Stepping through the doorway, the forest spreads out in all directions.
A canopy of maple, hickory and other native trees envelope visitors to Woods on Wheels. The sound of woodland animals and birds flutter in the background. People can almost feel the breeze passing by.
Sure, this is all unfolding on flat-screen monitors with surround sound. But even though the traveling exhibit might not be the same as taking a walk in the forest, it succeeds in transporting people into Indiana’s woodlands and educating them about wooded areas.
“The main goal is to combat misinformation for all Hoosiers,” said Sara High, forestry education specialist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. “We have some very skilled individuals in our state who have spent their entire lives trying to make our state forests and forests in general in Indiana thrive. That’s what they’re passionate about. We don’t want to see deforestation; we don’t want to see habitat loss.”
Woods on Wheels is a centerpiece of this year’s Johnson County Garden Celebration, themed “Wild and Native” and scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The yearly event from the Johnson County Garden Club celebrates local plant life, horticulture and wildlife, providing educational seminars to go with more than 40 vendors selling plants, flowers and gardening equipment.
Seed packets and tree seedlings will be given away while supplies last. A Garden Cafe is planned to offer breakfast and lunch for purchase.
After the 2020 event had to be cancelled, members of the Johnson County Garden Club are excited to welcome the coming spring and help people get ready for growing season.
“We’re very happy to be back,” said Carolyn Williams, an organizer of the event for the garden club. “We’re going to try to do it as safe as we possibly can, and realigned our layout so it’s more spread out. But we’ll still have the fun environment it’s always been. Hopefully, we can help the people who are plant hungry and ready to get out and work in the dirt.”
Organizers of the Garden Celebration make it a point to invite local experts for presentations and workshops the form the backbone of the event every year. On Saturday, guests can learn about Indiana native plants and how to manage them during a seminar by Dawn Slack, director of stewardship at The Nature Conservancy.
Aaron Stump, habitat programs manager for the Indiana Wildlife Federation, will offer advice on how to create a wildlife-friendly habitat. A program on urban raptors of central Indiana is on the slate from Andrea Quigley, education director at Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation.
But the Woods on Wheels exhibit is something entirely different than has been done in the past.
Woods on Wheels is housed in a 40-foot-long trailer, pulled to event spaces by pickup truck. The interactive exhibit came from a partnership between the Indiana Hardwoods Lumbermen’s Association, the forestry and natural resources department at Purdue University, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, in addition to the state’s hardwoods industry.
Originally developed for students in fourth through sixth grades, the exhibit has been expanded to appeal to older students and adults too, High said.
The goal is to help people better understand forest management and the state’s lumber industry, High said.
“They wanted to combat misinformation,” she said. “Not only did they want to offer elementary-grade students resources to educate themselves on what the forestry industry is in Indiana, but also bring in information for landowners, high school students seeking careers in forestry, and a little something for everyone.”
High is an ideal person to lead that effort. Her father is in the logging industry in northern Indiana, and she has worked in forestry her entire life. She graduated from Purdue University with a degree in forestry and natural resources, and was tapped to lead the Woods on Wheels initiative.
The exhibit includes displays and activities helping people understand Indiana’s forests, how they are maintained and why woodlands are so important. People can play games to test their knowledge about the woods, and kids can pretend they’re a forester to learn more about that job.
Visitors to the Garden Celebration will be able to walk through the exhibit. At 12:30 p.m., High will make a presentation discussing the best Indiana trees and local wildlife.
“We’re going to talk about those native trees here in Indiana that support our bees and our pollinators,” she said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Johnson County Garden Celebration
What: An annual gardening event featuring educational seminars, garden-related vendors and activities.
Theme: “Wild and Native,” with a focus on how plants native to Indiana support your yard’s ecosystem and preserve valuable wildlife.
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Johnson County fairgrounds, 250 Fairgrounds St., Franklin
Seminars
(attendance qualifies for Purdue Master Gardener hours)
- 9:30 a.m.: “Our Amazing Indiana Native Plants and How to Manage for Them,” Dawn Slack, director of stewardship at The Nature Conservancy
- 10:30 a.m.: “Certified Wildlife,” learn how to create a wildlife-friendly habitat, Aaron Stump, habitat programs manager, Indiana Wildlife Federation
- 12:30 p.m.: “Best Indiana Trees as Host Plants,” Sara High, forestry education specialist, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
- 1:30 p.m.: “Urban Raptors in Central Indiana,” Andrea Quigley, education director, Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation
Refreshments: The Garden Cafe, featuring selections from Chris Tompkins’ Crock Pot Kitchen and Cafe
Giveaways: Seed packets and tree seedlings while supplies last
Cost: $2; face masks required
Information: facebook.com/JohnsonCountyGardenClubandGardenCelebration
[sc:pullout-text-end]
