Researching at Merry Lea

Thank you for your interest in conducting research at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College. Situated within the agricultural landscape of northeast Indiana, Merry Lea’s 1,189 acres harbors most of the habitat types present in the region, including upland and lowland forest, prairie, buttonbush swamp and marshes. The property also has several distinctive geological features, including peat bogs, a marl pit and a glacial moraine. Merry Lea also hosts a wide variety of environmental education programming.  

Research projects across a variety of disciplines may be conducted at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, however proposed projects must be aligned with Merry Lea’s mission and research philosophy, and support at least one of the following objectives:  

• Provide hands-on, experiential learning for undergraduate and/or graduate students that expands their knowledge base and prepares them for graduate programs and/or to enter the workforce.
• Yield data useful for monitoring and guiding Merry Lea’s environmental education programs or natural resource management and biodiversity conservation efforts.
• Deepen our understanding of the ecology of Merry Lea to inform current and future environmental education and outreach efforts.
• Provide opportunities for faculty members from Goshen College and/or elsewhere to further their professional endeavors and feed their intellectual curiosity.

Who can apply to conduct research at Merry Lea?

Individuals from private and public colleges and universities, those working with non-profits or other agencies, and qualified private citizens are eligible to conduct research at Merry Lea. Access to Merry Lea resources, including spaces, equipment and funding, will be prioritized as follows:

1. Projects conducted by Goshen College faculty and Merry Lea staff members that have a strong collegiate student engagement component.
2. Projects conducted by external personnel that have a strong collegiate student engagement component.
3. Projects that have high potential to benefit Merry Lea but do not involve collegiate students.

What facilities are available?

In addition to our land and natural resources, Merry Lea offers housing for researchers in several venues. Depending on other programmatic demands, up to 16 researchers can be housed at a time. Accommodations may include access to kitchens and a workspace for working with field and basic lab materials. While Goshen students engaged in sponsored research at ML generally have room costs covered, external researchers will be charged the following for overnight facility rentals:

• Pewamo or Washtenaw dorm buildings (shared housing): $20/person/night, regardless of length of stay; fee for accessing kitchen space in Oshtemo building will be waived; no bedding or linens included
• Exclusive access to Reith Cottage, Yoder Dome Apartment, or Goodrich House, including kitchens: 1-5 nights ($50/night), 6-10 nights ($35/night), >10 nights ($25/night); no bedding or linens included

Our approach to natural resource management

Active land management has occurred on our property since Merry Lea came under the ownership of Goshen College in 1980. These efforts are aimed at restoring and maintaining a diverse assemblage of plants and animals native to northeast Indiana. This breadth of biodiversity provides for a broad range of investigative and learning experiences. Please contact Freya Berntson, Natural Resources Manager (freyakb@goshen.edu) or click here for more information on our natural resource management plan and management techniques.

Habitat features present