During the 2025 Indiana Master Naturalist Gathering in Brown County State Park there was a reoccuring theme. This is a theme recognizable to naturalists everywhere. The theme was comparing and contrasting the values and challenges of invasive species versus native species. 

One focus was on plants. The categories were clear. Invasives caused economic damage. They over-competed native species leading to monocultures. The invasive plants provided poor nutrition leading to decline in insects, birds, and small mammals. They reduced biodiversity. On the other hand native plants were evirnomental healers. They provided conditions for increased biodiversity. They provided food for insects, birds, and small mammals. 

Two of the presentations provided great examples of this. Cathy Meyer presented on the connection between healthy and diverse plants populations and healthy and diverse bird populations. Jody Heaston presented on the relationship between various species of Milkweed and Monarch Butterfly populations. 

Dawn Slack was foundational to understanding the interdepency between native plants and healthy ecosystems. Her presentation, Bird  droppings and the Vitality of Our Gardens was an inspiring talk. To be honest I went into the talk expecting to struggle to stay awake. I was happily wrong. She is an expressive speaker. She provided numerous examples of ecological catastrophes. However, and surprisingly, she responded, "This is a great time to be alive."

She was not being sarcastic or naive. She gave examples of ecosystem restorations throught the removal of invasive species and the reintroduction of native plants. The native plants had a cascading effect on the ecology. Her optimism was based on "we know what we need to do and we can do it."

I look forward to attending future lectures by this Dawn Slack. Until that time, her is a video of her presentation

The Indiana Master Naturalist program has an annual Gathering. This is a time of education, skill development, wonder, and fun. Each year a different part of the state is highlighted. In 2025 the Gathering was held at Brown County State Park. One of the presenters was Ryan Slack. 
 
Ryan had an unusal presentation. He talked about Bats and Whips or bats and Whip poor wills. It is not common to have a presenter talk about two very different species, a bird and a mammal. However, his talk focused on the niche they filled in their environment and the shared challenges they face. 
 
Both species are active at night. Both species are excellent at pest control. All the bat species of Indiana are insectivores. Both the bats and the whips have bodies perfectly adapted for their environment. This fit however makes them vulnerable to changes in their environment. The loss of habitat, in the form of farmland, development, and industrialization and the use of insecticides have contributed to a decline in bat and whip poor will populations.  
 
This unusual presentation emphasized the connectivity of life on the planet. It emphasized the cascading impact of “development”. It emphasized the need for conservation efforts and strategic, green development planning. ​

Each year the Indiana Master Naturalist program holds a statewide Gathering. This is a time to learn, to experience new places, to connect with old friends and make new ones. In 2025 we Gathered at Brown County State Park. The second speaker of the first night was Jim Eagleman. Jim is a retired Interpretive Naturalist. 
 
Jim was the perfect person to set the stage for a Gathering in Brown County State Park. He had worked as a DNR Naturalist at Brown County State Park and Turkey Run State Park for over 40 years. During that time, he also earned a master's degree in Botany. So, at the Gathering he came to us with an impressive history of the park, the peoples, and the surrounding land based on his lived experience. He also came to us with the skills of a researcher.  
 
Jim gave us context, new perspectives, and new eyes and ears to experience the Park landscape and wildlife, the Depression-era buildings, but also the interplay with settlers and the Park, and the artisan community of Nashville Indiana and the Park. We learned how the glaciers that impacted much of Indiana stopped short of what would be known as Brown County. However, the glacier meltwater helped form the ridges, gullies, and slopes of Brown County State Park. The soil, dirt, and stone influenced which trees would grow in the area. The stones, ground openings, and vegetation made it a perfect home for Timber Rattlesnakes. We were reminded that we would learn about the snakes and see one the following day. 
 
He reminded us of how beautiful the Brown County State Park is. It is known as the Little Smokies. The park is almost 16,000 acres in size. Next to the park is Yellowwood State Forest. This was a place of natural beauty and wildlife. Many of the buildings are part of the contribution of the Civilian Conservation Corps from the Great Depression. Jim spoke of how settlers had removed most of the forest in Indiana in a short period of time. He talked about the interplay of the international artisan community of Nashville Indiana and the more modest local farmers. 
 
During the 2025 Gathering we experienced historic rainfall. We did not ride horses, walk trails, or visit historic sites. However, because of his talk we knew how to savor the area on our own. Jim Eagleman was clear, it is our job as Master Naturalists to make the geological history, the natural history, and the human history of the parks and preserves we volunteer at come alive. It is our job to help visitors experience wonder, to ask questions, and to care about the land and wildlife in their areas.  ​

​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.
​

Breakfast on the Marsh is a community forum hosted monthly by Little River Wetlands Project. The focus is on nature and the environment. 
 
