An Earth Day Message, 2021
Zach Garcia, Associate Executive Director of Wesselman Woods
Master of Environmental Management ‘19, Yale School of the Environment
Hello, Evansville!
It is April 22nd—a day to celebrate our home, Earth! Let us take time today to show our gratitude to our local environment, maybe that means taking a stroll along the Ohio River downtown, admiring the herons at Howell Wetlands, or appreciating the trees in your own backyard.
Here at Wesselman Woods: every day is Earth Day.
From surveying the number of salamanders crossing the roads to breed in vernal ponds, playing nature-based games in the Welborn Baptist Foundation Nature Playscape, or looking at our champion tulip tree in awe… every visit to Wesselman Woods is an opportunity to spark a sense of intrinsic love for the natural world. As I always say, “We are the lungs of Evansville.”
In that sense, Wesselman Woods is a testament of our love for the Earth. We are so fortunate to have the largest tract of urban old-growth forest in the United States right here in Evansville! When you walk through Wesselman Woods, you are transporting yourself to a time before colonial settlers. Wesselman Woods is a legacy of the first peoples who stewarded this land, Algonquian-speaking communities.
I discovered early on that nature is a celebration to share with everyone and it is my personal and professional mission to connect people to nature. We welcome all of our Evansville neighbors to come out and enjoy the beauty that is Wesselman Woods. To have such an ecological, cultural, and natural treasure is unheard of. And, to think, it is in our own backyards!
As a local 501(c)3 non-profit organization in Evansville, our funding relies on donations, grants, and sponsorships to keep our forest protected, our nature center open, and our programs alive. We extend our deepest gratitude to all of those who have supported Wesselman Woods in any fashion over the course of our history.
On this Earth Day, we ask you to please consider supporting our mission at Wesselman Woods to ensure everyone in the City of Evansville experiences the beauty of this urban old-growth forest.
Join us at the Nature Preserve on Friday, April 23 for our Earth Day celebration or find out how you can get involved in other ways.
Additional photos provided by Isaac Morris
