Friends Groups
Why Friends?
Friends Groups provide a unique support system for our properties. Members are people who love our parks and reservoirs and want to help keep them healthy for future generations. Our friends groups volunteer to help with events, work on trails, fundraiser for specific projects and offer other financial support for the purchase of equipment, supplies or other materials as needed. In the process, the people who belong to these groups meet new people, have opportunities to learn and grow and gain the satisfaction of helping support our sites.
In general, the purposes of our local friends groups include the following:
- Support the conservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural resources that are the foundation of state parks and reservoirs.
- Support interpretation and education that enriches visitor experiences and encourages land use ethics and appreciation for the unique natural and cultural resources of Indiana.
- Support the design, construction and maintenance of facilities that enhance visitor experiences at state parks and reservoirs.
- Support scientific research that leads to a better understanding of the natural and cultural resources of state parks and/or reservoirs.
- Generate funding, separate from revenue and legislative appropriations, to be used for conservation of resources, facilities and interpretation through memberships, grants, gifts, bequests or other means.
- Provide an avenue of volunteer service for Indiana’s citizens that enriches their lives.
Which Sites Have Friends Groups?
We currently have friends groups for these properties:- Brown County State Park:
- Friends of Brown County State Park, Inc.
- Cagles Mill Lake
- Friends of Cagles Mill Lake
- Falls of the Ohio State Park:
- Falls of the Ohio Foundation
- Fort Harrison State Park:
- Friends of Fort Harrison State Park
- Hardy Lake:
- Friends of Hardy Lake
- Harmonie State Park:
- Friends of Harmonie State Park
- Indiana Dunes State Park:
- Friends of Indiana Dunes, Inc.
- Lincoln State Parks:
- Friends of Lincoln State Parks
- McCormick's Creek State Park:
- Friends of McCormick's Creek State Park
- Mounds State Park:
- Friends of Mounds State Park
- Ouabache State Park:
- Friends of Ouabache State Park
- Potato Creek State Park:
- Friends of Potato Creek State Park
- Shakamak State Park:
- Friends of Shakamak State Park
- Tippecanoe State Park
- Friends of Tippecanoe State Park
- Turkey Run and Shades State Parks:
- Friends of Turkey Run and Shades State Parks
- Upper Wabash Interpretive Services (Salamonie and Mississinewa Reservoirs and J. Edward Roush Fish & Wildlife Area):
- Friends of the Upper Wabash Interpretive Services Inc.
- Versailles State Park
NOTE: If you visit the links above, you are leaving the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website. The IDNR does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of the materials provided by other agencies or organizations, nor does the IDNR endorse other agencies or organizations, their views, products or services.
How Can I Start a Friends Group?
If you are interested in helping to start a friends group for your favorite state park or reservoir property, contact the property manager or the full-time interpretive naturalist to see if it is an option in that location. You will need a core group of individuals who can work hard; serve as the initial officers; coordinate articles of incorporation; establish non-profit status with the Internal Revenue Service(IRS); publicize and support the groups organization the first few years. There is time and energy involved, but it can be a rewarding effort!
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