Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College

Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College is a 1,189-acre nature sanctuary located near Wolf Lake, Indiana. We are dedicated to providing:

• Environmental education for people of all ages
• A natural sanctuary for Northern Indiana’s plants and animals
• A setting for creating opportunities that benefit the human body and spirit while not exploiting the land or excessively disturbing its ecosystems

Merry Lea is a leader in environmental education. Over 6,000 children and youth visit the nature center each year for innovative PreK to 12 programs such as Exploring the Merry Lea Teaching Farm, Rock Cycle, Exploring Nature, and more. Local children build long-term, life-changing relationships with the land through programs such as our Nature Preschool and PROWL (an after school program) which provides repeated exposure.

Merry Lea’s relationship with Goshen College enables it to provide an innovative undergraduate semester call the Sustainability Semester. Students live on-site at Merry Lea’s Rieth Village and the entire nature center serves as their classroom. The semesters are integral parts of Goshen College’s Sustainability Studies major/minor, but they are open to those from other majors and schools. Undergraduates also conduct research at Merry Lea.

The quality of Merry Lea’s land base makes it an ideal setting for the advanced students in the Master of Arts in Environmental Education (MAEE) program. The 11-month program covers pedagogy, natural history, leadership, environmental issues, land management and research methods. Practicum experiences include teaching in PreK to 12 programs.