​Breakfast on the Marsh is a community forum sponsored by Little River Wetlands Project and usually held at Indiana Wesleyan University Fort Wayne. In May the speaker was DNR botanist Scott Namestnik. He spoke on the unique geology and geography of Indiana and the related unique plants and ecosystems.
 
The 2nd part of his presentation focused on the importance of place and plants. This included focusing on the system of evaluating ecosystems and plant species.  Water drainage or
access, elevation, degrees of acidity all impacted what plants would thrive at various environments. Scott’s biggest challenge was narrowing down which sites in northeast Indiana he would focus on and which plants he would highlight.  He was like a volunteer at an animal shelter, he loved them all.
 
He highlighted unique wetlands in northeast Indiana. He addressed the challenges of preserving ecosystems during a period of land development and the eroding of wetland protections. The presentation itself was a challenge. The air conditioning was not on. Windows were opened, the room was humid and traffic sounds were distracting. Still his focus was clear, and Scott kept the audience engaged.
 
The presentation was academic, it focused on classification systems and data collection. It was clearly historical. It was also advocacy calling on members of the audience to participate in the protection of shrinking ecosystems and endangered plant species. Scott Namestnik was inspiring and we were fortunate to hear the Tom Bombadil of the Indiana ecosystems.
 

​Breakfast on the Marsh is a community forum sponsored by Little River Wetlands Project and usually held at Indiana Wesleyan University Fort Wayne. In May 2024 the speaker was DNR botanist Scott Namestnik. He spoke on the unique geology and geography of Indiana and the related unique plants and ecosystems.
 
The first part of his presentation focused on geology and geography. This was an informative walk-through geological history that impacts life in Indiana today. That included the impact of glaciers, both the Indiana and the Wisconsin Glaciers. The formation and declining of the glaciers  left  different areas of Indiana was fine sand, hard clay, sand dunes, and eventually Lake Erie. The changing temperatures and the changing levels of water influenced what grew in Indiana. This included types of forests, prairies, wetlands including marsh, fens, and bogs, and shallow seas. These unique ecosystems were influenced by watersheds, rock beds, altitude, and degrees of
acidity.
 
Scott’s presentation was clear, geology and the related geography was dynamic and always changing. What is new is the influence of humans. First the Indigenous Peoples of the area used land management techniques that mimicked nature. The European settlers altered the landscape.  This included deforestation, draining or wetlands, and mono-species farming. The result has been a change in ecosystems, wildlife, and plant life. The first part of Namstnicks’s presentation focused mainly of the foundational, the unique geography and geography that influences life in Indiana
today.