Welcome to our e-newsletter, the Old-Growth Gazette! This name refers to not only the old-growth forest we work to protect but also to the older, print version of the seasonal newsletter that the Wesselman Nature Society sent to members in days gone by.

Header of the previous Old Growth Gazette

Now, we’ll be sending monthly updates through our email newsletter! You will find in each issue animal facts, the latest nature news, stories from our volunteers, and a message from our education team. Our mission is to create experiences which connect people with nature, motivate them to lead sustainable lives, and take action to protect wildlife and wild places. We look forward to having you join us on this journey!

Sincerely,

Your friends at Wesselman Woods

Message from the Executive Director

With over a year under my belt as Executive Director, I have stepped back to reflect on the tumultuous 2020. Yet, despite the hurdles and challenges, I am repeatedly reminded how easy it is to be passionate about Wesselman Woods. The greatest pleasure of my job is to see our visitors interact and engage with everything that encompasses this beautiful old-growth forest. How gratifying it is to see every age and ethnicity engage with our animals, explore and delight in the Playscape, or to watch many wander the trails under the majestic canopy of trees. A common love of nature and this special place is the connection that brings everyone together.

Through science, we are beginning to learn that green space is a key component for the quality of life in a community—actually, an integral part of a thriving community. Wesselman Woods is committed to conserving and protecting both Wesselman Woods and the Howell Wetlands. Our organizational efforts to sustain these biodiversity within the forest and wetlands are 100% mission-driven. How? Through continued conservation, sustainability efforts, post-rehabbed animal efforts, fun and educational events, research, and science-based educational programs. Now more than ever, we need your support in continuing these very worthy efforts. In the words of John Paul II, "The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations."

I invite you to think about the next generation and ways to be a steward of the environment. Please consider volunteering or contributing financially, including estate planning, or joining any of our efforts at Wesselman Woods. Together we can all make a difference. I hope to see you out on the trails!

Be well,

— Robin Johnston-Deem

Mews News: Angry Birds

Why do some raptors look angry?

The intimidating hooked beak tears up meat effectively…
The piercing eyes track fast-moving prey from long distances…
The eyes are accentuated by pronounced, furrowed eyebrows…
The whole “no squinting” thing if it's bright out…

In many animals, all of these qualities are typically read as signs of anger. And it's no surprise that raptors lead a fierce, unforgiving predator lifestyle so maybe it’s understandable that they look angry all the time. But are they really?

Probably not.

For instance: Those pronounced, furrowed "eyebrows" are actually parts of the bird's skull called supraorbital ridges. These bony ridges provide some protection to the eyes from objects and shades their eyes from the sun like a visor. We have these ridges too! You can find them right behind your own eyebrows (but our ridges are not as prominent).

Birds express themselves through body posture, feather movements, and/or vocalizations! Your best bet if you are unsure if an animal is upset? Leave it be.

Nature News

Wesselman Woods Wildlife Watch

Our Director of Natural Resources, Cindy Cifuentes, installs one of the camera traps.

At the beginning of the year, we launched a campaign to raise funds for a large-scale wildlife camera trap project to better understand what wildlife lives within our forest preserve. Thanks to the wonderful people in our community, our camera trap project was fully funded! With those funds we were able to purchase six camera traps, or motion sensing cameras. The Wesselman Woods Wildlife Watch is officially under way and the first batch of thousands of images was collected in April.

The overall goal of this project is to collect meaningful data that will influence academia, foster community-wildlife relationships, and inform local policy. We will deploy our cameras quarterly to capture seasonality during the months of January, March, June, and October. Once enough photos are captured, our public photo database will go live on Zooniverse so community members can help us tag animals they discover in each photo. We hope this aspect of the project will promote urban ecology and environmental stewardship throughout the community. Eventually, we will be able to start seeing patterns in wildlife occupancy, seasonality, daily species activity, and species abundance.

Keep an eye out on our social media pages for the release of the larger community project!

Small-mouthed salamander photographed at Wesselman Woods by Isaac Morris.

Saving the Salamanders

You may have witnessed in your visits to Wesselman Woods over the years that, every spring, we put up gates and barricades around the park loop to protect our salamander population. Hundreds of salamanders would be killed due to human interference without those conservation methods. After an unfortunate increase in the vandalism to our wooden barricades and salamander crossing signs this year, we created a GoFundMe to collect funds for better barriers to protect our local wildlife.

Evansville's nature lovers came through and we fully funded the project! We raised over $6800 for new, more permanent signage and metal barricades to replace the wooden ones we used previously. We are so thankful to our donors and those of you who spread the word about the project. Your support enables us to protect protect our amphibian kin who do not have a voice or a choice.

ECO-LEARNING

Letter to Junior Forest League

From Ms. Kailene Goldsberry

To the parents and guardians:

Thank you all for allowing your child to participate in this novel program and letting me return your child(ren) to you, sometimes covered in a mess (which just means we had fun)!

With this being the first drop-off program I developed, I was unsure how it would unfold – the age range, coming up with COVID-restricted activities, volunteers, masks, and whether meeting every week for two hours was going to be too much or too little… Even I was a bit skeptical.

It worked out so well, though! The older kids became helpers to guide younger kids and everyone participated, made new friends, and followed directions. All while learning about Wesselman Woods and the creatures within.

Each week, we went on hikes, had animal encounters, did some nature journaling and science experiments, and of course had lots of Playscape exploration! It was really nice to see each child work together to build forts, make clubs, show each other the cool insects or plants they found, and just play in nature.

