WHAT:  An exciting restoration project.  The Park Department, with funding through the Michigan City Redevelopment Commission, is conducting a restoration project on approximately 20 acres.  You may hear chainsaws, see large piles of brush, and small controlled burn fires.

WHERE:  Bismarck Hill, a set of three sand dunes encompassing approximate 30 acres just east of the Washington Park Zoo.  

WHY: We want to bring the dune back to its native state.  We have plans for adventure course attractions which will highlight the dune habitat and our coastal region while protecting this great natural resource in Michigan City.  

WHEN: Now through late spring.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:  We have installed signs along Lake Shore Drive and Center Street reading “KEEP OUT: Wildlife Restoration Area.”  Please respect the signs and stay out of the area while we complete this very sensitive and important work.

BENEFITS:  Native communities provide substantial benefits; long-term reduced maintenance costs, carbon footprint reduction, improved soil stability, excess nutrient filtration, stormwater runoff reduction, aesthetic enhancement, and increased habitat diversity for insects, birds, amphibians, and mammals.  

For more information contact Park Superintendent Jeremy Kienitz at 219-873-1506 or jkienitz@emichigancity.com.