultural Resources at the DNR
Division of State Parks and Reservoirs, will be speaking on the history of Fort Harrison.
Refreshments will be served, including the delicious Root Beer brewed by our supporters at Triton
Brewing Company.
New this year, we will also be holding a silent auction to raise funds to support Fort Harrison
State Park. The auction will feature donations from local businesses, such as a gift basket from
Triton Brewing Company, items from REI, and gift certificates from the Paws Stop (pet food and
supplies), as
well as
handcrafted
items such as
birdhouses and
Leopold
Benches
similar to the
ones shown in
the photos.
Cash, checks
and credit cards will be accepted.
Please plan on joining us to meet other Friends, learn a little
history, enjoy locally brewed root beer and support the Park. All are welcome for this fun evening!
Upcoming events at the Museum of 20th
Century Warfare
The Museum of 20th Century Warfare is
located inside Fort Harrison State Park,
close to the Visitors Center. Five main
battle reenactments are planned for 2014:
Eastern Front, on March 8th.
The Great War, on May 3rd.
Korean War, on July 12th.
Pacific Theatre, on August 23rd.
Vietnam, on October 4th.
Registration and more details about each event are available on Event Bright or by email at
[email protected].
A few numbers from Doug Wickersham
Doug Wickersham is the property manager at Fort Harrison State Park. He is responsible for
overseeing all park operations (e.g. maintenance, budget, personnel, special event coordination,
etc). User fees (e.g. park entrance fees, annual passes and dog park passes) represent 26% of park
revenue. Remaining funding is provided by the state legislature.
Revenue from user fees has been increasing each year. Since July 2013, 389 dog park passes have
been sold (165 in 2014 alone). In 2013, 6144 annual passes were sold, including 1405 Golden
Hoosier pass (this is the discounted pass for people 65 or older).
This winter, with all the snow, the sledding hill has been a great source of revenue as well. During
winter months, there is a park attendant at the gate only on weekends. But attendants have been
working at the gate on snow days and it has been very beneficial to the park. Doug Wickersham is
also responsible for the maintenance of the buildings in the park. He submits a budget every 2 year
with a list of maintenance projects.
Indiana Master Naturalist Classes
The Indiana Master Naturalist (IMN) program can provide you
with many hands­on opportunities to learn about
Indiana's natural resources. It also provides a way for you to
share that knowledge, along with your life experiences,
through volunteer service. The program is sponsored by the
Resource Conservation & Development Councils, Indiana Soil
& Water Conservation Districts, Purdue Cooperative Extension
Service and Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The IMN classes for 2014 kicked off on January 9th with an
Orientation by Jeff Cummings, DNR representative for the Fort
Harrison State Park. Then Jessica Rosier, Interpretive
Naturalist at Mounds State Park, gave an excellent
presentation on what "Naturalist" and "Interpretation" means.
The class is currently full (25 people) and will meet once
a month at the Fort Harrison State Park to go over various subjects (History of Fort Harrison,
Indiana Birds, Indiana Trees, Rivers & Wetlands, Astronomy, etc).
For more information about the program, visit the IMN website.
Hoosier Trail Rides
The Saddle Barn will re­open starting on March 22nd 2014, from 9am to 5pm. They will offer 2
different rides:
Half­hour ride ($16 per person)
Hour ride ($26 per person)
For more information or for reservations, visit the Hoosier Trail Rides website.
Volunteer Opportunities
As a result of a planning meeting held in January, the Friends of Fort Harrison has established
an electronic system to help facilitate volunteer opportunities at the Park. Opportunities will be
posted on Eventbrite, and anyone interested can simply go here, search for events at Fort Harrison
State Park and add your name as a volunteer for a particular event. We will try and post events
several months in advance.
We are looking for a large numbers of volunteers for two service events in particular:
On April 12th, the Park has scheduled a Garlic Mustard Pull. Click here to sign up.
June 7th is Creek Cleanup day. Click here to sign up.
For both events, our supporters at Panera Bread will provide coffee and pastries. The park will
supply all necessary supplies and tools, and the Friends will provide all the ingredients for a cook­
out lunch. Please plan on joining us for these opportunities to meet other volunteers and park
staff, enjoy some refreshments, and help make the park a better place. All are welcome. Membership Renewal
It’s time for most previous members of the Friends of Fort Harrison to renew their memberships.
The modest membership fee ($15.00 for individuals, $25.00 for family) is used to support the
activities of the Friends and the Park. The Friends of Fort Harrison is a non­profit, all volunteer
group dedicated to supporting the park. Activities in the last year include ongoing organizational
improvement, sponsorship of the Master Naturalist program, support for park events such as
4th of July and Halloween programs, a periodic newsletter, park improvement events such as
clean­up and invasive species control, and infrastructure such as new bicycle racks. We have a lot
of events and activities planned for 2014, and appreciate your support. To renew, click here.
Thank you!
Upcoming Events
Visit the official Fort Harrison State Park website and the Friends Facebook page to learn
of upcoming park events
Monthly board and planning meetings on the 1st Thursday of the month at 7:00pm at the
Visitors Center conference room (open to the public, all are welcome)
Join or renew your membership now!
Join or renew your membership between now and April, and your membership will be effective
until April 2015. Benefits of membership include: Invitations to Friends of Fort Harrison sponsored events
Opportunities to meet park staff and learn about new initiatives
Ways to become involved as a state park volunteer
Voting privileges at the annual meeting
Periodic newsletter Click her e to join or r enew.
S HA RE THI S E MA I L
FOLLOW u s on
FA CE B OOK