grasslands at merry lea merry lea’s 1,189-acre nature preserve is …€¦ · merry lea...

Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College Forests at Merry Lea Lowland Forests: • Poorly drained soils • Trees include Silver and Red Maple, Bur and Pin Oak, Cottonwood and Sycamore Upland Forests: • Well-drained soils • Trees include Red, Black and White Oak, and Shagbark, Pignut and Bitternut Hickory Wetlands at Merry Lea Bog: • Peat-forming wetland with layers of sphagnum moss • Nutrient-poor, oxygen-deficient, slightly acidic water Fen: • Peat-forming wetland lacking sphagnum • Nutrient-rich, alkaline water • Typically comprised of grasses and sedges Marsh: • Wetland characterized by sedges, cattails, rushes and other water-loving plants Shrub-Carr: • A wetland with neutral to alkaline water and scrubby vegetation Swamp: • Wetland dominated by trees and shrubs • Soil saturated with water for most of the year Vernal Pond: • Collects water in spring from melting snow and rainfall • Dries up during summer • Important breeding ground for salamanders Wet Meadow: • Dominated by non-woody vegetation, usually grasses • Saturated soil Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center P.O. Box 263, Wolf Lake, IN 46796 (260) 799-5869 www.merrylea.goshen.edu Eight miles of trails open daily, sunrise to sunset, year-round. Merry Lea’s 1,189-acre nature preserve is home to a diverse selection of Indiana ecosystems. Merry Lea’s Mission • Providing a natural sanctuary for Northern Indiana’s plants and animals • Providing environmental education for people of all ages • Providing a setting for re-creating opportunities that benefit the human body and spirit while not exploiting the land or excessively disturbing its ecosystems. Grasslands at Merry Lea Meadow: • Combination of native and non-native grasses and forbs such as Queen Anne’s Lace, Goldenrod, Black-eyed Susan and Bee-Balm • Typically formed in abandoned agricultural fields Black Oak Savanna: • Well-drained soil with widely spaced Black Oak trees in a field of grasses and forbs such as Little Bluestem, Butterfly Weed and Round-headed Bush Clover Tall-Grass Prairie: • Native grasses such as Indian Grass, Big and Little Bluestem, Sideoats Grama, Switchgrass, Canada Wild Rye • Forbs include Black-eyed Susan and New England Aster History of Merry Lea’s Land Pre-1830s: The Miami Nation lived in the region for centuries. 1830s: Settlers used upland forests as woodland pastures and timber harvests or cleared them for farming. Pre-1880: Nine hundred acres of wetlands and open water covered lowland areas. 1880s: Ditches were dug to drain the lake and expose rich soil for growing potatoes, onions and peppermint. 1930s-1986: Luckey’s Landing Resort on High Lake was a popular public destination for camping, fishing & boating. 1964: Lee and Mary Jane Rieth began purchasing parcels of land for preservation and environmental education. 1980: The Rieths generously donated Merry Lea, as well as an additional piece of land that was purchased in 1986, to Goshen College. 1991-present: Merry Lea continues to restore 75 acres of wetlands and 50 acres of prairie on what was once agricultural land.

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Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College

Forests at Merry LeaLowland Forests: •Poorlydrainedsoils •TreesincludeSilverandRedMaple,BurandPinOak, CottonwoodandSycamoreUpland Forests: •Well-drainedsoils •TreesincludeRed,BlackandWhiteOak,andShagbark, PignutandBitternutHickory

Wetlands at Merry LeaBog: •Peat-formingwetlandwithlayersofsphagnummoss •Nutrient-poor,oxygen-deficient,slightlyacidicwaterFen: •Peat-formingwetlandlackingsphagnum •Nutrient-rich,alkalinewater •TypicallycomprisedofgrassesandsedgesMarsh: •Wetlandcharacterizedbysedges,cattails,rushesand otherwater-lovingplantsShrub-Carr: •Awetlandwithneutraltoalkalinewaterandscrubby vegetationSwamp: •Wetlanddominatedbytreesandshrubs •SoilsaturatedwithwaterformostoftheyearVernal Pond: •Collectswaterinspringfrommeltingsnowandrainfall •Driesupduringsummer •ImportantbreedinggroundforsalamandersWet Meadow: •Dominatedbynon-woodyvegetation,usuallygrasses •Saturatedsoil

MerryLeaEnvironmentalLearningCenterP.O.Box263,WolfLake,IN46796(260)799-5869www.merrylea.goshen.edu

Eightmilesoftrailsopendaily, sunrisetosunset,year-round.

MerryLea’s1,189-acrenaturepreserveishometoadiverseselectionofIndianaecosystems.

Merry Lea’s Mission

•ProvidinganaturalsanctuaryforNorthern Indiana’splantsandanimals

•Providingenvironmentaleducationforpeople ofallages

•Providingasettingforre-creating opportunitiesthatbenefitthehumanbodyand spiritwhilenotexploitingthelandorexcessively disturbingitsecosystems.

Grasslands at Merry LeaMeadow: •Combinationofnativeandnon-nativegrassesand forbssuchasQueenAnne’sLace,Goldenrod,Black-eyed SusanandBee-Balm •TypicallyformedinabandonedagriculturalfieldsBlack Oak Savanna: •Well-drainedsoilwithwidelyspacedBlackOaktrees inafieldofgrassesandforbssuchasLittleBluestem, ButterflyWeedandRound-headedBushCloverTall-Grass Prairie: •NativegrassessuchasIndianGrass,BigandLittle Bluestem,SideoatsGrama,Switchgrass,CanadaWildRye •ForbsincludeBlack-eyedSusanandNewEnglandAster

History of Merry Lea’s LandPre-1830s: TheMiamiNationlivedintheregionforcenturies.1830s:Settlersuseduplandforestsaswoodlandpasturesand timberharvestsorclearedthemforfarming.Pre-1880:Ninehundredacresofwetlandsandopenwater coveredlowlandareas.1880s:Ditchesweredugtodrainthelakeandexposerich soilforgrowingpotatoes,onionsandpeppermint.1930s-1986: Luckey’sLandingResortonHighLakewasa popularpublicdestinationforcamping,fishing&boating.1964:LeeandMaryJaneRiethbeganpurchasingparcelsof landforpreservationandenvironmentaleducation.1980:TheRiethsgenerouslydonatedMerryLea,aswellasan additionalpieceoflandthatwaspurchasedin1986,to GoshenCollege.1991-present: MerryLeacontinuestorestore75acresof wetlandsand50acresofprairieonwhatwasonce agriculturalland.