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!

In Memoriam: Barbara Studwell

by Carol McClintock

Barbara Studwell was a force of nature and, thanks to her dedication and perseverance, Evansville can collectively thank her for Wesselman Park Nature Center.

She became involved in the very early stages in the studies and development of the Center. As a leader of the Junior League of Evansville, and as its President in 1968, Barbara pushed for the development of Stockwell Woods into Wesselman Park with documented trails and a nature center. Junior League voted to share the cost of a survey ($6000 at the time) with the National Audubon Society in 1967 in order to form a community committee to advise and to stimulate interest in the development of a nature center; to provide considerable funds for the construction of an interpretive building and for furnishings; and finally to provide leadership to form a nature center society.

This study and community discussions were very split at the time. There were many citizens who wanted to build a golf course on a portion of the property while others wanted it left natural. Harry Nussmeier, an avid local conservationist who "grew up" in Stockwell Woods, predicted:

“…there is going to be a knock-down drag-out fight in the city [over these questions]. The State gave back the woods because it was too small and there are some people here who think it is too large. But when hundreds of people start pouring in, we'll wish it was even larger.”

Barbara Studwell and the Junior League stood on the side of the conservationists and prevailed in the end.

In the tribute written for Barbara Studwell when she was honored as the winner of the Helen Klamer Philp Award, Junior League recognized her as being instrumental in the committee for Stockwell Woods Nature Center and that she later became chairman of the advisory committee to the Parks Board when the idea of the Nature Center was first proposed. Barbara chaired the fund drive to build it and served as president of the original Nature Center Society. She spent many volunteer hours at the Center working with many others, including Elizabeth Kattmann (who also served as the President of the Nature Center). JoAnn Schwentker, President of the Junior League in 1969, was tasked by Barbara to follow up with the work in establishing the Nature Center.

Barbara continued to serve the Nature Center as well as the Parks and Recreation Department in her role as a member of the City of Evansville Parks Board. She was appointed by Mayor Russell Lloyd, Sr. to replace Suzanne Nicholson when the latter was elected as a City Councilwoman. Barbara was Chairperson of the “Lease a Piece of the Park” program during Elizabeth Kattmann’s tenure as President of the Nature Center Society. Mayor Mike Vandeveer kicked off the campaign by asking individuals and businesses to donate $25 each for one of the 1,000 pieces of the park. This was a successful fundraiser for many years.

Barbara was tapped once again by Mayor Vandeveer to serve as one of the three local civic leaders to choose the first Board of Directors of the then newly formed Evansville Parks Foundation. She served with Lawrence Miller and Ted Ziemer in selecting the founding Board members. The Evansville Parks Foundation continues their work today to provide both volunteer and financial support for the public parks and recreational activities in our community.

At the time of her Helen Klamer Philp Award, the Junior League announced a garden would be planted in her honor at the Wesselman Park Nature Center. This plot is known as the “Barbara Studwell Garden.” A stone denoting Barbara as the award winner is located there. After winning this award, Barbara shared the following quote:

“At the end of the day, I celebrate my accomplishments and forgive any missteps, committing to do my best again tomorrow.”

For more than 70 years, Barb has simply been doing her best in Evansville, and we are fortunate for that.

Mews News: Meet Pip

Pip is our resident kite. But what type of bird is that, anyway?

Mississippi kites are small, insect-fueled raptors with a piercing whistle. Despite weighing less than a pound and having a wingspan of three feet, they are long-distance migrants.

Our local populations raise their babies during the summers here and spend the winter in Argentina and Brazil. During this physical feat, they must navigate a changing landscape (due to habitat loss) with variable food and water supply… all while dealing with weather events like hurricanes and potential disease transmission.

There are, of course, man-made challenges such as hunters, poisons (i.e. pesticides), and car strikes. These are problems faced by all migratory birds.

Pip, here, is not capable of making this journey with her conspecifics due to the injuries that she sustained while she was immature. As autumn sets in, her attention turns to the skies, however, her instinct to migrate has lessened over the years.

