2023 NAI Great Lakes Region Conference

2023 NAI Great Lakes Region Conference

Common Ground: Interpreting a Shared Landscape

March 20-23, 2023

Brown County State Park 
Nashville, Indiana

 

Welcome to Nashville, Indiana! The small town of Nashville is nestled within the state's idyllic Brown County, situated between Brown County State Park and the Yellowwood State Forest. Nashville itself is a charming town with multiple wineries, covered bridges, quaint shops, local theatre, and even a distillery. Just outside of the city, visitors will find plenty of natural scenery to explore and outdoor recreation opportunities in the state park and the forest.

The largest state park in Indiana, Brown County State Park has been given the nickname of "the Little Smokies" due to the resemblance of the area to the famed Great Smoky Mountains. The state park spans across almost sixteen thousand acres of fog-shrouded ravines, ridges, and rugged hills. Brown County State Park is a very popular destination in autumn, when it turns into a hotspot for fall colors with almost twenty tree-lined miles of road and scenic vistas that overlook uninterrupted forestland stretching for miles. There's a Nature Center and outdoor recreation opportunities include camping, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

Workshop Registration Fees

  NAI Member
 Nonmembers Student Member
Early Registration (before February 27, 2023) $325 $400 $250
Registration (February 27, 2023 and after)  $350 $425 $275
Single Day Registration (Tuesday or Wednesday) $175 $250 $125
Extra Awards Dinner Ticket(s) $35 $35 $35

*Students must be NAI members in order to receive the Student Member Rate.
*Nonmember registration fees include a one-year membership to NAI.
*Registration fees do not include hotel accommodations.
*The Mobile Workshop fee is in addition to the Registration fee.

Full registration with confirmed attendance will receive 24 Hours of continuing education credit for NAI recertification.

Cancellation Policy

Refund requests must be made in writing. There will be a 20% service charge for refunds issued prior to the registration deadline and a 50% service charge for refunds requested between March 7th and March 18th. No refunds will be issued after March 19th. Any refunds granted will be made following the completion of the workshop.

Workshop Contact

Questions about registration, please contact Angie Manuel amanuel@dnr.in.gov, (765) 602-1648 
When
2/20/2023 - 3/23/2023
Where
Brown County State Park Abe Martin Lodge & Cabins 1405 State Road 46 Nashville, IN 47448
Registration is closed.
My registration status: Not registered

Program

   

01. Scholarship Donation

Description
Donate To The Regional Scholarship Fund
Your donation will help provide future interpreters with the opportunity to attend NAI Regional Workshops and National Conferences. Please consider donating to this worthy cause. Any amount is greatly appreciated and contributes to inspiring interpreters to gain the knowledge they need.
Category
01. Scholarship Donation
Not specified

02. Mobile Workshop Options

Description
For The Birds!

For the Birds!

Nestled in the rolling hills of south-central Indiana, Monroe Lake and its State Recreation Areas (SRAs) encompass 23,925 acres of diverse habitat, including the 10,750 acre lake, which provides the best birding to the over 250 species of birds that have been recorded according to eBird.

Participants will carpool to the Stillwater Marsh-Northfork Waterfowl Resting Area, a premier wildlife management area, for birding and wildlife watching. This area has amazing species diversity of migrant and resident birds. Bald Eagles are often seen here. Then, participants will travel to Yellowwood State Forest, which has a broad diversity of habitats including mixed hardwoods, stands of pine, and both riparian and lake habitats. Early spring is a prime time to visit Yellowwood State Forest where dozens of migratory and locally breeding warbler species have been spotted. When participants have exhausted themselves with birding, they will have the opportunity to end the workshop or travel to a nearby restaurant for lunch and continued discussion about bird conservation efforts in Indiana.

Location: Meet in front of Abe Martin Lodge, travel to Stillwell Marsh and Yellowwood Lake
Date & Time: Thursday, March 23, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (optional/additional lunchtime available)
Workshop Capacity: 15 participants
Price: FREE; lunch opportunity (participants pay their own)
Transportation: Carpooling Lead: Cathy Meyer, NAI member, retired interpreter, birder extraordinaire
Contact: Cathy Meyer at cathygotm@gmail.com
Category
02. Mobile Workshop Options
Time
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
3/23/2023 8:00 AM

Arts Alive In Brown County Workshop

Arts Alive in Brown County: TC Steele State Historic Site and a "Wine & Canvas" Painting Session

Brown County has been attracting painters to this area for more than a century - breathtaking scenery, rolling "hills o' brown", and abundant natural resources. Join us for a tour of the TC Steele State Historic site which includes his home, studios, and gardens. Steele was a noted Indiana artist and member of the Hoosier Group of Impressionist Painters. He was at the forefront of the state's art movement and remains one of Indiana's most honored artists. This historic site has a new visitor center, and their staff is eager to share what they do with us.

Then we'll visit the Brown County Art Gallery in Nashville to view the works of William Zimmerman, one of America's greatest bird and nature artists, who partnered with Indiana State Parks to create a series of works that would become a great fundraiser.

The day concludes with a "Wine & Canvas" program where participants will enjoy a fun painting session while enjoying drinks and desserts. The interpreter will guide us step-by-step as we paint one of Indiana's beautiful birds. Each participant takes home their own canvas creation. This successful program has been offered at several Indiana State Parks and it allows visitors to learn about field markings and other unique features of the animals and foliage, while engaging their creative side. This is an ideal program for beginners.