Although we had to cancel Junior Forest League in the winter due to rising COVID numbers, we regrouped and it was like we never took a break! We got right back to the fun.

Every class began with my themes and activities planned out but, ultimately, I followed the kids’ interests and sort of let them guide the program. Every kid added such a unique personality and made JFL so fun – not just for themselves but for the other kids and me, too! I always did my best to notice, talk, and connect with each participant. I hope that it made a difference for them.

My ultimate goal was to teach our group something about Wesselman Woods and all of the flora and fauna that encompasses this unique place. Not only did I meet that goal but it reversed back to me; the children ended up teaching me some things, too! Making these connections with nature with this group has been truly fulfilling.

To the participants:

Please know that each of you have made an important impact, to not only myself and the volunteers, but to Wesselman Woods as well! Please stay curious, take time to sit and reflect in nature, and always remember to notice the smaller things in life.

I am humbled and so thrilled that Junior Forest League went well this first time around and, good news - it will return in the Fall of 2021! Be on the lookout for an email about early bird signups or check out our social media.

Again, thank you all. If you visit us over the summer, please stop and say hi!

Digging in the Playscape

Playscape Adventures Continue!

Our Junior Forest League

Hiking the Trails

The best group of campers we could ask for!

Our Wednesday Work Crew consists of many regular volunteers.

Volunteer Voices

by Paul H.

VOLUNTEER - Vol`un*teer", n. 1. One who enters into, or offers for, any service of his own free will. (Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 2009)
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labour for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work. Others serve on an as-needed basis, Wikipedia (2021).

No matter how it’s defined, volunteers provide valuable services to both the organization they serve and to themselves. The organization can reduce operating costs, increase the quality of the programs offered and gain expertise in specialized skills that the in-house staff may not possess. Volunteers, on the other hand, can acquire a sense of purpose, gain confidence in possibly trying something new, meet new people and be part of a community outside of friends and family.

As with any successful organization, Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve and Howell Wetlands have a dedicated cadre of volunteers that share a variety of responsibilities. Some help maintain the grounds trails and buildings. For example, they spread mulch in the spring, clean the leaves off the sidewalks in the fall, and repair the fences and boardwalks year-round. Others serve as guides and educators. They interact with visitors as they concentrate the sap of Maple trees for syrup. They act as guides for tours and answer questions at the Nature Center’s front desk.

Volunteers assist in the annual salamander count and measurements.

Besides giving back to the community, volunteering has its own personal rewards. Where else can you work where nature puts on a different show every day? Visitors are serenaded by the songs and calls of the Robins, Nuthatches, and Chickadees as they flit between trees and bushes. Woodpeckers such as the Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker or North America’s largest, the Piliated Woodpecker provide the percussion as they look for grubs in the trees that make up the forest canopy. As the weather warms and the spring days get longer, a riot of color appears on the forest floor. Violets, Blues Bells, Spring Beauties and Blood Root Wildflowers form carpets of blue and white on either side of the trails.

Inside the Nature Center children are greeted by a trio of turtles. Birds call from the giant tree in the lobby. Little voices talk excitedly about the adventure that await them. As they return from meandering the Playscape with their grown-ups, there is excitement in their voices as they describe the bugs they found or birds they’ve heard.

Individuals will give a variety of reasons as to why they volunteer. Some feel an obligation to the organization they serve. Some like the comradeship of working with others with similar interests. Others like the interactions with the younger visitors – a child’s view of the world at times can be fascinating. Others like working in, around and for Nature. For many, it’s a little of each.

Whether they help feed the birds, mulch the trails or discuss with visitors the finer points of making Maple Syrup, the volunteer team provide a valuable service to Wesselman Woods and Howell Wetlands.

Events

June Upcoming Events

June 19 - Blacklighting for Bugs Event - 9 PM
- Black lights (or ultraviolet lights) are a handy tool that entomologists use to study nocturnal insects. This attracts many moths and beetles because insects can actually see ultraviolet light. Join Debbie Goedde at Wesselman Woods for an evening of insect hunting via blacklight!
June 19 - Off-Site Recycling
- Bring your recyclables to the 4H Center on Saturday, June 19. More details on what you can bring can be found on our webpage.
June 30 - Library Day at Wesselman Woods
- Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library (EVPL) and Wesselman Woods are teaming up for a celebration of learning about nature! Flash your library card at the front desk to get into the Nature Center for free and enjoy a day of guided hikes, storytime, and animal encounters. No library card? No problem! Sign up for a card with the EVPL Outreach Vehicle.

July Upcoming Events

July 19-23 - Mastering the Elements
- Limited number of spots still available for ages 9-12! Sign up today.

An Earth Day Message

Every day is Earth Day at Wesselman Woods! Read a special message from our Associate Executive Director, Zach Garcia.

Read More

Going Green on the Green

**What a fun time we had at our first annual Going Green on the Green golf scramble benefit!**
Thank you to everyone in the community that made this event possible. We are excited to share that we had the support of 45 different local companies as golf scramble sponsors and over 30 local companies donated to our silent auction.
Check out our photo album and get a look at the day’s festivities. Without these generous people in the community, we would not be able to do what we do!
Until next year’s golf scramble: keep aiming high and shoot for the stars!

See the Photos

Donor Recognition

We are so humbled by the generosity of our community. Supporting Wesselman Woods through memberships, donations, and sponsorships means you are supporting our cause and preserving this unique ecosystem for the future. All of us here at Wesselman Woods would like to thank and recognize some of the people and organizations who make it possible to carry out our mission.