Merry Lea offers week of nature camp, July 17-21

WOLF LAKE, Ind. – Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College is offering children in grades one to five the opportunity to explore nature, science, birds and bugs during a one-week camp July 17-21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Campers will spend much of their time outdoors exploring Merry Lea’s 1,150 acres and learning what it is like to be a scientist.

Each day of the camp will focus on a different area of nature study. On Monday, as agroecologists, children will discover how much science it takes to grow food. On Tuesday, campers will focus on birds and discover the kinds of questions an ornithologist asks. Children will become entomologists on Wednesday, catching insects and learning to identify them. Zoology and ecology studies round out the week.

Fun games, hands-on experiences, interactive learning and snacks are a part of each day. On Thursday, campers will arrive at 1 p.m. and stay overnight for a campout. Campers need to bring bag lunches each day.

Camp size is limited to 15 children. The cost of the camp is $50. To register, call (260) 799-5869 or e-mail paulds@goshen.edu.

Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center is a 1,150-acre nature center located in central Noble County and owned and operated by Goshen College. This natural sanctuary for northern Indiana’s plants and animals provides environmental education for people of all ages and a setting to recreate opportunities that benefit the human body and spirit without exploiting the land. Each year over 7,000 children visit Merry Lea on school field trips. Merry Lea was created with the assistance of the Nature Conservancy and the generosity of Lee A. and Mary Jane Rieth. For more information and directions, go to www.goshen.edu/merrylea.

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.