DNR increases access for persons with disabilities
Gov. Daniels has designated March as Disability Awareness Month. As spring moves into Indiana, we’ll honor the groups and countless individuals in our state who help promote inclusion, independence and employment for persons with disabilities. We at the DNR have been doing our part for some time.
Spending time outdoors and enjoying the splendor of the natural world is something all Hoosiers should have the opportunity to experience. This can sometimes be difficult for persons with disabilities largely because of the rough terrain and remote locations of many outdoor recreation areas.
Lately, we’ve been making our facilities more accessible with improvements and additions undertaken specifically to benefit those with disabilities. These projects include piers, chairs, restrooms, boardwalks and the upgrading of existing construction to improve accessibility. Now, even the shooting range at Atterbury Fish and Wildlife Area will be accessible to persons with disabilities.
As you read this issue, please remember that people of all sorts enjoy our state’s diverse natural resources. We have a great lineup of features, starting with a subject familiar to all.
On page 6, author Barbara Cummings explores the life of a chipmunk—and finds that it’s not so different from yours or mine. Chipmunks enjoy playing games, relaxing in the sun and getting a good night’s sleep. The article may even cause you to envy our furry friends: They sleep all winter, waking only for an occasional snack and some fresh air.
Read a profile of Gene Bush, founder of Munchkin Nursery & Gardens in southern Indiana, beginning on page 8. Author Michael Ellis looks into Bush’s small yet international business and discovers it takes more to run a nursery than soil and seeds.
Indiana’s biggest, oldest, first and many more are featured in Superlatives of Indiana, beginning on page 16. Join author Jessica Sparger on a road trip as she discovers Indiana’s extraordinary people, places and things. You’ll probably learn something new and unexpected about the state.
Did you know that about 90 percent of Indiana’s approximately 800 wildlife species are nongame animals? These include everything from hellbenders to star-nosed moles to more common creatures like hawks and songbirds. The Nongame Fund has supported the conservation and management of such animals for 25 years. Beginning on page 32, author Kacie Ehrenberger describes the Nongame Fund and how it benefits Indiana’s common and not-so-well-known animals.
Which native fish, according to author Mary Syrett, isn’t given enough credit? Catfish, she says, are “accorded their due by too few.” What about these whiskered fish has so impressed Syrett? Read, beginning on page 26, to find out. You too may become a catfish convert.
Speaking of fish, before you can catch them, you’ve got to find them. Learn about the latest fish-finding technology in Outdoor Hi-Tek: Fish Finders, beginning on page 44. Modern fish finders have more in common with computers than rods and reels, but are found on most every serious angler’s boat. New fish finders are capable of some extraordinary feats. One version even allows anglers to see underwater.
