Free ham radio licensing class
The Lake County Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring a free Ham Radio License class that will meet once a week from 6:30-8 p.m. beginning Thursday through April 12 at Lake County Public Library, 1919 W. 81st Ave., Merrillville. The license test will be at 6:30 p.m. April 12, and costs $15. More information is at http://www.W9LJ.org.
Spring Fundraiser to benefit Ivy Tech students
A Las Vegas-style Tribute to the Stars spring fundraising event sponsored by the Ivy Tech Foundation will be held at 5:30 p.m. March 23 at Aberdeen Manor, 216 Ballantrae St., Valparaiso. The evening includes dinner, a silent auction and a tribute to entertainment legends such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Neil Diamond. Proceeds will help support Ivy Tech students at campuses in East Chicago, Gary, Crown Point/Merrillville, Michigan City and Valparaiso. Tickets are $85 per person, $45 of which is tax-deductible, and are available at http://connect.ivytech.edu/events/springevent2018. Reservation and ticket deadline is March 9. More information is with Cindy Hall at 219-476-4710 or cjhall@ivytech.edu.
Science Saturday at National Lakeshore
Join staff and visitors from 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday for a Science Saturday presentation examining how climate affects the ecology of sugar maple trees at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Visitor Center, 1215 N. Indiana 49, Chesterton. Dr. Joshua Rapp of the University of Massachusetts is utilizing the help of citizen scientists from around the country in the study. Following an indoor presentation, participants will drive to the Bailly Chellberg parking lot and walk to the site of the sugar bush where the research is taking place. For the outdoor portion of the program, participants should wear boots and dress for the weather. If the sap is flowing, visitors will be encouraged to try their hand at data collection. More information is at 219-395-1882 or at www.nps.gov/indu.
PAD Foundation fundraiser to support animal rescue
The PAD Foundation, established as a tribute to the memory of Peter and Adam Del-Rio-Bathurst, will host its first gala fundraiser to benefit animal shelters in Northwest Indiana from 5-10 p.m. Saturday at the Croatian Center, 8550 Taft St., Merrillville. The evening will include dinner, an open bar, live entertainment featuring dancers from Indiana Youth Ballet, a silent auction and dancing. Tickets are at padpets.brownpapertickets.com. For more information or to make a donation go to padpets.org.
Free Butterfly Monitoring workshop
Staff from Shirley Heinze Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy will present a free training workshop for prospective volunteer monitors of local butterfly populations from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Meadowbrook Conservation Center, 109 W. County Road 700N in Valparaiso. Workshop participants will learn how to identify butterflies, learn about their life cycles, and hear about opportunities to collect data on butterfly populations in northwest Indiana for the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network. Those wishing only to learn about the program also are welcome. Registration and more information are at 219-242-8558 or at volunteer@heinzetrust.org.
— Staff report
