Merry Lea is amoung the best assembled land preserves in Indiana and contains a diverse group of Indiana ecosystems. The 1,189-acre preserve contains a wonderful complex of wetlands, bogs, lakeshores, upland and lowland forests, prairies, and meadows. A special geological feature is an esker (a gravel ridge formed by channels in the glacial ice) on the west side of the property. For more information on the ecosystems of Merry Lea use the links below.
Spring Forest Ephemerals
Prairie Forbs
Summer Forest flowers
Terrestrial LandscapesOld Fields and Prairies
Shrubland, Upland Forest, Lowland Forest, and Plantations
Oak Woodland and Oak Savanna
Aquatic LandscapesLakes, Ditches, and Vernal Pools
Wetlands (Shrub-Forest, Bog, Fen, Shrub-Carr, Marsh, Wet-Meadow)