Nature News

Wesselman Woods Wildlife Watch: Launches September 14

We are thrilled to announce the September 14 launch of the “Wesselman Woods Wildlife Watch,” a community science project that utilizes the popular Zooniverse platform. From their website:

“The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Our goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise.”

The small-scale project utilizes a number of camera “traps” (or motion-activated cameras) placed throughout the forest. Director of Natural Resources, Cindy Cifuentes, is asking the community to pitch in and assist in the identification process of thousands of photos collected over the last few months:

“We have been collecting images of wildlife activity within the nature preserve and we are hoping the community will help us go through the multitude of images. Volunteers can help us by visually scanning camera trap photos on the website and identifying different aspects such as wildlife species, juveniles, and number of individuals. This project primarily focuses on mammals but we have captured images of box turtles, snapping turtles, coyotes, and even barred owls.”

By volunteering on this project, people are not only helping a very small team of researchers but actively contributing to urban ecology theory. As urbanization and overpopulation continue to rise, understanding how wildlife utilize an urban environment is rapidly becoming more important. Data collected from this project will foster positive human-wildlife interactions and help determine species occupancy, population dynamics, and more.

Beginning September 14, channel your inner naturalist and start IDing wildlife!

Learn more

Salamander Gates Installed!

Seen anything new as you stroll through Wesselman Park? Those new yellow barricades are the newest addition to our arsenal of amphibian activism. Earlier this year, thanks to our amazing community, we fully funded these gates and new signage through a GoFundMe campaign to “Save the Salamanders”.

Your friends here at Wesselman Woods wanted to share the update and thank everyone in the community again for banding together. This project would not have come to fruition without your support!

ECO-LEARNING

Fall Programs Available Now!

After-School Nature Journaling

After-School Nature Journaling Club is an hour long drop-off program for ages 11-14 that meets at 3:30PM on Thursday afternoons. Being fully immersed in the nation’s largest old-growth forest allows us to get up close and personal with the local flora and fauna. This program runs from September 2021 until April 2022.

Sign Up

Little Eco-Scholars is back!

Little Eco-Scholars

Little Eco-Scholars is a program which introduces early learners to environmental and ecological principles through exciting and thoughtful games and simple projects. We strive to emphasize learning through play and hands-on discovery that emerges from the children’s interests. Intended for children 5 & under.

Included with admission. Free for members.

Pre-Register Now

Junior Forest League

Junior Forest League (JFL) is a monthly program which focuses on various environmental topics specific to Southern Indiana. League members will have the chance to engage with their local ecosystem, collaborate with like-minded Evansville peers, and most importantly, participate in fun team building activities and games.
- Tulip League: Ages 6-9, First Saturday of each month (Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6, Dec. 4)
- Maple League: Ages 9-12, Second Saturday of each month (Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Nov. 13, Dec. 11)

Register Today

Thank You!

Our Indiana Master Naturalist course would not be possible without the amazing group of educators that donate their time to Wesselman Woods. Through their efforts this year, we hosted 23 students and officially graduated 21 new Master Naturalists! We would like to recognize the following individuals for teaching our 2021 classes:

Shelby Hall
Carrie Wright
Megan Ritterskamp
Adam Hape
Dr. Alex Champagne
Dr. James Bandoli
Dr. Noah Gordon
Kevin Weiner
Dr. Jim Brenneman
Dr. Cris Hochwender
Dennis Pepper

Upcoming Events

September

September 21-26 ・ Wellness in the Woods
- The Nature Preserve and Nature Playscape will be open for FREE this whole week! Join us during the weekend for a full schedule of events including yoga, guided hikes, bike rides, and more. Find the full schedule on our calendar.

October

October 16 ・ Wandering Owl: Twilight Tasting
- Tickets for this annual 21+ event go on sale in September
  - Members receive discounted tickets and early-bird access!
- New this year: Designated Driver admission! Invite your designated driver to participate in the food and fun at Wandering Owl for a discounted price of $25.

Old-Growth Gazette: September 2021