IMPACT REPORT

Reporting on 2024

  • Over the last year, Wesselman Woods has made incredible strides and created an enduring impact on our community, visitors, and the environment we so carefully protect. I am both honored and grateful to have joined this outstanding team and community toward the end of 2024, and I am excited to share this Impact Report, showcasing the remarkable achievements made possible by your unwavering support.

    For over 50 years, Wesselman Woods has sustained this invaluable sanctuary for both wildlife and people. Stewarding a combined 300+ acres at Wesselman Woods and Howell Wetlands, we remain committed to connecting more people to nature. From adding the new Arwood Family Treehouse to expanding our Eco-Access Initiative, we continue working hard to fulfill our mission of preserving and protecting these unique ecosystems while providing enriching experiences for all who visit.

    Here are some highlights from 2024:

    • Conservation Efforts: Our team made significant progress in managing the health of the forest and wetlands, removing thousands of invasive species with the help of over 300 volunteer hours during Weed Wrangle sessions. Additionally, we crowned two new State Champion Trees!

    • Educational Outreach: We engaged nearly 4,000 individuals in educational programming, including school groups, summer camps, and adult workshops, such as the ever-popular Indiana Master Naturalist program. 

    • Visitor Engagement: In 2024, we saw a significant increase in memberships and visitation at Wesselman Woods. We welcomed more than 27,000 individuals who hiked our trails, climbed the Arwood Family Treehouse, explored the Nature Playscape, and participated in educational programs or events. 

    • Community Partnerships: We strengthened our partnerships with local schools, libraries, environmental organizations, community groups, and donors to expand the reach of our Eco-Access Initiative. With their help, we provided free admission to over 5,000 people.

    None of this would have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our staff, volunteers, donors, and partners. Your continued support plays a vital role in helping us protect the future of Wesselman Woods and Howell Wetlands, ensuring that future generations can enjoy
    the immense value of these extraordinary places.

    Looking ahead, we are excited about the opportunities that 2025 will bring. We plan to continue expanding accessible boardwalks and trails, raise awareness of Howell Wetlands, proceed with the restoration of the former Par 3 golf course, and continue our efforts to maintain the health of
    the forest and wetlands. We are also thrilled to introduce a fantastical fall event for the Evansville
    community: Woodland Wonders.

    On behalf of the entire Wesselman Woods team, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your ongoing support. Together, we are making a lasting difference in preserving this irreplaceable National Natural Landmark and the vital, biodiverse treasures it holds.

    Gratefully,

    Amy Rhodes
    Executive Director 

  • As we reflect on 2024, I am filled with gratitude and pride for what we have accomplished together at Wesselman Woods. This past year, our nature preserve has continued to thrive as a beacon of conservation, education, and community engagement. In 2024, each step forward reaffirmed our commitment to safeguarding this unique preserve for generations to come.

    For me personally, the significance of Wesselman Woods runs deep. Being born and raised right here in Evansville, Indiana, I first truly embraced nature through the Wesselman Woods summer camps. Summers at Wesselman Woods not only taught me about the beauty and complexity of the forest, but also how quickly meaningful connections can form—with people, and with nature itself. I learned at a young age to hold tight this gem we are privileged to have in the middle of Evansville.  

    As we look to the future, we are inspired to continue this journey together. Your generosity, volunteerism, and shared passion for our mission empower us to dream big and achieve even more. We invite you to stay engaged, spread the word, and join us in shaping the next chapter of Wesselman Woods story.

    On behalf of the Board of Directors, our dedicated staff, and the countless creatures that call this preserve home, thank you for being an essential part of our community. Together, we ensure that Wesselman Woods remains not just a place, but a legacy.

    Many Thanks, 

    Payton Stewart
    Current Board President

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The “Eco-Access Initiative” (EAI) is a program that harnesses the power of local communities to further establish and ensure equal access to Wesselman Woods. Donors can contribute to the EAI by providing sponsorships that cover the cost incurred in the pursuit of environmental education and connecting
people and nature.

