Our Response to COVID-19

Welcome Visitors: the Learning Center is open! Please review our policies before visiting.

Along with Goshen College, Merry Lea is committed to the safety and well-being of its employees, students and visitors. Please join us in protecting others by following our policies, including physical distancing, wearing face masks, good hand hygiene, contact tracing and limiting crowds. Check out our events page and field trip program offerings. Our eight miles of trails are free and open everyday dawn to dusk. Thank you for your support and understanding as we assess best practices during this time.

PreK-12 Programs

Providing environmental education for people of all ages.

We have designed programs for school aged children (kindergarten through high school). At Merry Lea, the education team is determined to facilitate experiences in the outdoor world which inspire exploration, foster a sense of wonder, and share joy with children of all ages.

Collegiate Programs

Exploring the systems that shape our interconnected world through sustainability and education.

Merry Lea faculty teach and advise students within the Sustainability and Environmental Education Department (SEED), an academic department of Goshen College. Students live and learn in the field at Merry Lea to gain hands-on experiences built around Goshen College’s interdisciplinary and intercultural frameworks.

Merry Lea Sustainable Farm

Living alongside nature sustainably

Farming is just one of the many human activities that take a toll on the natural world. At Merry Lea, we have developed a sustainable farm where we employ practices designed to protect soil ecosystems, encourage beneficial insects, grow healthy food and live in harmony with our surroundings.

Land and Research

Interacting with the land

Active land management has occurred since Merry Lea came under the ownership of Goshen College in 1980. Land management activities, under the guidance of the Director of Land Management, serve to support all aspects of Merry Lea’s mission by identifying, maintaining, restoring and managing for a diversity of native northeast Indiana plant and animal habitats.