What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Home
United States
Indianapolis, IN
Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Directions Website

Official Indiana Department of Natural Resources page. Commenting policy: on.IN.gov/dnrsocial.

Official page for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources managed by DNR Division of Communications. Please abide by the commenting policy at https://www.in.gov/dnr/communications/social-media-policy/
Calendar of Events, see calendar.dnr.IN.gov.

10/31/2026

BATS OF INDIANA: Bat Week is almost over but there’s more you can do the rest of the year: preserve natural habitat on your property, provide a permanent source of water with wetlands or ponds, avoid cutting down old or dead trees with cavities and loose bark that bats may roost in, install a bat house, and educate your family and friends about the importance of bats.

Another way to help bats in Indiana is by donating to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund which allows Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists to conduct ongoing research. This research provides valuable data on the health of our bat populations and directs management guidelines to ensure bats remain for future generations. Donate to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund at endangeredwildlife.IN.gov.

10/30/2026

Summer 2026 at Indiana State Parks. Find a park for you at stateparks.IN.gov.

10/30/2026

BATS OF INDIANA: You may know how to provide safe habitat and food resources for birds in your backyard. But did you know that you can do the same for bats?

Noise and light pollution can prevent a bat from foraging or resting, ultimately pushing many bat species out of an area. By turning off external lights at night, or using motion-activated sensors, you can reduce the amount of light pollution within your control. Similarly, if you have an outdoor AC unit or generator you can reduce the amount of noise pollution you put out by installing a short fence or wall around these units to block the noise.

Another significant way to help bats is through maintaining native plants, whether across your property, in a garden, or in containers. This is a great way to provide good foraging habitat for native insects that bats will prey upon. Additionally, if you wanted to provide shelter for bats you can try installing a bat house for bats in need of a place to rest. These are easy ways to help bats across Indiana that can be accomplished by individuals, businesses, and organizations.

• Attracting bats to your backyard or patio by creating a bat garden: https://ow.ly/zFeW50ZYzEN
• Bat houses: https://ow.ly/ENc050ZYzEM

Photo 1 and 2: Bats in a bat house. Photo 3: Bat house by Denise Harter. Photo 4: Bat house by Heather Kaarakka

10/29/2026

Enjoy Halloween fun, learn about bats or explore fall foliage on a hike, Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Find more Indiana DNR activities at events.IN.gov/dnr.
Sat., Oct. 31 – Happy Halloween!
• Halloween Happenings, Pokagon State Park, All Day, https://ow.ly/froY50ZZ8HW
• Bat Chat, Harmonie State Park, 2p CT, https://ow.ly/tmIF50ZZ8HZ
Sun., Nov. 1
• Nature Craft Party, Spring Mill State Park, All Day, https://ow.ly/xzgj50ZZ8HY
• Fall Foliage Hike, Brookville Lake (Mounds State Recreation Area), 11a ET, https://ow.ly/uwnZ50ZZ8HX

10/29/2026

BATS OF INDIANA: Did you know Indiana is part of an elite group of states with a bat named after it?

The Indiana bat, Myotis sodalis, was discovered in Wyandotte Cave in Harrison County in 1928. The Indiana bat is a highly social bat throughout the year. They often group in large clusters in caves for hibernation. The large groups of bats bring many benefits, including keeping them warm and giving more security to the bats in terms of intruders in the cave. In our opinion, it also makes it easier for bat biologists to survey the species and estimate population size.

In 2026, caves in Indiana hosted 255,366 bats – that’s just over 37% of the world’s Indiana bats! Our most recent hibernaculum surveys indicate that the number of Indiana bats have increased to numbers like those seen pre-WNS (white-nose syndrome). For more information check out the 2024 Population Status Update compiled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at https://www.fws.gov/media/indiana-bat-population-estimate.

10/28/2026

Communities wanting to improve their lakes and streams can now apply for 2027 Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) grants until Dec. 21. Funded by Indiana watercraft registration fees, LARE supports projects that improve water quality, protect fish and wildlife habitat, and preserve public access to Indiana waters, including:
• aquatic invasive species management
• sediment removal and planning
• logjam removal
• diagnostic and feasibility studies
• engineering design
• construction
For more information: https://ow.ly/9POy5101w4g.

👉LARE information including the application can be found at lare.dnr.IN.gov.

10/28/2026

BATS OF INDIANA: Do you have bats that regularly roost on your property – in a barn, a bat box, behind a shutter, or an attic space?

We have received reports of this in the past, but there was no easy way to track the data or the person from year to year. That is until DNR biologists created a reporting tool to help track those bat roosts and connect you with the information you need to coexist with the bats.

After providing some basic information about when, where, and about how many bats you observe, you will receive an email proving connections to wildlife rehabilitators or wildlife control operators, and some general how-to’s that prioritize bat and human safety.

Your reports can be used to identify the timing of bats arrival or departure from an area, assess the size of a roost, determine if you have a maternity colony.

Bookmark on.IN.gov/bat-roosts and send us your bat roost reports!

10/27/2026

It’s time to order your tree seedlings for next year’s Indiana conservation plantings season. Vallonia State Tree Nursery is now accepting tree seedling orders online or by phone or mail in bundles of 100. Available species include various evergreen, deciduous, hardwoods and wildlife shrub seedlings. Explore specific available species and learn how to place your order at dnr.IN.gov/forestry/tree-seedling-nurseries/instructions!

10/27/2026

BATS OF INDIANA: With winter just around the corner, bats are taking their cues to find a mate and prepare to survive the cold months ahead. All bat species in Indiana will mate in the autumn and delay pregnancy until spring when food resources are abundant once again (slay girl!). During this time bats will group together, feast on insects, and pack on fat reserves to make sure they are as healthy as possible for what comes next.

Some bat species, like the hoary bat, fly south to warmer climates. Other species, like the tricolored bat, will find caves or abandoned mines to hibernate. DNR biologists conduct surveys during the winter to monitor the numbers of bats in select caves, which helps determine whether the populations are healthy. Contributions to Indiana’s Nongame Wildlife Fund help continue this valuable research. Help endangered wildlife by donating at endangeredwildlife.IN.gov.

Address

402 W Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN
46204

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Website

https://dnr.IN.gov/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Indiana Department of Natural Resources posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.