WAYNEDALE OUTDOORS Q & A

CHAIN O’LAKES
SPRING TRAIL CLEANUP 

It’s spring cleaning time. Come help Chain O’Lakes State Park with its annual spring clean-up hike on Saturday, April 23. After leaving from the nature center, participants will be clearing trails, marking areas that need to be trimmed with chainsaws, and stalking the wild garlic mustard. Choose a shift, 9-11 a.m. or noon-2 p.m. Adventurous participants can choose both. Individuals and groups are welcome.

This effort is designed to promote keeping Chain O’Lakes clean and beautiful. Bring a sack lunch, the park will provide hot and cold water and a microwave. For more information contact Howard Luehrs at Chain O’Lakes, (260) 636-2654.

ANTIQUE
TRACTOR SHOW

Spring Mill State Park will host its 11th annual Antique Tractor & Gas Engine Show on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1. Visitors can arrive from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Antique farm tractors dating back to the 1930s will be on display near the Sycamore Shelter House, headquarters for the event. Members from the Tri-County Antique Farm Machinery Association will be on hand throughout the weekend to talk about their hobby and the history of the machines. The stories can be as colorful as the tractors and engines themselves.

A tractor parade is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday. Antique tractors, small engines and farm machinery can register after 9 a.m. to join the parade. Visitors to the show will be able to step back in time and imagine what it was like in the days when the family tractor was the most important piece of machinery on the farm. They also will be able to realize how much easier life was during this era, compared to the thriving days of the “Spring Mill Village,” when horses, oxen and mules were the means of crop production.

There is no fee for the show, but the usual $5 gate fee per vehicle for in-state residents, and a $7 per vehicle gate fee for out-of-state motorists applies. Those interested in camping can contact the park office at 1-866-6CAMPIN. For more information about lodging at Spring Mill Inn, call 1-877-LODGES1.

LEARN TO FISH AT FORT HARRISON STATE PARK

If you’re already an angler, consider sharing this information with a friend or family who will be in the Indianapolis area and hasn’t been hooked yet. Family Learn to Fish workshops will be offered on the third Saturday of most months at Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis, beginning April 16. The workshops, which run from 9 a.m. to noon, offer families the chance to learn to fish, both in a classroom and while fishing on Delaware Lake, aided by expert instructors. The DNR’s Go FishIN program provides fishing gear and bait. All workshop fishing is catch-and-release.

The required advance registration or more information is available by e-mailing nrec@dnr.IN.gov or calling (317) 562-1338. Those who participate in the workshop this month may be able to enjoy the 700 rainbow trout that were stocked in Delaware Lake in late March. The 7-acre lake offers good shoreline fishing access and ADA fishing facilities.