LRWP offers free nature recreation and education programs for children, adults, and families year-round. These include regular weekly and monthly nature hikes, occasional night hikes, night nature presentations, a monthly nature presentation and light breakfast for seniors 50+, and more.
School groups and other children's groups are welcome at our preserves. Teachers, our trained trail guides are familiar with meeting Indiana State Standards. Just let us know what you're studying and we can tailor a program that's relevant to the classroom and also hits many of the standards for your grade level. Please call to make arrangements for a guided field trip-it's free! Trips are arranged on a first come, first serve basis.
Scouts, our staff and volunteers are available to work with you to meet requirements for different badges. Please make arrangements in advance to make sure we will have someone available to help you.
Apply to bring a children's group to a LRWP preserve.
Adult groups may also wish to visit our preserves or attend stewardship events. Please call us if your employee group, club, hiking group, birding group, church, or other community group is interested in a guided visit or stewardship event.
Offsite presentations can be given about our preserves and programs to businesses, clubs or other community groups through special arrangments by our staff or volunteers. Classroom presentations on wetland topics may also be arranged on a limited basis.
For more information or to sign up click on any event below, call 260-478-2515, or email us.
Special Events
Listening for Elusive Birds - Bitterns and Rails
Monday, May 21, from 7:15pm to 8:45pmJoin Stockbridge Audubon experts Jim Haw and Rodger Rang for this evening bird hike at Eagle Marsh. You'll learn how to listen for rails and bitterns, including some endangered in Indiana, and discover other marsh birds along the way. Meet at the Boy Scout office parking lot.
Saturday Hiking
Who's For Lunch? Carnivores vs. Herbivores of the Marsh
Saturday, June 2, from 9:00am to 11:00amJoin Liz Hincks as we see the food chain in action and discuss who eats whom on the marsh. Eat or be eaten? Are you predator or prey? Join us if you dare! Meet at the Eagle Marsh barn.
Prairie Wildflowers
Saturday, July 14, from 9:00am to 11:00amJoin Laura Stine of Laura Stine Gardens as we hike Arrowhead Prairie looking and learning about prairie wildflowers and grasses. Laura will also show us which native wildflowers and grasses would grow well in our own gardens and how to choose them. Meet at Arrowhead Prairie.
Little River Ramblers
Little River Ramblers
Every Tuesday, from 9:00am to 11:00amMeet at the Eagle Marsh barn from March through December and at the Boy Scout office parking lot January through February. Hike to explore and record the flora and fauna of Eagle Marsh. Make sure to dress for the weather.
Breakfast on the Marsh
Bats Are our Buddies
Thursday, June 14, from 8:00am to 10:00amBob Walton, bat expert, will talk about the many different kinds of bats, including those that live in Indiana, and why bats are helpful to all of us--they do more than just eat mosquitoes!
Historic Peoples of the Rivers
Thursday, July 12, from 8:00am to 10:00amMatt Jones from the Allen County Partnership for Water Quality will take us on a journey through time detailing how the rivers, and those who traveled upon them throughout history, influenced life as we know it today. From the Native Americans to the voyageurs, to the pioneers to those of us who still canoe the rivers--all these important people helped to shape our lives today.
Volunteer Opportunities
Help Plant Wetland Plugs
Saturday, June 9, from 1:00pm to 4:00pmJoin us for this unique experience of planting wetland plant species in areas where invasives have been removed. Please RSVP with Betsy at 260-478-2515 or b.yankowiak@lrwp.org for this event as site conditions need to be right on the day of planting. Meet at the Boy Scout office parking lot.
Become a Monarch Monitor!
Saturday, June 30, from 10:00am to 12:00pmJoin other monarch enthusiasts as we start a Monarch Monitor Citizen Scientist project at Eagle Marsh. Take this training if you think you can commit to monitoring monarch caterpillar-through-adult populations at Eagle Marsh every two weeks through the end of September. Contact Betsy at 260-478-2515 or b.yankowiak@lrwp.org to RSVP or to learn more. Meet at the Eagle Marsh barn.
Purple Loosestrife Pull
Saturday, July 14, from 12:30pm to 2:00pmPlease help us remove this beautiful but very invasive plant from Eagle Marsh so that more of our native grasses and wildflowers will flourish. And, learn more about purple loosestrife and how to keep it from invading your own backyard. Meet at the Eagle Marsh barn.
Directions
Boy Scout Office Parking Lot
Turn off at Olde Canal Place Road (the Verizon Exit on W. Jefferson Blvd.) and proceed to the end of the road.
Eagle Marsh main gate (open during scheduled events)
From West Jefferson Boulevard, turn east on Engle Road. Travel approximately 1/2 mile and turn south on gravel road. Travel down the gravel road to the red and tan barn.
Arrowhead Marsh & Arrowhead Prairie
From U.S. 24 turn south on Redding Dr. Aboite Road T's into Redding Dr., turn south.
Arrowhead Marsh:
is on the east side of Aboite Rd. just past the chicken barn. Park in the grassy lot adjacent to the metal Arrowhead Marsh sign.
is on the west side of Aboite Rd. just past the Arrowhead Marsh entrance to the east. Park near the small, white out-building.
Note: Use caution during wet seasons as the Arrowhead Marsh parking area may be inaccessible.
Do not park along Aboite Road - it is illegal.
Cancellations
Please Note:
All programs are cancelled if Southwest Allen County Schools close due to inclement weather. Our hikes are cancelled if the wind chill is 10 °F or colder.
