NACC’s next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 13th , at 7 pm in the club house.
NACC Breakfast will be held Sunday, April 14 at the New Alsace American Legion from 7:30 to noon. We will be doing prep work on Saturday, April 13 around 1pm at the legion. Chairwoman, Sarah Lewis would like all members who are planning to work on Sunday to contact her so she can fill out her worker list. ph. 513-310-7057 or email slewis180@gmail.com We have included a breakfast flier for you hang up in your favorite place. We need to get the word out on other social medias too.
NACC 31st Annual Fishing Derby committee will be finalizing the sponsors by March 25th, as reported by Dale Back. All members who have derby sponsors need to let Dale know before the 25 deadline to get them on the poster board. This years derby will be held on May 4th at Lake in the Pines. Contact Dale if you have any questions. (812)623-2431 or backdale@gmail.com.
ICOO Karl Kelly Youth Conservation Camp . We will be sending a total of (10) ten kids to camp this year at a cost of $3500.00 for all. The list of campers are: Ava Rosemeyer, Dylan Leffler, Noah Rendon, Zayne Miller, Jayla Elam, Joselin Charles, Braxton Griffin, Brody Wingate & Zane Biggs.
2019 MEMBERSHIP DUES are now being collected. THANKS TO THOSE WHO ALREADY PAID THEIR 2019 DUES… NACC dues annually are $12.00 and you can pick up an affiliate Indiana Wildlife Federation for the discounted fee of $20.00 (optional). mail to: New Alsace Conservation Club, PO Box 302, Sunman, IN 47041.
Mark your Calendar: NACC Property Clean up Day is Saturday, March 23 at 9 am.
The club property has many fallen trees that were blown over in the past wind and ice storms and are needed to be cleaned up. Anybody interested in helping us out would be much appreciated.
Club house and property being used on the following dates for private parties: Feb. 23, Brian Wilson – card party, Mar. 16, Sean Johnson – diaper party, June 1, Rob Seig – graduation party, July 6, Bob Rosemeyer – graduation party
State News – After more than a 100 years of trying, Indiana has its first national park. The president recently signed the US government spending bill that also, included changing the name of Indiana National Lakeshore to Indiana Dunes National Park. Now it is part of an elite group of 61 parks across the country that Americans make lifelong commitments to visit. The area is comprised of about 15,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, savannas, bogs, wetlands and the titular dunes. Its beaches run along about 15 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline. The Indiana Dunes received 3.6 million visitors last year and the destination ranks just below Yellowstone National Park for visitors. The Indiana Dunes are considered one of the most bio-diverse areas in North America, with more plant and animal species than the entire state of Hawaii. Indianapolis Star, Emily Hopkins USA TODAY NETWORK
DNR – Nick Werner, former OI – Outdoor Indiana Staff wrotein February issue of OI about Versailles State Park Trail 1 and its great views, big woods and limestone sinkholes. Trail 1 is also called the Old Forest Trail, the 2.25 mile loop is rated as “more Difficult” with some steep grades and a dirt trail surface that occasionally changes to craggy limestone bedrock. The best place to access Trail 1 is Oak Grove Shelter. The uplands at Versailles are pockmarked with dozens, if not hundreds of sinkholes, part of the reason its now a state park. The park’s lay historian, Bill Dallman, has identified 80 former homesteads inside the park that were marginal farms settled in the 1830s. At first, locals formed a commission to persuade the federal government to build a national park. In 1934, the Department of Interior bought 1,700 acres from farmers and set up a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. Work groups were reassigned from the CCC project in 1937. The federal government was never really that interested in building a park in Indiana. There top priority was, to put men back to work during The Great Depression. The State Park opened in 1943 and has since grown to 6,000 acres. So, while the forest you encounter on Trail 1 might be “old”, it is not that old. Much of the growth is second-growth forest that happened in the latter half of the 20th centruy. Versailles is home to four hiking trails comprising 8 miles and 16 miles of mountain bike trails. So, with spring coming, why not plan a day at nearby Versailles State Park, and see the plants come back to life on one of its hiking trails.
Yours in Conservation,
Chuck Schmeltzer, President Phone: 812-623-4103 For more info about NACC – contact Dale Back , Secretary at (812)623-2431 or E-mail: backdale@gmail.com or go to www.newalsaceconservationclub.com and submit your questions through the comment section. NACC is a 501 c 4 not for profit organization incorporated in the state of Indiana .