Old-Growth Gazette: October 2021
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!
Let Your Voice Be Heard!
Join us for a Regional VOICE community visioning session on November 3 at the Wesselman Woods Nature Center! VOICE is an initiative by Leadership Everyone to bring together diverse groups of people to vision and enact a preferred future for your community, area and the five-county region.
We want to hear exactly what people like you want for the future. Share you’ll be there by RSVPing today.
The more voices, the richer the information. Please bring your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, etc. Kids are welcome, too! And while RSVPs are appreciated, if you don’t know until the last minute, come anyway! We can't wait to vision with you.
What: Regional VOICE Community Visioning Session by Leadership Everyone
When: Wednesday, November 3 from 4-6 PM
Where: Wesselman Woods Nature Center
Events & Updates
October
Volunteer at Howell Wetlands on October 23 from 8 AM to Noon!
Wandering Owl 2021: Cancelled
October 21 from 11 AM to 1 PM・Reptile Awareness Day
Slither into the Nature Center on Thursday, October 21 for Reptile Awareness Day! We'll be hosting special reptile encounters from 11 AM to 1 PM.
On the following day, (10/22) join us for a special edition of Little Eco-Scholars called "Turtle Investigation"
Can't make it out on those dates? Never fear! Tables will be set up all weekend with some of our reptile artifacts and information.
October 23 from 8 AM to Noon・Volunteer Day at Howell Wetlands
Howell Wetlands is home to the only prairie in Southern Indiana, making it a critical habitat for migratory bird species and various pollinator species. The prairie is currently in the process of being restored and we need help! There are various brush piles on the prairie from forest species trying to invade the prairie. We need help hauling a lot of brush piles over to Brewer Farms. Volunteers will be moving large tree debris piles and loading them onto trailers and trucks to be hauled away.
We will provide coffee and water coolers to refill water bottles. All other equipment will be provided.
Volunteers should bring a reusable water bottle, work gloves, and wear old clothes (we recommend pants and long sleeves).
Saturdays in October from 10-11 AM・Animal Encounters
Every Saturday in October you will have the opportunity to meet the birds, snakes, and turtles of Wesselman Woods! Who you meet will be determined on the day of the animal encounter... and with a membership to the woods, you'll have the opportunity to meet them all! Become a member today or join us at the animal encounter as a part of your paid admission to the Nature Center.
November
Wednesday, November 3 from 4-6 PM・Regional VOICE Community Visioning Session by Leadership Everyone
Throughout the month: Pot of Dough Program Continues! Every purchase at Azzip can benefit Wesselman Woods - check out our blog post about how you can give back and help us raise some dough!
Save the Date!
Signs are mounted and the gates are ready for Salamander Season at Wesselman Woods and Wesselman Park. Be on the lookout for road closures in early 2022.
January 2022
January 8・Green Allies Initiative Begins
February 2022
February 14・Advanced Indiana Master Naturalist Courses Begin
March 2022
March 5 and 6・Maple Sugarbush Pancake Festival
March 14・Indiana Master Naturalist Courses Begin
Wellness in the Woods Recap
Thank you to everyone that was able to join us during our celebration of health and wellness! We welcomed almost 1500 people through the gates over the course of September 21-26. See the photos from the event today!
Nature News
Wesselman Woods Wildlife Watch Update
Wow! We went through all of the pictures collected from April and July within the first week of our citizen science launch. Over 300 volunteers helped us make 10,000+ classifications! Thank you to those who checked out the project and helped ID some photos.
Didn’t get a chance to view the project? Don’t worry! Cameras are going back out soon and we’ll have a brand new batch of photos for viewing. Check back in the first week of November for new photos on our Zooniverse page.
ECO-LEARNING
Green Allies Initiative: Classes Begin in January
The connection between sustainable business strategies and developing green citizens/consumers is constantly growing and adapting with technological advances, cultural norms, and ecological changes. The Alcoa Foundation, Centerpoint Energy, and Wesselman Woods have joined to create the Green Allies Initiative.
