Hear a tale and hike a trail with your preschooler to discover the natural wonders around you together! This is a 1.5-hour monthly program designed for children ages 3-5, with younger siblings welcome to join, led by a Merry Lea educator.

Unplug, Connect, and Explore at Spring Break Day Camp 2023. K-5th learners, come join us at Merry Lea to become animal analysts! Explore a variety of wildlife including insects, amphibians, and birds through fun investigations. Hike through different wildlife habitats, swing a net to catch interesting insects, and build your own bird nest!

Springtime is moving in and so are our local amphibians! Discover the boisterous frogs and secretive salamanders that call Merry Lea home at this special time of year. Learn what makes amphibians so unique while you explore our trails and ponds to uncover these amazing residents.

Build it big, then knock it down! Improve your design and see how strong you can make your structure. Join us for this STEM family workshop designed for adults and children to learn about the engineering design cycle through building and testing, all using natural materials.

Join Merry Lea for a hands-on workshop that demystifies the art of grafting, so that you can add variety and vigor to your fruit trees.  Learn about the science of grafting, watch demonstrations, and try several grafting techniques yourself. Build your skills just in time to put them to use on your own trees this upcoming grafting season!

Regular time in a familiar outdoor place is important, but visiting novel spots is valuable too! Unexpected discoveries, child-directed exploration and more can result from facilitated excursions. Learn and observe how these are planned and implemented.

Regular time in a familiar outdoor place is important, but visiting novel spots is valuable too! Unexpected discoveries, child-directed exploration and more can result from facilitated excursions. Learn and observe how these are planned and implemented.

Celebrate the beautiful spring weather at our annual Nature Fest! This FREE and fun-filled festival features various family and BioBlitz (science investigations) activities at Merry Lea.

Upcoming high school juniors and seniors can make Merry Lea their home for a week this summer during Conservation Leadership School!

Camp overnight and explore a world full of natural resources and conservation. Canoe across glacial lakes, plan and run a community nature event, and get a taste of careers like botany, land management or sustainable agriculture. Enjoy an educational and rejuvenating week at our beautiful 1,189 acre nature sanctuary with peers and professionals inspired by the natural world. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to join Merry Lea at this free, family-friendly event designed to get people outside on Thursday, June 8, as part of a state-wide effort by Indiana Children and Nature Network (ICAN) Nature Play Days! 

There will be a variety of guided and self-guided activities to choose from all afternoon. Dip for tadpoles, create a craft, go on a hike, work on a scavenger hunt and so much more. Come explore the natural world in your own backyard!