Hikes and Workshops, Saturday, June 6

Workshop descriptions follow the schedule. The workshops below are confirmed. Additional options may be added depending on attendance numbers.

Green: Workshop geared for children ages 6-12. School-age children do not need to be accompanied by a parent; Preschoolers may attend if accompanied by a parent.

Yellow: Workshop geared for families and people of all ages. 

Brown: Workshop geared for adults, but youth 10 and up with a special interest are welcome.

Workshop Descriptions

Especially for Children:

Exploring Nature:
This workshop is geared for ages 6-12. Preschoolers may attend if accompanied by an adult; school-age children do not need to be accompanied by an adult. Children will use all five senses to explore the trails near Merry Lea’s Farmstead. Who knows what surprises await? They might find crayfish burrows, smell a skunk or hear the call of a field sparrow, which sounds like a bouncing ping-pong ball.

For People of All Ages

All family members can enjoy these workshops. If you wish to send a child 8 or up on one of these workshops unaccompanied by an adult, please check with the instructor first.

Butterfly Gardening
Learn what flowers are especially attractive to butterflies; then help Karen Bender plant a butterfly garden. Karen is a long-time gardener and owner of Bender's Orchard.

Canoeing
Sign out a canoe and paddle your family around the Kesling Wetland. Can you find a muskrat house?

Earth Art
Andy Goldsworthy is a sculptor and environmentalist whose art involves the use of natural and found objects such as twigs and stones. After viewing some of Goldsworthy's amazing photographs of site-specific creations, we will create our own masterpieces out in nature! All ages are welcome in this exploration of our artistic sides using nature's materials. Workshop leader Dana Wilkinson is an environmental educator at Merry Lea.

Geocaching
This popular new sport is a high-tech treasure hunt using global positioning systems. Our staff will give you a crash course in GPS and loan you one of our units. Then, go in search of one of the caches found on Merry Lea property.

Geology: Beyond the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is nice, but don’t miss the dynamic features that receding glaciers left behind right in our back yards. Join Larry Yoder at the Glacial Retreat Center for a slide-illustrated introduction to northern Indiana's glacial landforms. After the introduction we’ll hike from the Glacial Retreat Center to Merry Lea's dramatic 50 ft high esker and adjacent peat deposits.  Along the way Larry will show you where melting glaciers created a dramatically altered landscape. At the gravel pit we’ll examine rocks the ice brought to us from all over central North America. 

Medicinal Plants of Indiana
Merry Lea’s Paul Steury will lead this group in search of yesteryear’s medicine chest. How did Native Americans treat a cough? What did early settlers do for a stomach ache? What spring plants kept scurvy and other forms of malnutrition at bay? Find out and taste medicines growing at Merry Lea.

Meadow Ecology
What can you find in a meadow? Plants, insects, birds, mammals…Merry Lea’s program director, Dave Miller, will introduce basic ecological principles and then the group will survey the rich biodiversity that can be found in a single ecosystem. “We’ll list and identify everything we can find,” Dave says. “We'll try to understand why it is as well as what it is.” Dave is an entomologist and teaches ornithology, so don’t be surprised if he gives insects and birds special attention.

Wetland Dip and Squish
This is your chance to don waders, grab a dip net and dabble waist-deep in a wetland. Merry Lea’s Jane Litwiller can help you find and identify dragonfly nymphs, caddisflies and other macroinvertebrates. Find out what these creepy-crawlie critters can tell us about water quality.

Wetland Restoration: Planting
At this “planting bee,” you’ll help Bill Minter, Merry Lea’s land manager, complete the restoration of a small wetland behind Rieth Village The group will plant plugs of various native wetland species. Participants should bring a hand trowel, gloves and footwear (or bare feet) for muddy conditions. In exchange for your sweat, you’ll learn what plants might do well in that wet spot in your back yard and receive tips on the best way to handle plant plugs. Children should be accompanied by an adult.

Especially for Adults

These workshops are geared for adults, but interested youth ages 10 and up may enjoy them too.

CO2 Awareness
What should you know about the state of the world’s atmosphere? What’s the best way to live responsibly in the face of global warming? Merry Lea’s Paul Steury will help you trim pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from your lifestyle.

Nature Photography
In this introduction to nature photography, Merry Lea’s Dave Miller will reflect on composition, lighting and other aspects of good nature photography. Then you’ll have some time to sharpen your skills on your own. Bring your own camera if you wish to participate.

Green Building Tours
In February 2008, Merry Lea’s Rieth Village received a platinum award from the U.S. Green Building Council. These three buildings use 60% less energy than conventional buildings would, cover a third of their energy needs with solar and wind power, recycle rainwater and process all wastewater using constructed wetlands. If your interest is Platinum Building Tour: CO2 Awareness

9:15 a.m. This tour emphasizes the energy-saving features of Rieth Village that cut down on CO2 output and use of coal-generated power. Join Paul Steury to take a look at your own CO2 footprint; then see solar panels, ground source heat pumps and a wind generator in action. Paul has recently returned from a week-long visit to Kentucky where he witnessed the damage done by coal mining.

1 p.m. If you have a special interest in wastewater treatment, take the 1 p.m. tour with Lisa Zinn. She’s doing doctoral research on constructed wetlands right now.