There are so many places to hike in Fort Wayne and the surrounding area. City parks, nature preserves, county and state parks, riverfronts, and farmland all call out to the nature lover. One of the smaller sites but also a beautiful site is the Lindenwood Nature Preserve. The preserve is a 110-acre wooded preserve. It is home to deer, raccoon, opossum, insects, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. In fact, this small preserve is home to at least 70 distinct species of bird. It is this abundance of avian diversity that was the impetuous for the creation of Feather Fest.
 
For birds this preserve is a choice location. It is part of a semi-wildlife corridor that includes Lindenwood Cemetery, the lake and fields of the University of Saint Francis, and Rockhill Park. To the east the

connects to the three rivers (the Saint Mary, the Saint Joseph, and the Maumee rivers), the St. Jospeh Watershed and eventually Lake Erie. To the west is the Little River Valley. That includes Eagle Marsh, Fox Island, ACRES’ Fogwell Forest, the ACRES Land Trust preserves on Aboite Road as well as Arrowhead and Buttonbush Bottoms Preserves, LC Nature Park and then in Huntington the Little River Landing preserve. The continental divide separates two watersheds, one going to Lake Erie and the other to the Wabash River and onto the Mississippi. No wonder there are 70 species of birds at Lindenwood Nature Preserve. This is a major flight path of many migratory birds. This is one of the reasons the Stockbridge Audubon Society often refers to Northern Indiana as one of the best birding areas in the United States.
 
Lindenwood Nature Preserve is surrounded by traffic and development. To the south is Jefferson Blvd and the associated business and traffic. To the immediate east is Lindenwood Avenue which connects the preserve with Lindenwood Cemetery and further north to the University of Saint Francis main campus. Yet, once one enters the preserve one is confronted with the peace that comes with being in nature. That includes four hiking trails, a pond, and the sights, smells, and sounds of nature.
 
Feather Fest is a free annual event. It includes games and educational activities for children. There are guided hiking tours. To highlight the theme of the festival Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehabilitation presents their birds to the visitors. Visitors are able to see and learn about raptors and about Soarin’ Hawk.  The birds included the large and majestic Great Horned Owl, the small and cute Eastern Screech Owl, and the stunning Red-Tailed Hawk.
At the Soarin’  Hawk table was a display to help visitors understand how bird wings adapt to their environment.  Between the guided hikes, the activities, the birds, and the preserve Feather Fest is an event that reminds one of the importance of place and our connections with nature. The linked YouTube video is a dance between hiking the trails and meeting the birds, enjoy.

​Once a month Little Rivers Wetlands Project hosts a community forum, Breakfast on the Marsh. The forum usually takes plac at Wesleyan University Fort Wayne on the border of Eagle Marsh. The presentations focus on the environment, nature, or related policies or projects. On March 14th, 2024, the presentation was very timely. Laura and Neil Ainslie from the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society spoke on the upcoming Total Eclipse.  
 
This is not the first time that the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society and LRWP have collaborated. Last fall they gave a presentation, at night, at the LRWP Arrowhead Preserve. Afterwards they demonstrated the use of their various telescopes. As Laura likes to point out, there are two paths to an interest in astronomy. One path is through science, the other through nature. That night at Arrowhead it was both.
 
As stated, the presentation focused on the upcoming  April 8th, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. The presentation included where the line of totality is. It addressed what to expect as it occurs (some flower species closing, temperatures dropping, skies dramatically changing}. Laura described the four phases of the eclipse.  She presented various equipment for viewing the sky. She described exercises that viewers could do to better appreciate the phenomena of a total eclipse.
 
Neil prepared the audience for what to expect should they chose to go view the eclipse at the line of totality. This would result in large concentrations of people. So, he says be prepared for the phone service to go down. Be prepared to the internet to go down. Bring cash so if you need to buy something at the store you are prepared in the event they cannot process credit and debit cards. Make sure your car gas tank is full. Neil stressed being patient, arriving early and preparing to leave late. He also suggests you bring food and water.
 