The Green Allies Initiative has the potential to influence this green connection in Evansville with two important actors – Evansville citizens and local businesses. Our Green Allies Initiative teaches participants pragmatic ways of becoming a sustainable and eco-centric household or business. We encourage participants to be informed and responsible citizens, consumers, and investors who promote sustainable operations at their households and businesses.
This 7-week course introduces environmental sustainability and touches on the science, concepts, and strategies used to green businesses, organizations, and individuals’ lifestyles. This course is completely informed by the most recent Evansville Climate Action Plan, a plan developed for and by the citizens of Evansville. Find out more about this program on our webpage!
Education Wishlist
Looking for a way to directly support the education initiatives at Wesselman Woods? Look no further! You can make direct donations through our Amazon Wishlists. The Education Wishlist is live and you can help us make our camps and programs even more special by donating items from Amazon.
For your everyday purchases, make sure you utilize the Amazon Smile feature and choose “Wesselman Park Nature Society Inc.” as your nonprofit!
Fall Programs Ongoing. Join in the Fun Now!
Little Eco-Scholars
November & December Schedule is out! Please pre-register for this fun Friday program!
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.
After-School Nature Journaling
Our kiddos are having a great time getting to know the woods in a more intimate way. You can still sign up for October sessions!
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.
Junior Forest League
November wildlife sessions are coming up! If you're interested in becoming a part of these immersive classes, please check out our website for more information.
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 (Nov. 6, Dec. 4)
Maple League: Ages 9-12, Second Saturday of each month (Nov. 13, Dec. 11)
Mews News: DRAGONFLIES
The twelve-spotted skimmer dragonfly. Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson, PhD
by Paul H.
Fun Fact - How can you tell the difference between an adult dragonfly and an adult damselfly? Dragonflies hold their wings horizontally both in flight and at rest. Damselflies are usually lighter in build and hold their wings folded at rest, along or above their abdomen.
Dragonflies are heavy-bodied, strong fliers with large compound eyes that can take up most of the surface of their heads. There are over 3,000 species found on every continent except the Antarctic and are one of the oldest insect groups found in the fossil records. While today’s insects have wing spans of two to five inches, 300 million years ago some of these insects had wing spans of up to two feet.
Dragonflies are predators, both as adults and in their aquatic stage. The adults do a great job keeping the mosquito population under control, consuming from 30 to 100 per day. The aquatic stage, called a nymph, can last up to five years; while the adults can live from a few days to ten weeks. Typically the adult have a life span of five weeks or less.
These insects are powerful and agile fliers reaching speeds of up to 34 miles per hour with an average cruising speed of 10 miles per hour. They also are known for traveling long distances. Scientists have attached tiny transmitters to green darner wings and found that they can travel between 7 and 100 miles per day. They also hold the record for having the longest migration of any insect. The globe skimmer was found to travel 11,000 miles back and forth across the Indian Ocean.
While at Wesselman Woods check out our Odonata Pond (named after this illustrious insect) or when visiting the lake at Howell Wetlands, be sure to stop a moment to enjoy the beauty of these creatures and their relatives, the damselflies. These insects not only help us control populations of pest insects but also inspire us to create new technology based on their flying skills and vision.
Thank You!
Pearl is enjoying the new trail signage at Wesselman Woods! Have you seen the new signs?
So much of what we do would not be possible without our partnerships and donations from individuals and organizations in our community. We would like to mention a few of those partners and give thanks for their continued support!
Sunbelt Rentals
Sunbelt Rentals has generously donated their equipment to our team as we work to restore Howell Wetlands. With these machines, we have been able to site-prep the prairie for seeding in addition to fertilizing and seeding the grass trails on the property.
Sherwin Williams
Our local Sherwin Williams is also helping us revamp Howell Wetlands by providing the new paint that we used for the shelter house and gazebo!
Kenny Kent Chevrolet
Pictured to the right is one of our four new interpretive signs you can find at Wesselman Woods! Thanks to Kenny Kent Chevrolet, we purchased these as well as six tree identification signs that will be popping up along the trails soon! Come out and see these updated informational pieces while you enjoy this beautiful fall weather.