West Central Chapter Events & Activities
WC-INPS PROGRAM Meetings—fourth Mondays at 7:00 pm at Lilly Nature Center/Celery Bog Nature Area, 1620 Lindberg Rd, W. Lafayette. Pre-meeting dinner 6:00 pm at the Parthenon Greek American Grill Parthenon: 2060 Sagamore Pkwy W, West Lafayette. It takes about 10 min. to drive from Parthenon to Lilly Nature Center in good weather. ~ open to public ~ NOTE: PROGRAM MAY BE A “HYBRID”(in-person with zoom option). For Zoom link contact Patty Jones at removeinvasiveplants.wcinps@gmail.com.
NOTE: Our 2024 indoor program dates are scheduled for 4th Mondays Jan.-April and Aug.-Nov. Although we won’t have indoor West Central INPS meetings over the summer, we are planning a few outdoor events, including a tour of Jim Beaty’s “Hidden Prairie Pocket Garden Gems,” especially three frames from his Jan. 8 seed plantings; the INPS Florathon (our day will be April 17), and a Bio Blitz led by Indiana Phenology (indianaphenology.org) documenting biodiversity during one 3-hour event, possibly in June.
Coming Up
Monday, March 25
Life as a DNR Biologist
In-person and Zoom with Dean Zimmerman
Dean Zimmerman (local wildlife biologist, now retired) shares highlights from his long career as a Dept. of Natural Resources biologist. For Zoom link contact Patty Jones at removeinvasiveplants.wcinps@gmail.com. We’re trying out a seed “Swap ‘n’ Share” before and after our meeting. Jim Beaty will bring some of his seed in baggies, and others are welcome to bring seeds for swapping & sharing too. We’ll have a few small paper envelopes on hand, but bring your own containers for your seeds if you can.
Saturday, March 30
Amber Slaughterbeck will lead a training session on EDDMapS at the Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette.
On the Horizon
April 19 thru May 19
NICHES War of the Weeds
Help our friends at NICHES wage the annual War of the Weeds! If you sign up before the end of March, you’ll receive this year’s specially designed t-shirt—with a top-secret garlic mustard pesto recipe on the back! Sign up at https://bit.ly/2024waroftheweeds.
Monday, April 22
Welcome to the Dark Side: Mothing in Indiana
In-person resentation by Jeanette Jaskula
Jeanette will share the stunning diversity of moths, their importance in terrestrial ecosystems, and how we can sustain and support them in our backyards…. moths appeared in her own yard as a result of converting lawn to native plantings.
Past Events
February 2024
Wild by Design: The Art of Gardening for Wildlife Program
Presentation by Karen Mitchell, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist at Purdue. Discover practical tips and strategies for creating a thriving ecosystem in your own yard. From selecting plants to designing habitats, this session will inspire and empower you to turn your garden into a haven for butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. As a gardener, you are a steward of the land and the life it supports — even a small garden can provide sanctuary for birds, insects and other wildlife.
January 2024
An Evening with Kyle Gebhart, Parks Naturalist for West Lafayette Parks & Recreation
Our speaker will be Kyle Gebhart, the new Parks Naturalist for West Lafayette Parks & Recreation since late October 2023. Kyle has a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries from Tennessee Tech University. In his new role he manages the Lilly Nature Center and creates programs that inspire folks to go outside and connect with nature. He likes Dutch oven cooking, fishing and birdwatching. He will speak about his education and work experience and what he hopes to do as the naturalist at Celery Bog.
November 2023
Durkee’s Run Stormwater Park at Jefferson High School
Our speaker will be Jake Talley, Green Infrastructure Manager with Lafayette Renew. Jake will share information about the Durkee’s Run Stormwater Park at Jefferson High School. The Park takes in a high volume of stormwater, showcasing the importance of stormwater management. Native plants grow in rain gardens and in the stormwater wetland at the Park, and it serves an educational purpose. Rainfall frequency levels are marked off using plaques in the flood stage plaza, and the forces of deep water are demonstrated with a water pressure wall. Educational signs around the Park allow visitors to explore the various features. The Durkee’s Run watershed includes Sagamore Parkway drainage.
(https://www.lafayette.in.gov/2084/Durkees-Run-Stormwater-Park)
October 2023
Rediscovering Native Wild Rice in Northern Indiana
Zoom presentation with Carrie Vrabel
Wild rice once grew abundantly throughout northern Indiana and was an important food for indigenous people and wildlife. Now, this important, native, wild edible plant has almost completely disappeared from the region, as has the knowledge of its significance. Learn to identify native wild rice and hear about the efforts being made to re-establish it in northern Indiana.
Carrie Vrabel is a wild food forager, writer, and wild edible plant identification educator who teaches regularly at state, county, and city parks as well as organizations including ACRES, Purdue Fort Wayne Extension, Little River Wetlands Project, and LC Nature Park. She is also certified by the states of Michigan and Indiana as a Wild Mushroom Identification Expert. She is currently writing a field guide for wild edible plants native to the state of Indiana for Indiana University Press.
August 2023
Hike NICHES Fisher Oak Savanna Nature Preserve Kevin Tungesvick, Senior Ecologist for Eco Logic, leads this hike through the diverse landscapes of this Jasper County property, where the unique beauty of black oak savannas, pin oak flatwoods and restored prairies provide a variety of habitats for diverse plant and animal communities.
RIP SQUAD August mornings (likely Aug. 15-16, 22-23 from 9:30-11:30am) Looking for volunteers to help remove Japanese stilt grass at Ross Hills Park. Contact Patty Jones: removeinvasiveplants.wcinps@gmail.com or 765-463-3050.
Starting Native Plants from Seed with Eileen Davis, Environmental Educator for Lake County Forest Preserves. Visit https://indiananativeplants.org/dev/growing-native-plants-from-seed/