Despite all these preparations Laura was clear, a total eclipse is a rare and wonderful event that should not be missed. To make sure that does not happen she recommends planning your trip in advance, Print out your directions. Pack food and water. Pay attention to the local weather, especially degrees of cloudiness. Finally, when you make it to your site make sure to talk to people. You are surrounded by people who are as excited by this once in a lifetime event as you are, Share the excitement.

​On February 24th, 2024, the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District held it's combined Annual Meeting and Pancake and Sausage Breakfast. This was a time to review the accomplishments and projects of 2023. I did not know what to expect. The setting was on a rural road outside of New Haven. The parking lot was full of pickups and my Chevy Spark looked out of place. When I went inside the hall I was greeted by friendly people, the aroma of fresh pancakes and sausage, and displays of successful projects.  
 
The Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District (the SWCD) had a busy year. They had hosted nine events and collaborated with allies in another eleven projects in the county. The displays highlighted some of the projects. The guest-speaker elaborated on the district’s history and future.
 
The meeting was MCed by Chad Shaw. Like many of the participants at the meeting he had a long history of environmental activism. He is the Chair and board member of the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District. Chad is the Superintendent of Landscape and Horticulture for the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation department. Chad is a landscape architect and serves on the board of Northeast Indiana Water Trails. There was an election during the meeting and Chad was re-elected Board Chair of the ACSWCD and was sworn in at the meeting. He clearly brought a lot to the meeting and was a wise choice for presenting project successes and introducing the guest-speakers.   
 
Before the speakers presented the many projects of 2023 were highlighted. These included:
 
The Urban and Small Farms Program. In this program 12 farmers and gardeners were assisted in soil testing and soil management. They also held 8 virtual workshops that reached 250 participants.

The USGS and the Allen SWCD partnered on the Edge of the Field Project. This involved assisting local farmers collect water samples and test for nutrients, sediment, and critical elements.
 
The Healthy Soils Collaboration was a project that paired the Allen SWCD and Purdue Extension and Heartland Communities. Together they created a project that was able to provide free soil testing and technical assistance to urban growers.
 
The On Farm Demo project provided demonstration farms in the Western Lake Erie Basin. The goal was to demonstrate a variety of best management practices and the use of new technologies.
 
The first guest speaker was Larry Clemens, the State Director, Nature Conservancy in Indiana. He is also a member of the State Soil Conservation Board. He provided the history of the events that lead to the cooperation of the counties of Northeast Indiana that protect the Maumee Watershed and the Western Lake Erie Basin. He highlighted some historical successes as well as identifying some challenges.
 
A very different talk was given by Rhiannon Lake. She is a Conservation Programs Specialist for the Allen SWCD. She spoke on the use of drones to assess the health and impact of programs on fields and production.
 
The last two speakers were Rod Renkenberger the Executive Director of the Maumee River Basin Commission and Michael Fruchey, the Allen County Surveyor. Together they spoke on programming to assess the health of riverways, to accurately assess floodplains, and how to work with other governmental entities.
 
The first video captures some of the projects presented and the first two speakers. The second video focuses on Renkenberger and Fruchey’s presentation.
 
Next year I will know what to expect and will work to interview members of the audience as well as board members and speakers. This was a meeting packed with information and that rightfully took pride in their many accomplishments. This group of environmentalists are critically important at a time when protections for wetlands are being diminished. Their focus on collaboration and education provides hope during this challenging time.

​Being a “greenie” requires attention to reducing your carbon footprint and embracing sustainability. Another part of being a “greenie” is reveling in nature, in being among the plants and animals and being reminded why you care so much for this home. Wild foraging is one way to accomplish both aspects of being green. There are many wild foragers with a social network presence. There are many active foragers locally in Northeast Indiana. However, one person who is mentioned continually in this context is Carrie Vrabel.  
 
Carrie Vrabel provides foraging-hiking classes in multiple settings: nature preserves, city parks, county parks, state parks, historical settings, and educational settings. She provides these services throughout the year.
 
