Get your feet wet and explore what lives in the Otter Creek Watershed at Experience Otter Creek on May 4, 2024 from 9 am to 12 pm at Markle Mill Dam Park (4905 Mill Dam Rd, Terre Haute, IN 47805). Get up close and personal with Otter Creek and the Indiana State University Earth and Environmental Systems to discuss bugs that live in the Otter Creek Watershed that flows through Vigo, Clay and Parke Counties. View fish living in Otter Creek collected via electroshocking demonstrations from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Dig your hands into the Vermillion/Parke County augmented reality sandbox – explore options for creating your own drainage area and making it rain with this cool technology! Learn how to identify birds with the Wabash Valley Audubon Society. Get familiar with wildlife habitat needs with the National Wild Turkey Federation. Connect with the Ouabache Land Conservancy and learn about their conservation efforts as well as local trees and habitat. Free tree seedlings will be available for attendees while supplies last!
In addition, Dobbs Park staff will debunk bat myths. Vigo County Parks & Recreation Department will share information about their various parks and the Parke Trails Alliance will share trail information and educate attendees about local trails. Visit with Purdue Extension and Vigo County Soil and Water Conservation District to learn more about soil health, local pollinators and the plants they love. Lastly, the Wabash River Invasives Project and the Purdue Entomology Department will review invasive species and their control.
Sara Peel, Otter Creek Project Coordinator, says “We hope to connect local residents with Otter Creek and the things that live within its drainage at Experience Otter Creek. Our goal is to allow people to drop in as their schedule allows. They can talk with those groups that are of interest to them while trying their hand at birding or tree identification, play with stream and land-based insects, learn how state biologists assess our streams and view the fish they collect and more.”
Kids can bounce the morning away in the bounce house or run through bubbles during the bubble party at this free, family-friendly event. If you are interested in participating in this exciting event, have questions about attending or would like to learn more, contact Peel at ottercreekwatershed@gmail.com.