Data

  • 1,076 visitors used their EAI Organization Pass for free admission.

  • $10,000 sponsor for Free Days

  • 25 Free Days in 2024

  • 4,975 Free Day admissions

  • $3,300 in other EAI sponsorships

  • 10 sponsorships of guided programs for local schools, which helped 517 students 

  • 39 sponsored Family Memberships  

  • 3 sponsored summer campers 

  • 1 sponsored Junior Forest Leaguer

Accessibility Improvements

The continued growth and success of Wesselman Woods are made possible by the dedication of our volunteers and the generosity of our supporters. Their contributions help maintain and improve our trails and facilities, ensuring that all visitors can fully experience and appreciate this unique old-growth forest. Below are some key improvements made possible thanks to your support.

  • Automatic door to trails installed.

  • Concrete pathway built from Nature Center that connects to 170 feet of newly boardwalked trails leading to the Nature Playscape.

  • Over 1,400 feet of boardwalk added on Southwest Trail.

  • New Maple Sugar Shack constructed allowing guests to walk or wheel through more easily.

  • Mini-Loop boardwalk constructed with help from AARP Community Challenge grant.

How You Can Help

Donate to the Eco-Access Initiative and make a direct impact in our community!

Your donation can help:

  • Sponsor family memberships.

  • Cover a child’s registration to one of our popular summer camps.

  • Provide environmental education for free or discounted rates to Title I schools.

  • Provide more opportunities for free admission to the Nature Preserve.

Wesselman Woods experienced significant growth in 2024, particularly within our educational programming. Our team expanded both on- and off-site school programs, offering more guided experiences for students and groups. We also introduced a self-guided option, increasing visitor access to the forest and allowing them to enjoy it at their own pace.

Looking ahead to 2025, we aim to refine our program content and delivery. We are also establishing an education ambassador program to train knowledgeable volunteers. This will enable us to meet the growing demand for our programs and provide richer, nature-based experiences for children.

How You Can Help

  • Encourage your children, friends, and family to participate in Little Eco-Scholars and Junior Forest League.

  • Volunteer with our department, assisting with school programs and summer camps.

  • Check out our new wishlist with goods and services you can purchase to help our education efforts.

  • Donate to the Eco-Access Initiative (EAI).

  • Consider donating to our endowment, the Pettijohn Family Environmental Education Fund, or including the Fund in your planned giving.

Sprout Initiative

In 2024, we officially launched the Sprout Initiative – a pilot program and partnership with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corportation (EVSC), serving the kindergarten classes of Delaware, Caze, and Evans Elementary Schools. 

The goal of the Sprout Initiative is to inspire the next generation to develop a deeper connection to nature and learn how their habitat is part of a global ecosystem. The program is designed to complement the EVSC’s English Language (EL) curriculum, creating positive, hands-on learning experiences that foster both environmental awareness and academic growth.

2024 Statistics  

  • 3 Title I Schools

  • 14 Sprout Sessions

  • 229 students

  • 1,603 contact hours 

Funded Project: Pettijohn Family Environmental Education Fund

Wesselman Woods spans over 290 acres and serves as a vital environmental resource for Evansville and beyond. This nature preserve is one of the Midwest’s most treasured natural assets. With adequate funding to expand staffing, the possibilities for impactful environmental programming are boundless.

We are deeply grateful to the Pettijohn Family for their generosity in establishing a new environmental education fund. Their initiative aims to inspire others to support the growth of our education team, ensuring every child in the tri-state area has the opportunity to connect with nature and develop a lifelong commitment to
caring for our planet. Together, we can nurture a future where the Earth cares for us as we care for it.

At Wesselman Woods, volunteers are the heart of our mission to protect and preserve this unique property and educate our community. Whether they are removing invasive species, caring for our animal ambassadors, guiding educational programs, or helping maintain trails, our volunteers contribute their time and talents to ensure this unique old-growth forest thrives for generations to come.