I have recorded her classes for the past two years. One thing is consistent, she is well known, and she is liked.  She is also gifted. Carrie is a musician and song writer. She is a writer and scholar. She has multiple degrees. She has a B.A. in English and a master’s degree in library science. Carrie cares greatly about animals and the environment. And Carrie knows foraging.
 
Ms. Vrabel did a year mentorship in Illinois learning wild food foraging. This included plant identification at all stages of development. It meant learning which plants were edible (or drinkable), which were medicinal, and which were toxic. She learned about ethnobiology; how Indigenous Peoples used food and honored the food.  She also earned certification in wild mushroom identification in the states of Indiana and Michigan.
 
Carrie’s approach to plant identification and consumption is cautious. Her hikes include guidebooks, plant identification, and highlight look-alike but toxic plants.  She is also respectful of the land and the plants. There is some controversy about whether foraging is sustainable. Well, with Carrie it is sustainable and respectful of the rules of each site and the needs of the animals that live off the plants. These rules for sustainable and ethical foraging by Brianne Dela Cruz of Gather of Grow also reflect Carrie’s approach to foraging and include:

1. Don’t over harvest.
2. Don’t kill parent organisms.
3. Never harvest species that are endangered, or at-risk.
4. Leave no trace, only leave your memories.
5. Harvest in the right season.
6. Observe the health of the plant before harvesting.

 
Consistent with the values and approach by this blog and the Facebook Group A Little Greener Everyday Café, Brianne also advocates that foragers know which plants and lands are sacred to Indigenous Peoples and to respect that plants and land. That includes not using the plants in a way that is culturally inappropriate. Additionally, it is important to receive permission from landowners prior to foraging on their lands. Consistent with this is to get permits if they are required before foraging on public lands. Carrie emphasizes on her hikes that preserves may be great places to practice identification, but they often do not allow foraging and that must be respected.
 
Carrie has presented her popular class-hikes at Merry Lee Environmental Center, Solomon Farms, and many other parks, preserves, and educational settings. Our videos will cover her as she presents at LC Nature Park, Eagle Marsh, Chain O’ Lakes State Park and Fox Island County Park. Many of her attendees are repeat hikers and happy followers. The hikes are multi-generational and held throughout the year.
 
The first video is of Carrie leading a hike at L.C. Nature Park. L.C. Nature Park is a 200-acre park with multiple environments, prairie, woodland, dunes, and wetlands. The park has five miles of trails. The Park has two historical barns with the largest one converted to the Educational Center. The park is in the historic Little River Valley and is the home to a herd of elk and a herd of bison. The park land was once the reserve of Chief Akima Neewilenkwanka of the Myaamia (Miami) Nation.
 
 
The second video follows Carrie as she leads hikes at Eagle Marsh, Chain O’ Lakes State Park and Fox Island County Park. Eagle Marsh is a reclaimed wetland. It is 831 acres and has fourteen miles of trails. It is the home of deer, bats, coyote, beaver, muskrat, raccoon, mink, and otter. Over 250 species of bird migrate through the preserve. The preserve is a continental divide between the Mississippi-Wabash watershed and the Great Lakes watershed. The preserve consists of prairie, forest, sedge meadow, and wetlands.
 
Chain O’ Lakes State Park is located 19 miles north of Fort Wayne. It is 2,718 acres, has nine lakes and 23 miles of trails. This is a very active park with fishing, boating, overnight camping, and of course hiking. A park ranger accompanied Carrie for the hike providing additional information about the trail and the plants.
 
Finally, the video provides a slide show of Carrie’s earlier hikes at Fox Island County Park before it experienced the 2022 derecho. Fox Island County Park is a 605 acre preserve and neighbor to Eagle Marsh. 270 acres of the park is dedicated as a State Nature Preserve.  This is a land of prairie, wetlands, dunes, and a land teaming with animal life.
 
Carrie Vrabel shares her love of foraging with her community. We hope to interview her in the studio so she can also talk about her published articles and a new book she wrote. However, Carrie is not just about facts and skills. She is also about relationships. She ends each hike by sharing an herbal tea she made from one of the plants the group identified. So, sit down, get a warm cup of tea or broth, and join Carrie via video as she teaches us about wild foraging.