About Us

This plot of land is the largest tract of virgin, old-growth forest within any city limits in the United States. As an Indiana Nature Preserve and National Natural Landmark, Wesselman Woods is a surviving remnant of Southern Indiana’s original forests. 

Our Vision

To connect people and nature.

Our Mission

The mission of Wesselman Nature Society is to preserve and protect Wesselman Woods and Howell Wetlands for future generations through conservation, education, research, and to provide equal access to nature.

Wesselman Woods (WW) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, environmental organization. We were founded in 1972 to protect the 190-acre tract in Evansville, Indiana now known as Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve. Today, the Society is responsible for the management and daily operations of Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve, as well as our west side property, Howell Wetlands. 

Working in partnership with the City of Evansville, Wesselman Woods provides environmental education and outdoor recreation experiences designed to awaken the senses and enrich the lives of area residents and visitors. Wesselman Woods is governed by a member volunteer Board of Directors charged with ensuring the sustainability of our properties and the continued success of our programming, in keeping with our mission and strategic plan. If you or your organization would like more information about Wesselman Woods or its programs, or would like a presentation for your local group, contact us at (812) 479-0771.

We invite you to visit our facilities and introduce your family to the joys and benefits of their outdoor world. Whether you are seeking solace, enrichment or adventure, we’ve got a place for you!

Our Values

Core Principles and Ethics

• Bioregion: Defined by the Ohio River Valley, we value the ecological and environmental integrity of our forests, rivers, and wetlands. We recognize the value of the socio-cultural assets of Indigenous peoples native to this land and those that occupy it now.

• Diversity and Inclusion: Successful conservation depends upon the representation and respect of all cultures, traditions, values, and needs of the community. We actively seek the opportunity to create diverse internal and external relationships to further our mission.

• Respect: We respect all forms of nature - living, nonliving, and Earth systems.

• Interdependence: We acknowledged the importance that we are all dependent on one another (Earth systems and all life). We understand that all life is in a process of learning in the urban ecosystems at Wesselman Woods and Howell Wetlands. We value and respect these systems that support all life.

STRATEGIC PLAN

Take a look at our 2022 Strategic Plan, a roadmap for the next few years.

The written history of Wesselman Woods begins with early colonizers to the area. However, at Wesselman Woods we acknowledge that Indigenous peoples and nations, including the Miami, Wea, Shawnee, and other Cession 49 tribes have stewarded the forests, waterways, and land in Southern Indiana. Learn more about Cession 49 and other indigenous land treaties on the Native Land Digital website. We respect and honor the relationship that endures between these peoples and nations of this land.

After Indigenous peoples and nations were removed from these lands in the late 18th century to early 19th century, the McCallister family acquired this land in the early part of the 19th-century from the federal government. With bittersweet fortune, the McCallister clan had a series of premature deaths that prevented the forest from being cut. In 1838, Marcus Sherwood purchased the land from the McCallisters, but Sherwood never cultivated the land. Sherwood was a successful railroad contractor who focused on raising horses and mules during retirement and establishing the Wabash and Erie Canal railroad. The woods remained untouched despite the tracks running through the forest. 

In 1847, a business broker, William H. Stockwell, became the next owner of the land. Stockwell’s total estate was 594 acres. It stretched from the location of the current Nature Preserve to the State Hospital grounds. Land ownership was stressful for William Stockwell and his wife, Mary S. Stockwell. During this time, the woods were known as Stockwell Woods. There were tough land battles for canal and railroad development, as well as encroaching pressure from the city, among other issues. In 1855, the land was briefly sold to Isaac I. Silliman. However, he was unable to make payments for the land, and the land returned to Mary S. Stockwell. During the Civil War, the Wabash and Erie Canal railroad had ceased. In 1889, Stockwell granted the Evansville Suburban & Newburgh Railroad a right-of-way through the woods.  

In 1919, the state of Indiana purchased all of the property except the 1-acre McCallister family cemetery from the Stockwells’ daughter, Frances. From 1919 to 1954, the woods remained untouched. In 1954, the city purchased a parcel of the land for a new stadium. In 1954, under Mayor Roberts, the city purchased part of the property and constructed a sports arena next to what is currently WWNP. In 1963, Senator Albert Wesselman persuaded the state of Indiana to deed the remaining area to the City of Evansville, with the stipulation that the property could be used only for a park and recreational purposes. At that time, Stockwell Woods became known as Wesselman Woods. The land was set aside for park and recreation purposes and renamed Wesselman Woods in honor of Senator Wesselman’s vision From this historical record, it appears clear that the WWNP contains an old growth forest, for the most part left intact even after human settlement. Since the forest has not been cut in the last 200 years, it is very unlikely to have ever experienced timber harvest (Hochwender, 2010).

After Wesselman Woods was established, a group of women in the Junior League, formed a committee to develop Wesselman Woods. In 1971, the Junior League was successful in creating the Nature Center at Wesselman Woods. In 1972, the not-for-profit organization Wesselman Nature Society (WNS) was formed to manage the preserve. In 1973, Wesselman Woods was deemed a National Natural Landmark. In addition, in 1981, Wesselman Woods became a State Nature Preserve through directive authority with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 

In the 1990s, Wesselman Woods acquired new property on the west side of Evansville. Howell Wetlands, one of the largest urban wetlands in Indiana is owned by the City of Evansville and is managed by the Wesselman Woods. Restoration of Howell Wetlands began in the 1970s when the Army Corps of Engineers contributed over $400,000 to clean-up decades of household and business litter in the wetland. The City of Evansville matched the contribution from the Army Corps. In the 1990s, Casino Aztar helped convert old farmland into two lakes. A complete restoration of the wetland was formed, along with a cypress slough and prairie. In 2009, Wesselman Woods gained ownership over Howell Wetlands with the mission to conserve this unique ecosystem, and make it appealing to the community as a place to go for education and enjoyment. This area was officially designated a wetland in 1997 by the City of Evansville. Since that time, there has been continuous restoration and management by the WNS and its partnering agencies to conserve this unique ecosystem and make it appealing to the community.

In 2018, a piece of Wesselman Woods on the north edge was developed into the Welborn Baptist Foundation Nature Playscape. It is a five-acre tract of land that allows children to take risks, imagine, and intimately interact with the natural world.

Since the inception of Wesselman Woods as a non-profit organization, extensive trails have been created throughout the woods. Thousands of visitors come through each year. Dedicated volunteers and staff have placed their stamp on these woods. The forest remains intact and virtually untouched. We hope that this incredible legacy of stewardship for this sacred piece of land sustains for generations to come.