We are deeply grateful for their dedication and generosity—without them, our impact would not be nearly as far-reaching or meaningful.

An animal ambassador is an animal, often rehabilitated or imprinted to people, that lives permanently under the care of trained staff and is used to educate the public about its species and conservation issues, through guided encounters and demonstrations.

Working with wild animals is a slow process. Wins are relatively small but over time they add up to greater accomplishments. This past year has been one of building trust with our great horned owl. This year, we’ll continue strengthening that trust and use that as a firm foundation for further training. 

Thank you to all the families that spent time with the animals during our training sessions and being patient with us!

Animal Ambassador Updates

  • Animal ambassadors participated in 92 programs, events, and outreaches.

  • That’s 50% of all Wesselman Woods community engagements!

  • Animal Ambassadors were in 90% of education department programs.

  • Raptors were in 40% of education programs.

  • 40% of education programs utilized biofacts (biological artifacts) to allow participants to closely examine and touch unique animal specimens.

  • Our animals made contact with over 15,850 attendees at events and programs.

  • This accumulated in over 42,631 contact hours (not including regular visitors!).

Food Consumption

Donations bring a much-appreciated variety to animal diets. Among those gifts were:

  • 73 pounds of rats

  • 86 pounds of rabbit

  • 8 squirrels

  • 5 beavers

  • Over $465 worth of rats were donated.

  • The avian team went through over 525 pounds of food.

 

How You Can help

  • Check out our new wishlist with goods and services that you can purchase to help our animal ambassadors... including gift certificates to our favorite local vendor, RodentPro!

  • Extend your love of our animals beyond the boundaries of the preserve by supporting their cousins in the wild.

  • Be a voice for animals by protecting their natural habitats; support conservation and preservation efforts locally and globally.

  • Replace lawns with native plants.

In the Future...

In 2025, we will begin construction on a new raptor mews! Keep your eyes peeled for more updates.

After countless hours of surveying the forest in the past year, 2025 looks to be a significant year for the management of invasive species as well as aggressive native plants. We have inventoried the invasive species at Wesselman Woods and look forward to many hundreds of hours of fieldwork this year to mitigate the threat of these plants. 

2024 saw an amendment to our Master Plan through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). We are now permitted to manage aggressive native species, such as paw paw trees, which are dominating the forest due to decades of unhealthy levels of deer-browse. We are excited to begin this management for the health and longevity of the forest!

2024 Updates

  • Collected 55 gallons of sap from 22 sugar maple trees to produce 2.5 gallons of syrup.

  • Observed 60 salamanders during two surveys. Significantly fewer than previous years due to minimal precipitation and extreme weather events preventing additional counts.

  • Cored 109 trees with Dr. Jim Speer of Indiana State University.

    • Next step: Analyze tree rings, determine the age of trees, and conduct a stand-age structure of Wesselman Woods.

  • Crowned 2 new Champion Trees:

    • Sweetgum at 140.5 feet tall, 144.5 inch circumference, 70-foot crown spread (State Champion)

    • Red Maple at 149.8 feet tall, 151 inch circumference, 75-foot crown spread (County Champion)

    • Champion Trees are the largest known individuals of their species. The IDNR keeps the Indiana “Big Tree Registry” — a list of Champion Trees in our state. Wesselman Woods is home to a total of 5 County Champs and 1 State Champ.

  • Staff and volunteers have pulled, cut, and sprayed thousands of invasive plants at Wesselman Woods and Howell Wetlands.

  • Started a 1.5-acre pollinator meadow on Wesselman Woods West (the former Par 3 golf course) by spreading prairie seed mix and hand-planting 120 plugs of 20 flower species. 

How You Can Help

  • Join us for our monthly Weed Wrangles to remove invasive species at Wesselman Woods and Howell Wetlands.

  • Landscape with native plants.

  • Adopt conservation as a lifestyle.

  • Donate to the new Natural Resources endowment.