Location: Meet outside Abe Martin Lodge
Date & Time: Thursday, March 23, 9:30am to 4:00pm
Workshop Capacity: 25 participants
Price: $40 (lunch is provided)
Transportation: Carpooling
Lead: Angie Manuel, Interpretive Manager for Indiana State Parks and Sheree Belt, Interpretive Naturalist for Spring Mill State Park
Contact: Angie Manuel for questions at amanuel@dnr.in.gov
Category
02. Mobile Workshop Options
Time
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
3/23/2023 9:30 AM

Indiana University Interpretive Sites

Indiana University Interpretive Sites: The Wylie House Museum and the Indiana Geological & Water Survey Learning Lab

Indiana University has many facilities that utilize strong interpretive techniques. The Indiana Geological & Water Survey Learning Lab and the Wylie House Museum are two great examples. At the IGWS Learning Lab, participants will be able to explore 450 million years of geologic history in the heart of the IU campus. It is an experiential learning center that brings collections out of storage for hands-on discovery. The Wylie House Museum is the 1835 home of Andrew Wylie, IU's first president. Participants will tour the house, the grounds, and the Morton C. Bradley, Jr. Education Center to learn about the museum's unique role as a resource for K-12 students and the public, how research using original objects and collections supports university students and classes. Featured will be a discussion on the museum's past exhibition "Call and Response: Creative Interpretations of the Wylie House that utilized contemporary art to tell stories of women, children, African Americans, Indigenous people, LGBTQ folks, and immigrants. Many of the artistic interpretations have been acquired for the museum's permanent collection.

Location: Meet outside the Abe Martin Lodge
Date and Time: Thursday, March 23rd, 10am to 4pm
Workshop Capacity: 20 participants
Price: FREE; small parking fee on campus; lunch on your own in Bloomington
Transportation: Carpooling
Lead: Brian Forist, IU Lecturer & Program Coordinator
Contact: Brian Forist, bforist@indiana.edu
Category
02. Mobile Workshop Options
Time
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
3/23/2023 10:00 AM

Vistas, Venom, and Adventure

Vistas, Venom, and Adventure - Mixed Use Land Management at Brown County State Park

Brown County State Park is the largest state park in Indiana, and one of the largest state parks in the country. It contains two nature preserves and borders a state forest. The park's history and location make it an excellent lens to analyze land management when tasked with seemingly conflicting goals.

We'll begin by carpooling to the Brown County State Park Office, where we'll learn a bit about the history of the park and its use. This area of the park features trail heads for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding, each type of trail with its own needs and constituencies. There will be time for those interested to climb the fire tower.

Afterwards, we travel to the Brown County State Park Nature Center, where we'll view exhibits and discuss wildlife as a constituency. Brown County's native and endangered timber rattlesnake is an excellent example of mixed-use public lands. We'll learn about its history, its current status in the park, and view a live feeding (optional, use your judgement if this part of the program is for you). From there, we'll take the Brown County State Park driving tour before heading into the town of Nashville. In Nashville, we'll meet near the trailhead for the Salt Creek Trail, taking time to view a bit of the trail and discuss the collaboration between the town and the park. From here, we'll take lunch (on your own) in Nashville. Several options are available.

We'll conclude by traveling to the Brown County State Park Saddle Barn for a 35 minute trail ride. This ride will take us through the oldest part of Brown County State Park, including the viewing of several CCC structures. After the ride, you may stay for a question and answer session about Brown County and other Indiana State Parks with Eli Major, Brown County State Park's interpretive naturalist.

Location: Meet outside the Abe Martin Lodge
Date & Time: Thursday, March 23rd, 10am to 4pm
Workshop Capacity: 25 participants
Price: $25 (Lunch on your own in Nashville)
Transportation: Carpooling
Lead: Eli Major, Interpretive Naturalist for Brown County State Park
Contact: Eli Major, emajor@dnr.in.gov
Category
02. Mobile Workshop Options
Time
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
3/23/2023 10:00 AM

Weed Wrangle Indiana

Weed Wrangle Indiana Workshop

Weed Wrangle Indiana is part of a national movement to raise awareness about invasive species and support local native plant communities. Join us for an enjoyable and rewarding volunteer opportunity to celebrate and protect the green spaces and natural areas of the Brown County Hills in Southern Indiana. This engaging service-learning event will teach about local ecological communities, plant identification, and invasive species management techniques to benefit native plants, pollinators, birds, and other wildlife that are dependent on healthy habitat to thrive.

Additionally, attendees will learn how to host a volunteer Weed Wrangle including tools and materials, organization, safety planning, and event coordination. Since we will be working outside, this workshop is weather dependent and may be canceled if there is heavy rain or windy conditions. This event is committed to inclusion where everyone is welcomed, valued, and provided opportunities to grow so they can do their best work.

Location: Meet outside Abe Martin Lodge
Date & Time: Thursday, March 23, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Workshop Capacity: 20 participants
Price: FREE (lunch is provided)
Transportation: Carpooling
Lead: Peter Bausen, Brown County Native Woodlands Project
Contact: Mary Welz for questions at mary@sycamorelandtrust.org
Category
02. Mobile Workshop Options
Time
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
3/23/2023 10:00 AM

03. Guest Tickets

Description
Extra Awards Dinner Ticket
Category
03. Guest Tickets
Time
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
3/22/2023 6:00 PM