2nd Hoosier Outdoor Experience set for 2010

Indiana DNR Release:

Mark your calendars now to attend outdoor activity event Sept. 18-19

On the heels of a successful first-year effort, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation have announced the second annual Hoosier Outdoor Experience will be Sept. 18-19, 2010 at Fort Harrison State Park, Indianapolis.

The inaugural “Experience” last weekend at Fort Harrison drew 13,300 attendees for the event, which included a one-day program for selected elementary school students followed by two days of free activities for the general public.

“It was a slam dunk,” DNR Director Robert E. Carter Jr. said. “Our first Hoosier Outdoor Experience did everything we expected it to do. We were able to introduce the DNR and its programs to thousands of new park visitors and at the same time introduce those people to a wide range of recreational opportunities.”

Unlike at traditional trade shows, visitors to the Hoosier Outdoor Experience were able to enjoy hands-on participation in nearly 50 outdoor activities. Some of the more popular events were trap shooting, archery, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking, bow fishing, building wildlife boxes, and riding off-road vehicles.

“It was gratifying to see 18 months of planning finally play out, but even more rewarding to see the countless happy faces experiencing many of the weekend activities for the first time,” said Amanda Wuestefield, Hoosier Heritage Outdoor Coordinator and the lead organizer for the Experience. “We expect next year’s event to be even bigger.”
The Hoosier Outdoor Experience was presented by the Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation with support from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust; Ball Brothers Foundation; WXIN-Fox 59, Indianapolis; and numerous other sponsors. Sponsorship information for the 2010 Hoosier Outdoor Experience can be obtained from Indiana Natural Resources Foundation executive director Bourke Patton; call (317) 234-5447 or e-mail bpatton@dnr.IN.gov.

Photo galleries from this year’s Hoosier Outdoor Experience are posted on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hoosieroutdoorexperience, and a multimedia slideshow of School Day can be viewed at www.IN.gov/dnr/5664.htm.