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Little River Wetlands Project hosts a public forum, Breakfast on the Marsh,  focused on nature every month. The forum takes place by the shores of Eagle Marsh at Indiana Wesleyan University Fort Wayne. On April 11th, 2024, the speaker was Jessica Merkling, Urban Wildlife Biologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Presently she is the only Urban Wildlife biologist for the DNR in Indiana. She is also a friend of LRWP. This was her fourth presentation at Breakfast on the Marsh.
 
Jessica spoke on Urban Wildlife. This is a timely presentation because the state, like much of the world, is losing green spaces. She estimated that 2/3s of the world population would be urban by 2050. Using statistics, maps, and illustrations she should how much the state of Indiana has been altered since the arrival of European settlers.  What was once mostly woodland, and wetlands is now mostly farmland and urban and industrial spaces.  While the federal government can steer environmental management in much of the West, Indiana, like most the eastern United States is privately owned. In fact, she stated Indiana is 97% privately owned. It is also home to 897 different animal species.
 
The result is that many animals are now successfully living in urban spaces. Biodiversity is important so the challenge is to find ways to accommodate wildlife and protect property and farmland.
 
Many of the successful urban wildlife species have exhibited multiple adaptations. This included being omnivorous and changing movement and activity. This includes becoming more nocturnal. Some species have increased reproduction due to increased environmental temperatures. Others have exhibited increased tolerance of humans. Finally, human environments also provide increased variety in nutrition and diet.
 
A number of species were discussed as examples of urbanization or increased tolerance of human activity. These included racoons, deer, robins, Canada Geese, beaver, and coyote.  Jessica pointed out that some of the human created habitats encourage increased wildlife populations. An example would be expansive grassland and water sources (think parks and golf courses) are inviting to Canada Geese. Urban settings are also inviting to racoons and the fringes or borderlands, deer, and coyote.
 
We are creating habitat. Habitat consists of water, food, shelter or cover, and space. The question is, are we going to do this in a way that encourages biodiversity or that increases damage to property and farm crops.  

​During the summers of 2022 and 2023 Purdue University Fort Wayne directed a citizen science project focused on turtles at Eagle Marsh. Citizen Science is a resource multiplier.  Scientists (in this case Dr. Mark Jordan) design the research project, develop protocols or standardized methodologies for collecting data and reporting data, and developing volunteer training strategies.
 
The student coordinator, a biology student from Purdue University Fort Wayne, was Autumn Straessle. She trained and directed volunteers from Little River Wetlands Project as well as other students from Purdue University Fort Wayne.
 
Training included safety procedures, transportation, and data collection. Data collection included specific location identification of the turtles, air, and water temperatures, weighing and measuring the turtles, species identification, sex identification, checking for parasites, and creating identification notches on the shell for future reference. The data was collected on standardized forms and the date was sent to Dr. Jordan.
 
The research occurred in two locations at Eagle Marsh. The field work occurred for two weeks during the summer of each year.
 
Turtle species that were identified included painted turtles, soft shelled turtles, snapping turtles, and the threatened Blanding’s turtle.
 
After each day of field work the researchers and volunteers’ waders were washed down with a solution that protected the wetlands from the spread of any disease that would be a threat to other reptiles or amphibians. Equipment was also sanitized.
 
The data tracks the status of the turtle populations as they struggle to survive automobile traffic and natural predators.
 
Despite the focus on standardized protocols and data collection the project was a lot of fun. There was clearly a sense of camaraderie among the volunteers. The setting was inspiring. The setting included herons, geese, songbirds, and beautiful foliage. It was a world of green, or so many shades of green. I look forward to participating in Purdue University Fort Wayne turtle research at Eagle Marsh this summer. If you are interested contact the office of Little River Wetlands Project or follow their website. 

I expected that being a witness to the 2024 Total Eclipse in North America would be moving, perhaps spiritual. I was not expecting a day of connecting with sentient beings, of traveling through time, to connect as a child of earth but also of the universe. As many people can attest that day, it was a powerful and moving experience.
 
I had planned to take part in a bus excursion. That way if one pathway led to clouded skies another pathway could lead to clear, blue skies. However, the trip would have started at Metea County Park. The trip would have been 12 hours minimum in length. I am recovering from knee surgery, I was very stiff, and I could not imagine tolerating such a long journey. So, I switched to a closer destination but one still within the path to totality. I chose to drive to Ouabache State Park. The park was approximately 20 miles from my home. This turned out to be an excellent choice.
 
I was surprised that I was even interested in attending an eclipse, much less excited about it. However, I attended a public forum (Breakfast on the Marsh) hosted by Little River Wetlands Project. The speakers, Laura and Neil Anslie, were from the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society. They talked about the very big difference between seeing a 99% partial eclipse of the sun and a total eclipse of the sun. I was sold and needed to not miss this once in a lifetime astronomical event.
 
Getting into the park took some patience. The line was long and slow. Once all the parking spaces were full the park would be closed to the public. That occurred 90 minutes after I arrived. This is a large park, 1,104 acres. So, while there were lots of people in the park sharing a special event you never felt crowded.
 
The first person I met was Laura Ainslie of the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society. She had telescopes, home-made devices, and material explaining the event. I remember she said that first contact was a slow event. That would not occur for two and a half hours. So, I decided to walk around and visit the Bisons.
 
