The Mary Alice Gray Bird Sanctuary

The Mary Alice Gray Bird Sanctuary
Today we will visit the The Mary Alice Gray Bird Sanctuary, near Connerville, Indiana.
From the Book
East Central Indiana Day Trips

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Owned and operated by the Indiana Audubon Society, the Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary was established in 1943. Connersville resident Alice Green Gray donated a 264-acre tract of land to the Society in 1943 as a memorial to her daughter, Mary, who had passed away in 1940. Alice passed away that year and her husband, Congressman Finley H. Gray, willed additional acreage to that upon his death in 1947. The sanctuary now totaled over 600 acres. Over the years gifts from members have allowed the Society to acquire more land, bringing the total current acreage to over 700 acres.
The sanctuary is open to the public from dawn to dusk and offers hiking, birdwatching and picnicking opportunities.
Trails include the Birding Trail, Wildflower, Beech, Wildflower, Cardinal, Woodpecker, Wetland, Prairie, Woods Loop, Malus, Lonicera, Crataegus, Viburnum, Cornus, and Locust. There is a primitive campground available. Non-Members may camp there for $10 per night. Members may camp free. There is no water or electricity at the site.

The Birding Trail is a 1.5 mile trail that traverses a variety of habitats and includes a series of informative signs about birds..
Five species of owls can be found, if you are lucky, in the sanctuary. These include the Great Horned owl, Eastern Screech owl, Barred owl, Long-eared owl, and Saw-whet owl. Hikers along the Owl Trail will find interpretive signage about these owls.
A handicap accessible birding blind allows people of all physical conditions to watch birds and enjoy the outdoors.

Brooks Hall serves as a meeting place for members and for events hosted by the Society. People may rent the facility for reunions and other events. d

The Markle Barn, located near one of the ponds, is also available for rental.
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Many Society events take place in the Large Shelter, which is surrounded by mature trees. The Shelter is also available for rental.

Hikers will even find an active beehive along one of the trails. The honeybees play an active role in pollinating the many wildflowers in the Sanctuary.

Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary
3499 S Bird Sanctuary Rd,
Connersville, IN 47331
https://indianaaudubon.org/mgbs/

The episode is based upon my book, East Central Indiana Day Trips , available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is the first book in the 9 volume Road Trip Indiana Series. The books include all the historical markers, as of 2022, in Indiana with the text and back story. The books also include a nearly complete listing of virtually every tourism destination in the state. The destinations include parks, museums, drive in theaters, bowling alleys, wineries and much, much more. I encourage you to visit the web site and subscribe to it.
You can find my books locally at the at the Romweber Marketplace in downtown Batesville, Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.