Funded Project: Wesselman Woods Natural Resources Fund

The future of our planet hinges on the decisions we make today and your support can pave the way for lasting change. In 1972, the Wesselman Nature Society was established to protect this unique old-growth forest, which was rapidly deteriorating due to a lack of proper management.

Securing Wesselman Woods for future generations requires increased efforts to regenerate its majestic 300-year-old trees and reforest newly acquired lands adjacent to the preserve. In 2025, we are proud to launch the Wesselman Woods Natural Resources Fund. This initiative will help sustain essential staffing for trail maintenance, invasive species management, and the cultivation of a thriving forest ecosystem that boasts over 50 species of trees.

Join us in creating a lasting legacy for generations to come. Consider including the Wesselman Woods Natural Resources Fund in your planned giving or donate today!

As one of the largest urban wetlands in Indiana, this unique ecosystem is an appealing location for education and enjoyment year-round. 

We are proud of the steps we have taken over the last two years that demonstrate our commitment to restoring this vital feature on Evansville’s west side, not only as a remarkable place for wildlife but also as an important location for capturing and filtering stormwater runoff.

In 2025, we plan to highlight the vital role Howell Wetlands plays for both people and wildlife in hopes that we can attract donors who understand the dedication required to maintain this habitat. Their support will help ensure a team of skilled stewards and educators can continue managing the wetlands while keeping the park free and accessible to all.

Recent Updates

  • 16x16 foot observation deck built.

  • 550 feet of new boardwalk constructed.

  • 135 feet of old boardwalk replaced.

  • 3 new benches installed.

  • Installed security cameras.

  • Installed a new water fountain with bottle filler.

  • Removed 99% of the invasive Bradford Pear trees located on the wetlands.

  • Installed the Indiana Wetlands Challenge infographic and selfie station with help from the Indiana Land Protection Alliance (ILPA).

  • Installed new information signs and bulletin boards at two entrances.

  • Hired fulltime employee, Gordon Ditzer, as the Howell Wetlands manager.

How You Can Help

  • Sign up for a Howell Wetlands Weed Wrangle. A few hours of your time can really help improve the health of the wetlands.

  • Donate to support our efforts to improve this space, educate the public, and protect the wildlife who call the wetlands home.

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Through creative marketing and engaging events, we bring the community into the heart of Wesselman Woods and give them fun and unique ways to experience the forest. 2024 was another great year of growth for us – including record attendance at many of our staple events.

From board games and trivia to family-friendly festivals, our events inspire a deeper appreciation for nature while fostering a sense of stewardship. Each gathering not only strengthens our connection with the public but also reinforces the importance of protecting this rare old-growth ecosystem.

Maple Sugarbush Festival

In 2024, over 1,580 people bought tickets for our longest-running tradition — sugar maple tapping and a warm pancake breakfast. We consumed 330 pounds of pancake batter  •  14 gallons of syrup 4,000 sausage links  •  39 gallons of orange juice  •  29 gallons of chocolate milk  •  17 gallons of white milk  •  1,452 cups of coffee

Earth Day

We welcomed over 750 guests to Wesselman Woods for our 2024 celebration of nature. We teamed up with 28 community partners to provide educational activities and resources.

Wandering Owl & Sips At Sunset: A Fond Farewell

For many years, Wandering Owl and the Sips at Sunset series brought our community together for fun evenings of feasts and fundraising in support of our mission. While we cherish the memories and the impact each had, we have seen lower attendance and decreased fundraising success over time. To ensure we are creating the most meaningful experiences for our supporters, we have decided to retire Wandering Owl and the Sips at Sunset series to explore new ways to engage our community.

Looking ahead, we are excited to introduce a fresh, family-friendly event in the fall called Woodland Wonders that welcomes nature lovers of all ages. Stay tuned for more details!

Annual Juried Art Exhibition

2024 marked our third annual juried art show, a celebration that brings together the creative spirit of local artists and the rich ecology of our region. The resulting showcase at the Nature Center invites our guests to experience the natural world through new perspectives, fostering a deeper connection to the environment.

