Each year, Merry Lea hosts a homeschool series with 6 programs that cover a range of natural history and environmental topics on Merry Lea’s trails. Students spend significant time outdoors in Merry Lea’s wonderfully diverse landscapes and are grouped by age for trail explorations to provide age appropriate instruction.

Additionally, any of our standard field trips are available as a homeschool co-op program. Contact us for more information.

*Both our Homeschool and Jr/Teen IMN programs are for students only and are designed as drop-off programs. We do have public events that are available for the entire family to enjoy if desired.

#1: Trees are Terrific

You are in for a tree-at! Explore tree anatomy and examine leaves, branches, and seeds up close. Compare and contrast different types of trees, and investigate how organisms use trees for their food, shelter, and other needs. 

Date: September 12
Location: Farmstead | 2152 S 425 W, Albion, IN 46701
Cost: $6/child

#2: Apple Cider

Join us for an exploration of the Merry Lea Teaching Farm orchard, a unique edible ecosystem you can taste! See how humans and nature help apples grow by companion planting, encouraging pollination, and protecting the trees. Then we’ll press apples into cider and enjoy a cup! 

Date: October 10
Location: Farmstead | 2152 S 425 W, Albion, IN 46701
Cost: $6/child

#3: Worm Wiggle

Don’t wiggle your way out of this! Discover the world of worms and how they benefit humans, the soil, and more! Go for a hike to find worms, and examine a worm up close to see its external structures, watch how they wiggle, and hear the noises they might make when they move.

Date: November 14
Location: Learning Center | 2388 S 500 W, Albion, IN 46701
Cost: $6/child

#4: Ice Investigations

Have an ice day with us at Merry Lea! Come explore how ice affects plants and animals living in Northern Indiana. We’ll search for creatures coping with the cold outside and make use of ice in many ways including experimenting, building, and playing. 

Date: January 16
Location: Learning Center | 2388 S 500 W, Albion, IN 46701
Cost: $6/child

#5: Wonderful Wetlands

Wade through the waters of a wetland to discover what organisms live in our wetlands! Investigate how wetlands are a special ecosystem for many different types of plants and animals by using our wetland lab to identify macroinvertebrates. Explore the ways wetlands provide a home for many organisms and how they benefit humans too. 

Date: April 17
Location: Farmstead | 2152 S 425 W, Albion, IN 46701
Cost: $6/child

#6: Pollinator Power

Join us as we explore the power of pollinators this spring. Hike around different ecosystems to explore the wide variety of pollinators that are out and about. Tromp through a meadow to catch pollinators, investigate signs of pollination, examine parts of flowers and more! 

Date: May 15
Location: Luckey’s Landing| 2300 S Stone St., Albion, IN 46701
Cost: $6/child

Ages & Times

Ages: 6 – 9 years
Times: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

*Note: Students ages 9 – 17 may join our Junior and Teen Indiana Master Naturalist program.
Both our Homeschool and Jr/Teen IMN programs are for students only and are designed as drop-off programs. We do have public events that are available for the entire family to enjoy if desired.

Registration

Cost: $6/child for each program
Sign-ups: Students can register for one or all of the programs

Expectations for Participation & Conduct

We expect all students to demonstrate respect for fellow students and teachers at Merry Lea.

Outdoor education involves exposure to some natural hazards like trips and falls, insect bites and stings and irritating plants. Merry Lea educators try to minimize these risks. It is imperative that students listen to directions in order to maintain safety out on the trails and inside the facilities.

All offerings are aligned to Indiana Academic Standards, and are designed to support your student’s academic and outdoor learning. Please be sure to review our policies regarding scheduling, cancellation and program logistics on the registration page.