Did you know that the Indiana Dunes has a sister? Well, you do now! The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore became sisters with Kampinos National Park in Mazowieckie Voivodeship, Poland, at a ceremony in Warsaw on April 15, 1998. Since then, Kampinos has been referred to as the Sister Dunes.
Why did the two parks become sister parks? They both share special goals: the promotion of international co-operation, gaining new experiences and training workers. This will be achieved by exchanging information, technical and scientific knowledge, experiences and training techniques/methods. So, what's the big deal about the Indiana Dunes having a Sister? Having a Sister is really cool because information can be shared from around the world to compare problems and to share techinques of helping the Dunes to survive through all disasters.
Both Kampinos and Indiana are located next to major cities; Indiana by Chicago and Kampinos by Warsaw. This is a good and a bad thing. It is good because the Park attracts many visitors. The bad thing, however, is that the area is polluted because of industries. Both cities are loaded with industries that give off toxic pollutants in the air, causing the plants and animals to become sick. Also, visitors litter in the park and cause pollution of the ground, killing animals and plants.
Scientists from Kampinos have been working with the Indiana Dunes crew in order to save the Dunes. They are discovering new species in the parks, protecting endangered species, and trying to eradicate invasive species from the parks. They are also trying to lower the level of pollution in the water as to help keep the aquatic life. But, they can't do it all by themselves. You can help in many ways.