The 2024 show was our largest yet! We received entries from 55 artists, who submitted 85 artworks total. Our jurors picked over 30 pieces for display.

How to Get Involved

Thank you to our 2024 Main Event Sponsors & Donors

Window World  •  Methodist Temple United Methodist Church  •  Ancient Roots  •  Schnucks Darmstadt  •  Velocity Fitness  •  Torian Insurance  •  Romain Subaru  •  Old National Bank  •  Woods and Stems  •  Evansville Aerial  •  Ohio Valley Homebrewers Association  •  Gaming Guild  •  Vanderburgh Community Foundation  •  Envive Healthcare  •  BFW/Marcum Engineering & Testing, Inc.  •  Second Nature Landscape Management  •  Hampton Inn East

Our financial report provides a transparent breakdown of the organization’s income and expenses for 2024. Notably, $1,000,000 was received and expensed for the Division Street land purchase, and $274,357 in donations came from a donor’s estate. The acquisition of the Division Street property was a multi-year process; this financial report reflects only the 2024 transactions. To provide an accurate representation of operational finances, the percentages below exclude the Division Street land transaction.

Lifetime Members have made a lasting commitment to Wesselman Woods through a generous one-time investment of $1,000. This meaningful contribution reflects a deep understanding of the expenses required to preserve and protect this ancient forest, ensuring its beauty and vitality endure for generations to come.

Catherine Arwood and Larry Burden

Leslie Ashley

Matt and Bobbie Bernhardt

Tom and Pamela Bernhardt

Don Bollinger

Wilfred III & Phyllis Bussing

Carol Christman

Michael “Riverside Mike” Close*

Diane Nicholson Combs and Kenneth Combs

David Diaz

Ruth Dobbs

Melissa Fehsenfeld

Cindy and Marc Fine

Edward and Mary Anne Fox

Linda Garrett

Robert and Deborah Goldman

Jim and Carleen Grossman

Jingle Igleheart Hagey and Chandler Hagey

Zach and Christina Hamby

Sheila Huff

Robert and Ruth Kalt

Margaret and Kevin Koch

Shannon Lamb

Debra and Philip Lichtenfels

Anna and William Lismore

Davie Sue and Richard Litov

Thomas Magan

Jane and James Magary

Kimberly Martin

Ellen Topper and Cody Matsel

Aaron and Lisa Megal

Eula and Darrell Megli

Drew Miles

Jeff and Robin Nunn

Jeanne Nussmeier

Kathleen and Chris Pettijohn

John Rosenberg

Heather Russ

John and Diane Schroeder

Kenan and Debbie Schultheis

Stacy Stevens

Torrey Sweetser and Earl Smith

Amy and Bob Tank

Will and Tracy Tank

Michael and Deb Vannatter

John and Mary Wolk

* Denotes deceased

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Every day, we hear heartfelt stories from individuals who fondly recall playing in these woods as children. We aim to preserve this experience for generations to come, so your children can one day share the same joy with their grandchildren.  

By including the Wesselman Woods Old-Growth Legacy Fund in your planned giving, you can ensure this invaluable resource outlasts your time on earth, leaving a lasting impact.

Old-Growth Legacy Champions are those who have generously left a gift to Wesselman Woods and Howell Wetlands, ensuring future generations can continue to appreciate and admire these unique natural wonders.

If you have included Wesselman Woods in your estate planning and your name is not on this list please contact Jerry Rairdon, our Director of Development, so you can be remembered in the future.

Ellen McCutchan*

Deborah J. Marchand*

Edwin M. Marks*

Marjorie A. Marks*

Alice G. May*

Deonte Meriwether

Karen Caruso

Melvin L. Dickhaut*

George & Dorothy Eykamp*

Zach Garcia

Neil V. Jones*

Kenneth P. McCutchan*

Frederick B. Riechmann*

Evelyn O. Sanders*

Susan D. Satram*

William Walker*

Harold A. Waninger*

Johnnie Williams

* Denotes deceased

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