As I walked to the Bison enclosure I stopped by a tent where park rangers and volunteers were providing history and context. That was a wonderful way to begin an auspicious day at the State Park. I learned the area was originally the site of various Miami or Myaamia People.  Coming from Fort Wayne or Kekionga this did not surprise me. The Wabash River provides part of the boundary of the park. This river was an important waterway for the Myaamia. I had to remind myself that my classes on First Nations Peoples stressed that First Nation Peoples were not something of the past. True, they had a past, however, they are here with us now. That is certainly true in Fort Wayne, along the Wabash River and tributaries, and I suspect in Wells County. I found myself giving thanks for their stewardship of this land for millenniums. I prayed we would open ourselves up to learning about living in harmony with the land, the plants, the animals, and the earth as the Myaamia and other Peoples had.

One of the bridges of time I experienced was the herd of Bison. The Bison are the largest mammals on Turtle Island. They were cornerstone species whose behaviors determined the fauna, the soil, and provided food for other animals. The Bison numbered 8 million in 1870 and within 20 years were reduced to 500. This intentional slaughter was to eliminate American Indian culture. It was to free the land for western style farming, ranching, and industry. It was an ecological disaster.  Concerted efforts since the beginning of the 20th century have brought the Bison back from the brink of extinction. Today there are an estimated 20,500 bison in conservation herds and another 420,000 in commercial herds. 
 
The Bison are intertwined with the cultures of First Nations. The Bison continues to have an impact on local ecology. The Bison is a symbol of the State of Indiana. As I walked around the Bison enclosure watching the small herd, I felt connected to a long past, and I sensed a glimpse of a future for our planet that could include healing.
 
The rangers and volunteers talked about the settlers in the area. The first settler cabin was erected in the area that would become the park in 1829. In the 1830s and 1840s First Nations Peoples were removed to Kansas and Oklahoma and the Euro-settling of Indiana began in earnest.  This included the creation of roads, towns, schools and businesses. It also included communities anchored by Euro-ethnic traditions. I was aware that settlers were also viewed as colonizers. I read my land deed history when I got home. It started with the arrival of the Spanish in North America, followed by the French, English, and Dutch. I was acutely aware that if the land I bought was affordable that would be partially the result of stealing or “acquiring” the land. It is one of the most basic examples of White Privilege.
 
During the 1930s, during The Great Depression, the federal government created the Civilian Conservation Corps (the CCC). The land that would become the state park was first acquired as the Wells County State Forest and Game Preserve.  The CCC had a significant impact on the Preserve. They dug up and created Kunkle Lake (mostly using shovels). They grew trees. They built several shelters using Indiana stone. Almost 1600 CCC young men were stationed at the preserve between 1935-40. They created the “greatest wildlife laboratory in the United States.” They raised rabbits and raccoons, quail, and pheasants. Animal populations were restored, and animals were released for hunting.
 
As I walked from the Bison enclosure to the shelter and to the geese at the lake I walked past a fenced in area. I asked if that was part of the wildlife laboratory. I was told it was not. It was the remnants of the Purdue University research project. They fenced in an area to see what impact wildlife was having on the forest ecology.  It was impossible not to feel connected to history, people, but also animals.
 
AS I walked toward the site where I would view the eclipse, I walked past perhaps the most iconic artifact of the CCC. I walked past the 100-foot-tall Fire Tower. It was recently restored. However, it was originally built by members of the CCC in the 1930s. It was built without power tools and without a net. There are 13 CCC fire towers still standing in Indiana. During the day of the eclipse they were all closed to the public because of the large number of visitors to each park or site anticipated.
 
When I finally got back to my viewing site people were eating their picnic lunches. Children were playing. Laura Ainslie was telling people about the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society, the telescopes, and what to expect. The mood was one of camaraderie and excitement. The parking lot was full of cars from all over the country. Children played and adults told stories of past astronomical events.
 
Then it began. First Contact occurred when the moon begins to pass in front of the sun. This stage is slow but exciting because we all knew it was starting. It looked as if a small piece of the sun was bitten by Pacman. This stage seemed long and did last for at least 80 minutes.
 
Second Contact occurred when almost the entire sun was covered by the moon’s shadow. Only a spot occurred on the edge giving it a “diamond ring” appearance. This was a brief stage and herald the upcoming totality.
By now the sky had gone from a bright sunny day with a few wispy clouds to an evening darkness. The temperature had also dropped and there was a quiet chill in the air. The birds, frogs, and children became silent. The adults were waiting for the moment they could remove their eclipse glasses. And then it occurred, We had Totality. The sun was covered, the rim of the sun had streamers, part of the corona. It was a very moving moment. People were silent, some sucked in their breath, some wiped their eyes. Some muttered, “oh my God” in awe.  And then, to make a perfect moment even more momentous the planets Mercury and Venus appeared. They framed the lower half of the sun.
 
When Totality ended and the eclipse moved to Third Contact. We all put our eclipse glasses back on. The slow partial eclipse, the reverse of First and Second Contact was occurring. This ended with Fourth Contact and the end of the 2024 Total Eclipse in North America. During the last two Contacts of stages people processed what they had experienced. Many took advantage of the safety lens telescope provided by the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society and attempted to take photos of the sun.
 
From the moment I arrived at the park I knew I had made the right decision to view the eclipse. It was far more moving than I could have guessed. I loved the connections with others. I loved the silence that greeted Totality and the spontaneous cheering and applause that erupted when the eclipse moved to Third Contact. I suspect this will be the summer I visit the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society. This will be the year I am aware that I am moving about on my planet but that I actually dwell on a planet that is also moving around a solar system that is moving around a galaxy, that is moving around a universe.