Southern Indiana Trails

Trees are very important, they serve numerous purposes, yet their most important function is taking in carbon dioxide and giving off oxygen. Chlorophyll is the chemical that makes leaves green, and it's responsible for absorbing sunlight. This makes the energy needed to change carbon dioxide and water into food for the tree. When fall arrives, colder temperatures and Enjoy beautiful backroads throughout Brown County.longer nights cause the leaves to stop making food, and the chlorophyll disappears. Once the chlorophyll is gone, out come the beautiful colors! After the color change, the leaves die, the stem becomes frail and they fall to the ground... Did you know you can identify a tree from its leaf colors? Oaks : red, brown or russet Hickory : golden bronze Endless Colors! Dogwood : purple-red Birch : bright yellow Poplar : golden yellow Maple trees show a whole range of colors: Sugar Maple : orange-red Black Maple : glowing yellow Red Maple : brigh...

Horse-Drawn Hayrides, Guided Night Hikes, Marshmallow Roasting, Raptor, Show, Children’s Crafts, And Much More! Experience the changing seasons at Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve while enjoying the thrills and traditions of autumn at the two-day, family oriented Harvest Festival & Hayrides on October 22 and 23 from 5-8:30 p.m. Horse-drawn hayrides will carry you through Wesselman Park while you learn about nature preparing for winter. Meanwhile several of the Preserve’s inhabitants–including our raptors and reptiles – are waiting to meet you at Odonata Pond in the Nature Preserve. Take a guided hike through the woods at night to listen for wildlife and see an after-hours side of the Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve rarely seen by visitors. Hands-on learning experiences abound at this event with stargazing, insect identification, sensory games, and more. Enjoy roasting marshmallows over our welcoming campfire, or purchase seasonal concessions. All proceeds will be used to help supp...