On June 14, 2025, Eva Webb​, Nature Educator for Fox Island County Park was the guest speaker. Eva is a good friend of the green community in Northeast Indiana. She has collaborated with L.C. Nature Park, Eagle Marsh, the Fort Wayne Dance Collective and school corporations. She brings her expertise of nature and her joy for the earth to all ages from preschoolers to senior citizens. She does this in a multimodal way. 
 
Eva can lecture and provide facts. She also engages the creative community using poetry and art to understand nature and to express awe. One of her favorite techniques, to emphasize learning and to build community is to engage audiences with drum circles. 
 
So, on June 14th Eva gave the audience an update on the state of Fox Island County Park post-derecho. This included making the park more accessible for people of all abilities. It included a description of the restoration after the loss of 4000 trees in 15 minutes, and it included a description of programming for the community. Afterwards she engaged the audience of Breakfast on the Marsh with a demonstration of how drum circles can engage people, excite people, and facilitate learning. It was a unique and fun Breakfast on the Marsh. ​

Perhaps now, more than ever, citizen science is crucial. As budgets are cut for research, training programs, and scientific positions are being eliminated citizen science is a research enhancer that is vitally needed. Citizen science place a big role in the nature community of Northeast Indiana. The preserves, city and county parks, land trusts, and universites all work together to gather information n the state of the environment in Northeast Indiana. 
 
Each project has a different reporting agency. The agency, a university or scientific institute provides the protocol for standardized gather of information and reporting of the information. The training prepares citizens who are not formal scientist to provide scientist data so they can assess the health of the environment. 
 
At Eagle Marsh the projects have included assessing bats, birds, bird nest boxes, turtles, and invasive plants. Two programs that are similar but differ in protocol and the breadth of their subject foci are Monarch Butterfly Monitoring and Butterfly Monitoring. On June 14, 2025, Russ Voorhees provided training in Butterfly Monitoring. 
 
The training incudes life span and development, butterfly identification, the protocols for recording and reporting data. The lead agency for this project is the Michigan Butterfly Network. Russ also provided useful charts on identification as well as exhibiting useful field manuals. The program requires a minimum of one hour a week in the field for a minimum of six eeks. If you are interested in combining science and the beauty of nature, contact Eagle Marsh and tell them you would like to be trained as a butterfly monitor. The embedded video is an edited version of Russ’s training. ​

The Indiana Academy of Science selects a different site each year to complete a BioBlitz. A BioBlitz is a survey of the plant and animal life in an area. The survey assesses biodiversity. This year the Academy chose Eagle Marsh. The last time there was a BioBlitz at Eagle Marsh was in 2014. So, on May 31, 2025, over 120 scientists and citizen scientists from across Indiana and beyond arrived at Eagle Marsh. 
 
Little River Wetland Projects hosted the event. Their staff and volunteers were ready. Preparation began the day before. On the day of the BioBlitz volunteers began arriving at 5 am. The scientists were served breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Programs and t-shirts were passed out. There was excitement in the air. 
 
The BioBlitz was important because the marsh is dynamic, and it is critical to know which species of plant and animal life is thriving and which are struggling. That was made clear because since the last Bioblitz the continental divide berm was created. This was to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp and in the process, it altered the hydrology of the preserve.  
 
The scientist arrived with diverse instruments and traps. They were divided into teams and they self-assigned to different areas of Eagle Marsh. The Taxon Teams included: Macroinvertebrates, Bees, Beetles, Fish and Freshwater mussels, Birds, Fungi, Herps, Mammals, Lepidoptera, Singing-Insects, Snail-killing Flies, Spiders and Vascular Plants. As the scientist spread out throughout the marsh data was collected, analyzed, identified, and recorded. At lunch the teams were exchanging information with other teams and expressing the joy of being around experts in so many different fields.  
 
Some of the scientist camped at the marsh. Some of the teams worked late into the night, some would be adding two additional days of collecting and recording their species. The Eagle Marsh barn was filled with laughter as the teams had supper. After supper there was an informal reporting of each team's findings. Many had to leave because they had long drives ahead of them. However, for those who could stay they sat around a fire and made S’MORES. Some of the members waited for nightfall so they could go out and collect nocturnal specimens.  
 
The data will be sent to the Academy of Science by the end of October. This gives the spider and various insect teams time to identify their species. A final report will then be shared with Eagle Marsh. They will then know which species thrived under the changing hydraulics and the changing climate. It was a historic day, and it was a fun day. ​