In early January, John and Ruth Mischler joined the Merry Lea Team. The couple shares one position, with John as the director of agroecology and Ruth working quarter time as an assistant professor in the Sustainability and Environmental Education Department.
Women at Merry Lea’s Women’s Spirituality Retreat January 27-28 used empty picture frames to explore the theme, Invisible Women, Invisible Earth. They also found time for artwork and reading related to the theme.
Students in Merry Lea’s Master’s in Environmental Education program spent December 1 and 2 in Detroit, Mich., learning about greening in an urban context. Professional field studies such as this overnight field trip are a regular part of the program. Several of them feature urban contexts to broaden the experiences that students receive in rural Northern Indiana.
Merry Lea’s Environmental Education Outreach (EEO) team expanded their knowledge of entomology this winter when they discovered that something was eating the taxidermy displays in the exhibit room in the Learning Center.
Merry Lea’s 2016-17 Master’s in Environmental Education cohort completed their leadership course before Christmas break with presentations on the nature centers that they had imagined themselves directing. This year, the centers were less “imaginary” than usual—most were based in areas students already knew well.
Five of Merry Lea’s employees were honored for their years of service at Goshen College’s annual Christmas celebration. It is unusual for a third of the staff to hit employment benchmarks the same year.
November is the season when Merry Lea honors its volunteers with a special dinner, some informal entertainment and a gift. This year’s program included music, poetry and a story.
Wolf Lake, Indiana, is not the easiest place to get internet access. After three lightning strikes to our internet tower and many foggy mornings with feeble signals, Executive Director Luke Gascho decided to upgrade to fiber optic cable.
Merry Lea's Environmental Education Outreach team launched a new program this fall. Accompany child scientists as they compare a farm with wild ecosystems and learn where food comes from. Also read about a pastor's academy that enabled Merry Lea to share ecological expertise with the faith community; the volunteers behind Enchanted Forest and some new trail shelters.
Merry Lea’s 2016 Enchanted Forest attracted a robust crowd of 220 people. Children had a chance to chat with native animals such as a beaver, an opossum, a monarch butterfly, an owl, a frog, a toad and a raccoon. Volunteer animals took a crash course in diet, predators, parenting and other habits of the animals they portrayed.
