News & Updates

As a young girl, I explored the magical wonderland of Merry Lea. During winter, the meadows were transformed into fields of snowflake diamonds under the moonlit skies. I remember hosting guests for evening and weekend cross -country skiing. There was always a warm buzz under the rustic wood beams of the Kesling barn as my family helped outfit visitors with skis and boots.

The Kinderforest crew survived its first rainy day in November. Fortunately, a local business had provided matching frog togs for all of the children, so they were outfitted with raincoats, rain pants and boots. The wet, chilly day was harder for the adults than the kids!

Goshen College’s new president, Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus, and her husband, Kevin Miller, came to visit Merry Lea on November 14. We treated them to a potluck that included homegrown hazelnuts, apples, sausage, venison, kale and squash. What did we talk about? In a nutshell, planetary health.

It’s the sorghum season at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College and two Goshen College students stand at the sorghum evaporator skimming foam off of a vivid green liquid.

The Merry Lea Team celebrated Luke Gascho’s 20 years of leadership as executive director at a September staff meeting and surprised him with two gifts. Thanks to careful planning, the team managed to keep their astute and emotionally intelligent leader clueless until the right moment.

Merry Lea lost a valuable ally and trusted friend on September 13 when Mark Eisfelder, age 57, died unexpectedly following a heart attack. Mark worked for Zehr Construction for 36 years, and in his role as a carpenter and foreman, frequently worked at Merry Lea during the past 19 years.

The cornfield looked like any other cornfield in Northwestern Illinois. But the group tramping across it was an unusual combination of people. Two past presidents of the Ho-Chunk Nation and leaders of the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, Elizabeth, Ill., were surveying land together. An archaeologist and Merry Lea’s Dave Ostergren completed the party.

Jodi Jordan, a kindergarden teacher at Wolf Lake Elementary School is prepared to spend time in the woods. Maybe even roll in the mud. She’s been through several days of Kinderforest training and practice at Merry Lea, she’s got her Frog Toggs® and she’s got a boatload of enthusiasm.