Collage: The Birding Borrow Bag, shown here with its contents, including Vortex binoculars, bird guides, coloring books, feeding guides, journal and crayons, all packed in a durable canvas bag. All photos are courtesy of Kim Ehn and Nora Glenn.
BY KIM EHN
The Marquette Playground Committee has sponsored a Summer Storytime at the playground shelter for many years. Nora Glenn, leader and Miller Beach resident, welcomes children and families to listen to stories by many guest readers, enjoy social interaction, and engage in children’s play while near the southern shores of Lake Michigan. Nora leads the children through related activities and provides a snack.
Weekly guest readers have included the Mayor of Gary, legislators, police and fire chiefs, and leaders of community and environmental groups. Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society has provided a guest reader for two years, introducing the children to shorebirds, owls, and birdwatching.
The new “Birding Borrow Bags” include a pair of 8×42 Vortex Crossfire binoculars, Sibley’s folding guides for backyard birds, waterbirds of the Great Lakes, and ducks of the Great Lakes, and consumable Brome coloring books and Wild Delight bird feeding guides. Paper journals and crayons have also been added. The bags are made of heavy canvas for durability, include a shoulder strap for convenience, and are hand-printed with the name of the partnering organizations: Marquette Park Playground Committee and Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society. A laminated insert describes the use of the materials and acknowledges the funding from the Indiana Audubon Mumford & Keller Grant.
Four Birding Borrow Bags were introduced at the first story hour of the season on May 29, 2025. It was a dreary, rainy day to be near the beach at Marquette Park, but the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education staff, part of the Indiana Dunes National Park, kindly allowed the group to meet there in case of inclement weather. Two families were able to attend and agreed to participate in borrowing the bags for the week. After listening to books written by Jane Yolen and Matthew Cordell and read by Kim Ehn, the adults and children were introduced to the bags and their contents.
An evaluation meeting is planned for after the season to discuss changes and additions to this project.
The Birding Borrow Bags were funded in 2024 through Indiana Audubon’s Mumford and Keller Grants and Scholarships Program. The 2025-2026 cycle closed on Aug. 15, with recipients to be announced soon. Learn more at indianaaudubon.org/mumfordandkeller.
Tags: grant report mumford and keller
