My daily landscape is a factory where stainless-steel tanks stand like trees and pipes weave through the air like industrial vines. It makes me crave the complete opposite: dirt under my fingernails, the crunch of leaves under my feet, and the pop of bright flowers in my yard.
Taking the Indiana Master Naturalist course at Wesselman Woods this spring was a joy — 10 weekly classes, each around three hours, peeling back the layers of our natural world. We delved into the fascinating lives of birds, learned to identify trees, got acquainted with mammals (at least their bones!), explored the slithery, scaly, and shell-covered wonders of herpetology, and more. Instructors included local science professors and regional agriculture and conservation specialists, each harboring an encyclopedic passion and knowledge.
Outside Wesselman Woods, we explored a rock outcrop at the University of Southern Indiana, wandered the vibrant ecosystems of Howell Wetlands, and learned the incredible negative impact of invasive species at Indian Hill Overlook Park in Newburgh.
From teenagers to retirees, everyone clicked and connected over a shared love of nature. “You see (students) getting much more social with each other,” says Derek Walsh, Wesselman Woods’ director of natural resources and research. “It’s a cool place to form that camaraderie.”
Interested in becoming a certified Indiana Master Naturalist? In addition to completing this course, an exam and 24 volunteer service hours are required. IMN classes at Wesselman Woods are held each spring and cost $140 for members and $150 for non-members. Wesselman also offers one-off classes to explore.
Dubois County native Jason Hoffman is a process engineer at Mead Johnson Nutrition.
