Indiana Master Naturalist 2025 Gathering: Rain, Beauty, and Wild Turkeys!

​Indiana Master Naturalists have an annual Gathering. This past April (2025) it was held in Brown County State Park. While there were many outdoor activities planned central Indiana experienced historic rainfall and flooding. So, all the activities were held indoors. That did not stop the learning, the fun, and the camaraderie.
 
On the first night Pat Navarre presented on the status of wild turkeys in Indiana and across America. Pat is an Outreach Coordinator for the National Wild Turkey Federation. The presentation focused on species, sexual dimorphism, behaviors, and restoration of populations. There was a demonstration of turkey calls, and the behaviors associated with the vocalizations. I particularly enjoyed the turkey calling because I knew the audience volunteer
 
One of the things that stood out was that all of Master Naturalists were looking forward to all the outdoor activities. That included touring Yellowwood State Forest, the House of the Singing Winds and T.C. Steele Historic Tour, horseback riding, birding, and touring the Civilian Conservation Corps buildings at Brown County State Park.  All those events were canceled. The rain closed highways, blocked a park entrance, and turned roads into mud. And despite this the attendees were determined to have fun. There is no doubt that the tone was set by Jody Heaston.
 
I attended the gathering with Kerri Pulley, my daughter. Luckily, she made sure we got our nature-fix. Before leaving Indianapolis, Kerri took me to Eagle Creek Park, and we visited their Ornithology Center. We saw rescued birds. We saw birds in trees and out on the lake. We saw other birders. On our way to Brown County, we explored Nashville Indiana. This unique town is an artist colony just outside of Brown County State Park. It was very clear that we and all the other attendees were not going to let persistent torrential rain dampen our spirits.
 
This first video is the presentation by Pat Navarre, Outreach Coordinator for the National Wild Rurkey Association.
​

---