Wesselman Woods

A few views from Wesselman Woods and our growing prairie to start your day ☀️ (1) Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar, (2) Maximillian Sunflower, (3) Purple Coneflower, (4) Central Rat Snake, (5) New England Aster

⚠️ Upcoming Closure for Construction: October 7-14 ⚠️ If you didn't see our email, here's your warning! As a part of our ongoing accessibility project at Wesselman Woods, we will be closed next week (from October 7-14) for construction to the trails, the trail doors, and the pathway to the Welborn Baptist Foundation Nature Playscape. This period of time (during the Fall Festival) is historically a slower period for admission, making it the best time to do this work. Construction will include pouring concrete, installing a new door, and adding more boardwalks. This continued work toward more accessible pathways is made possible thanks to our amazing partners at Alcoa Foundation and Methodist Temple UMC! Thank you for helping us help others enjoy nature 💚

Thank you Wesselmen Woods for having us! If you haven’t checked it out, you NEED to go see the new treehouse house.

Zach Garcia, Executive Director of Wesselman Woods, is announcing his decision to step down from this role after two years of service. Zach began his journey at WW in 2019 as Director of Education, later serving as Associate Executive Director before taking the helm as Executive Director in January 2022. “In just five years, Wesselman Woods has evolved into something truly special. The organization I joined in 2019 is not the same one we see today. We have achieved a new level of stability that allows us to innovate and grow. My time here has been incredible—I have cherished every moment of this transformative chapter for the organization.” Read more about this news on our website: wesselmanwoods.org/blog

Wesselman Woods has a lot to offer this Saturday! 🤩 Make plans to join us for one (or all!) of the following great events on August 31: ⭐️ Wilderness Weekend - Free Day at Wesselman Woods! Hit the trails or visit the Nature Playscape for no charge both Saturday and Sunday this weekend (08/31 and 09/01) 🌿 Weed Wrangle at Howell Wetlands 9 AM to Noon - RSVP to volunteer at bit.ly/weedwrangle 🧘♀️ Yoga with Velocity Fitness at 11 AM FREE! With the heat, we'll host this session inside the Nature Center ☀️ Bring a mat and enjoy a session with Damien from Velocity Fitness! 💃🕺 Zumba with Lonita Bennett at 12:30 PM [$8 - Register at bit.ly/woodszumba] A unique, small fundraiser for Wesselman Woods! Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance-based fitness program that combines aerobic training with choreographed dance moves to burn calories and tone muscles. We welcome newbies and seasoned pros alike! Proceeds from the $8 admission fee go directly to Wesselman Woods.

🦅 At Wesselman Woods, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to connect with nature. Through our Eco-Access Initiative (EAI), we are working together with donors to make this vision a reality. Due to high demand, we are asking for donations towards our EAI fund. 🌳 Every donation to the Eco-Access Initiative goes directly towards supporting family memberships , classroom sponsorships, and camper scholarships. You can make a difference by giving families and students the chance to connect with nature. 🍄 Donate today at https://lnkd.in/gcJCmS4t 🌱 Interested in becoming a sponsored family or classroom? Visit https://lnkd.in/g_dngC2T and find the form that best suits your needs!

🎉 So pumped about the newest improvement to Odonata Trail 🪵 This new boardwalk connection improves accessibility and is just one more step toward completing an accessible pathway to the Nature Playscape! Thank you to the Alcoa Foundation and Methodist Temple UMC for providing the funds to make this happen. Further improvements to come 👏 If you know of an organization, a business, or a person who is passionate about making nature more accessible and wants to help improve the trails at Wesselman Woods -- let's connect!

This spring we embarked on a journey to provide a glimpse into the important work Indiana land trusts and our partners accomplish through a statewide photo tour. We're excited to share this (very brief) sneak peak with you. Special thanks to Cleveland-Cliffs for sponsoring this fun and exciting project. #together #inperpetuity Photo Credits (respectively): Bison @ LC Nature Park - James Taylor, Owl and musician @ Wesselman Woods - Andrew Layer, Bird reflection @ Oxbow, Inc. - Bill Krider, Wild Lupine @ Blue Heron Ministries - James Taylor, Black Cormorant Shirley Heinze Land Trust- Michael Gard, Paddlers @ Central Indiana Land Trust, Inc. and Friends Of The White River- Kate Huston

Spiky! 👀 These commonly-encountered larvae of marsh dagger moths (𝘈𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴) are often called "cattail caterpillars." As generalist herbivores, they feed on various plants such as cattails, smartweed, grasses, sedges, poplars, and willows. They frequently inhabit marshes, riparian zones, and other damp areas with ample edible vegetation. You can find them at Howell Wetlands and throughout the United States! 📷: Isaac Morris (Instagram: @isaacsnaturecorner | Portfolio: flic.kr/ps/3iLH2N) -- Info Source: bit.ly/4fOD0iu

📣 An important message from one of our campers ✨🐢 "Turtles are amazing creatures BUT... if you see a turtle in the wild, let it be." 👏 We couldn't have said it better ourselves. #PSA