Calendar of Events

For more information or to register for any program below, e-mailJennifer Schrock, coordinator of public programs or call 260-799-5869. Can't make it to a public program? You're welcome to hike our trails anytime between dawn and dusk. Trailheads at the Learning Center and the Farmstead contain maps. What's it like to hike at Merry Lea? Click here to take a walk!

Is cost your issue? Talk to us and we'll see what we can do.

picnic Community Picnic
Saturday, August 15, 2009 at Luckey's Landing

Merry Lea’s neighbors and all those interested in local history and culture are invited to Luckey’s Landing for a potluck picnic. Children’s activities and a presentation will follow the meal.

broken leg Wilderness First Aid
Friday & Saturday, August 14—15, 8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m.
at the Farmstead site

This 16-hour course will be taught by the SOLO School of Emergency Medicine and Rescue and comes with a two-year certification recognized by the American Camping Association, US Coast Guard, and various guide licensing boards. The curriculum covers patient assessment, rescue techniques, fractures/dislocations, splint improvisation, spinal cord injury management of environmental emergencies, soft tissue injuries, shock, long-term patient care and preparedness. Click here for a registration form.

Cost is $195; $115 for Goshen College students. Includes lunches; lodging available at $15/night.

hiking Cross-property Hike and Labor Day Picnic
Sunday afternoon, September 6, 2:00 p.m.
Meet at the Farmstead

Want to see the whole sweep of Merry Lea in one afternoon? Join Jennifer for an afternoon hike from Rieth Village to the gate north of Luckey’s Landing. We’ll begin with photos of this walk in different seasons; then visit most of the ecosystems found in Noble County in one afternoon. Cost: $10 per person includes picnic supper provided at Luckey’s Landing.

picnic Autumn Hope Conference
Encountering God's Wild Side :
Finding Our Place in Nature
Friday, September 18, 6 p.m.
til Saturday, September 20, 12:30 p.m.
at the Farmstead site

Each year, Merry Lea offers a faith-based conference integrating fieldwork outdoors, reflection, discussion and worship. This event emphasizes the hope embedded in the natural world rather than the despair we sometimes feel when considering environmental damage. Cost: $100 Lodging available on site for $15/night.

leaves Monday Morning Hike Series: Shades of Autumn
Mondays in October: the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th, 9 - 11 a.m.
Meet at the Learning Center

These weekly hikes will focus on the changes that take place in Merry Lea's fall foliage and prairies as nature readies itself for the winter.
Cost: $5 per person; $15 if paid October 5th for the series.
Maximum per family: $15.

Kesling Wetland Nature Photography Workshop
Thursday, October 8, 5:30 p.m. til Sunday, October 11, 1:30 p.m.
at the Farmstead site

Join experienced photographers for three days in the woods with your camera. The weekend includes slide-illustrated lectures, time outdoors for shooting photographs, critique of student work and help with digital
issues. The cost of $475 includes lodging and all meals from Thursday supper through Sunday noon.

lanterns Enchanted Forest
Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24, 7.p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
at the Farmstead Site

This Halloween alternative offers children a chance to meet and talk with the animals that live at Merry Lea. Take a night hike by lantern light and find out what opposums eat, how many eggs a garden spider lays and what muskrats fear most, among other things. The Enchanted Forest is geared for children ages 4 – 9, but all ages will enjoy the experience and learn something new.

News at Merry Lea

Calendar of Events