Snakes, bugs, birds inhabit nature talks

July 14, 2008 11:25 am

— LAGRANGE, Ind. — The LaGrange County Parks Department will be offering several programs in the near future. Those programs include:

Breakfast with the Birds

Breakfast with the Birds is for anyone who is free one Wednesday morning of each month. The program starts with coffee and doughnuts. Then a talk or discussion is offered by the naturalist.
Participants should take binoculars and enjoy a hike in the woods afterward. There is a recommended donation of $1.

Inspecting insects

At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, the public is invited to explore what makes an insect an insect, what kinds of groups they are divided into, their importance in food production and entomophagy.
Inspecting Insects will be repeated at the LaGrange branch of the LaGrange County Library as part of the summer reading program Thursday at 2 p.m.

Massasauga rattlesnakes

ACRES Land Trust will present a program by Bruce Kingsbury, professor of herpetology at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne.
Kingsbury will present the life of massasauga rattlesnakes at 10 a.m. Saturday at Maple Wood Nature Center.
Massasaugas are northern Indiana’s only venomous snake and are an Indiana endangered species. Kingsbury has been researching them for years and has learned much about their lives and habits. Some of his research habitats are in LaGrange County.
Maple Wood is 4 1/2 miles east and 1 mile south of LaGrange at 4550 E. 100 South. For more information, call (260) 463-4022.

Swimming lessons

LaGrange County Parks has one more session of swimming lessons available at Dallas Lake County Park. Swim lessons are open to children ages 5 and older. Fifty-minute sessions are available July 21 through Aug. 1 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The fee for swim lessons is $30 per child.
Dallas Lake Park is located at 0505 W. 700 South. Register at the park office or call (260) 854-2225 between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to register.