Explore the wonders of winter! Students will explore how people, plants and animals cope with winter by using their senses in the wintery woods and meadows. Search for signs of life outdoors and discover survival strategies used by native plants and animals. Warm up inside while engaging in some fun winter-themed activities.
Discover the world of animals in winter and how they spend their time in the cold and snowy months while we read Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner. Let’s feel some warm furs, hide food like other mammals, and even meet a live animal! Come prepared to be outside for the whole program time.
This month, hear from Merry Lea’s former Director of Land Management, Bill Minter, for an engaging, hands-on workshop exploring how to identify trees in winter! Learn to recognize native species by their bark, buds, and branching patterns while discovering the unique beauty of Indiana’s winter woodlands.
Join us for a hands-on workshop where we’ll explore how to grow and enjoy local food year-round. Learn where to source seeds and supplies, compare grow lights, starter trays, and soil mixes, and start seeds together for onions, herbs, and native companion plants. We'll also make corn tortillas, cook dry beans and squash, and make quesadillas, a delicious way to eat locally through the winter.
This month, learn about how fire is an integral component of the ecology of Northern Indiana. We’ll discuss why including fire in land stewardship practice is important, if not necessary, to promote and protect biodiversity in certain habitats with our Natural Resources Manager, Freya. Please be prepared to be outside for the whole time.
Get ready to go on a winter adventure to look for signs of animals! We will be exploring tracks that get left by animals and what type of scat we can find as well. We will be making our own tracks and spend some time hiking on our trails!
Get ready to go on a winter adventure to look for signs of animals! We will be exploring tracks that get left by animals and what type of scat we can find as well. We will be making our own tracks and spend some time hiking on our trails!
Join Merry Lea for a two-day immersion into nature-based education. At the core of this professional development opportunity there will be multiple site visits to observe preschool and elementary students engaging with nature. Ask educators about their pedagogy, and experience a variety of educational styles through the eyes of many passionate educators integrating the outdoors into their curriculum.
What does it mean to be a “steward of the land”? What is ecological restoration? How do you know what to do or where to start? The Master Stewardship Program at Merry Lea is designed to guide you through the process of creating a plan to restore and steward the land around you using best management practices. This multi-part workshop is designed for adults interested in the outside world, whether they are a landowner, hiker, hunter, and/or tree-hugger.
In this session, we’ll start cool season crops like cabbage, kale, broccoli, spinach, peas, and more. We’ll also cover transplanting vs. direct seeding, seedling care, planting calendars, and how to prep your garden beds. Then we'll bake sourdough bread together and enjoy it with homemade summer fruit jams.
