Compost sites open for season

The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County’s compost sites are open for the season. Both the Boone Grove compost site, 546 South 400 West, Valparaiso, and the Portage site, 6451 U.S. Highway 12, Portage, are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday; the Valparaiso site, 2150 W. Lincolnway, Valparaiso, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Residents can bring organic yard waste, such as branches, limbs, weeds, brush, and leaves, or pick up compost for home gardening and lawn care at each of the sites. In addition to compost, the Valparaiso and Portage sites have containers for drop-off recycling, plastic bag recycling, smoke detectors and electronics recycling. The Boone Grove site also has smoke detector, electronics and battery recycling. More information and a full list of accepted materials can be found at www.portercountyrecycling.org/compost-sites/ or at info@portercountyrecycling.org.

Prescribed fires planned

The National Park Service is planning to conduct six prescribed fires this spring at Indiana Dunes National Park totaling more than 900 acres. In the area of Porter Beach, the park plans to burn approximately 23 acres of land being restored by the park. The area surrounded by Wabash Avenue, Roskin Road and the west boundary of the State Park is currently undergoing restoration efforts by the National Park’s Resource Management program. Just south of Porter Beach and Dune Acres, the park will complete the Howes Prairie/Lupine Lane Prescribed fire originally initiated last fall. Approximately 414 acres west of Waverly Road, north of the Calumet Trail, and east of Mineral Springs Road will be burned. In Porter, on the west end of Beam Street, the park plans to burn 142 acres as part of a long-term restoration project of the Mnoke Prairie. In Gary, just west of County Line Road and south of US Highway 12, the Tolleston Dunes burn will assist in restoring approximately 330 acres of rare black oak savanna. The 66-acre portion of the unit is immediately adjacent to County Line Road, while the 264-acre portion is west of the Woodlake Dune apartments on Union Street. Around the park’s Douglas Center for Environmental Education on North Lake Street in Gary, the park will burn 16 acres in order to protect the structure from future wildland fires. An online map of the planned prescribed fire areas can be found at bit.ly/INDUSpring2023Fires. Residents of Lake and Porter Counties can sign up to receive prescribed fire notifications through the Smart911 system. Additionally, the National Park Service announces prescribed fire activity on its Facebook page.

Birds of Prey Jamboree set

The Second Annual Birds of Prey Jamboree will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Indiana Welcome Center, 7770 Corinne Drive, in Hammond. During the event, enjoy free admission to shop in the Marketplace, highlighting items from local artists, crafters and vendors. Meet experts and interact with educational groups with speakers from Wild Birds Unlimited and Indiana Dunes National Park Service. The Jamboree will showcase three presentations featuring birds of prey. Each display is limited to 100 people, and tickets are required. Tickets are $10 per person, per presentation, or $25 for an all-access pass. Children, ages 7 and younger are free. For more information or to register for ticketed presentations, visit HumaneIndiana.org/events/2023/jamboree.

Certification training, exam date announced

Purdue University Extension - Lake County will offer a ServSafe training and exam from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST on April 6 at 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point. Register at https://cvent.me/0XLa4x. For more information or to arrange accommodations to attend, call Linda Curley at 219-755-3240.

Register for Easter train ride

The annual 10-mile, round-trip Easter train excursions from the The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum depot to the English Lake/Kankakee River will be running Saturdays April 1 to 8 at 507 Mulberry St., North Judson. Riders, ages 2 to 12, can bring their Easter baskets to collect filled eggs during the Easter Egg Hunt, and everyone will have an opportunity to visit with the Easter Bunny. Tickets are $14 and up. Reservations are required at www.hoosiervalley.org. Regular train excursions are available on Saturdays and various Sundays, May through September. The annual Civilians and Soldiers in History event, with numerous displays and re-enactors, will be held July 22. Pumpkin Trains and Santa Trains will be scheduled to close out the 2023 season. The museum is always free but there are fees for train rides. Check the website for current times. Reservations for train rides can be made online at www.hoosiervalley.org or by calling the depot at 574-896-3950 and leaving a detailed message.

— Post-Tribune