Merry Lea to offer trip to Ohio’s Oak Openings to see wild lupines and songbirds; Registration deadline May 9

WOLF LAKE, Ind. – Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College is sponsoring an all-day bus trip to the Oak Openings region of northwestern Ohio on Saturday, May 17. The trip is planned to coincide with the peak bloom of the wild lupines and is also a good time to see migrating songbirds.

The Nature Conservancy recently designated the Oak Openings region as “One of America’s Last Great Places.” In this unique ecosystem, black and white oaks live side by side with a mixture of grasses, sedges, wildflowers and shrubs.

The group will visit the Oak Openings Preserve Metropark and the Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, both near Toledo, Ohio. These preserves are an area of contrasts, with dry sand dunes just yards away from low, wet swales. They are home to at least 180 rare species, including Karner blue butterflies and lark sparrows. Bluebirds, indigo buntings, whippoorwills and many other species nest here; badgers live there, too.

Bill Minter, Merry Lea’s land manager and a certified professional forester, will lead the group. Some of his work at Merry Lea has focused on oak woodland and savanna restoration.

At Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, the visit will coincide with the Nature Conservancy’s Blue Weekend. A wildlife hike and a workshop on butterfly monitoring, led by local experts are part of the afternoon plans.

The group will travel by van, meeting at Goshen College at 7:45 a.m. and returning by 8 p.m. The cost for the trip is $25, and may be paid upon arrival. Registrants should bring a packed lunch and plan for a restaurant stop for supper.

The registration deadline is May 9. For a schedule of the day or to register, e-mail jenniferhs@goshen.edu or call (260) 799-5869.

Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center is a 1,189-acre nature preserve owned and operated by Goshen College, Goshen, Ind. It is located in central Noble County, just south of Wolf Lake, Ind. Merry Lea offers a wide variety of public programs, including hikes, a nature photography workshop, a BioBlitz and the annual NatureFest. E-mail jenniferhs@goshen.edu to receive notice of upcoming events.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.