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Join in a 'Next Indiana Campfire' at the DePauw Nature Park, June 25

Join in a 'Next Indiana Campfire' at the DePauw Nature Park, June 25

June 6, 2016

A new statewide series of events, "Next Indiana Campfires," will include a June 25 excursion at the DePauw University Nature Park.  The program, presented by Indiana Humanities, pairs literature and nature to help Hoosiers explore Indiana’s wild places and discuss conservation and stewardship.

The DePauw event will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. and is designed for children ages 7-12 and their families.  Participants will walk the trails of a former limestone quarry, exploring woods, streambeds, and an exposed aquifer.  During the outing, a humanities scholar will serve as facilitator and lead attendees, stopping periodically to read aloud the words of important Hoosier authors.  Participants will then gather for food and drink around a campfire to discuss connections between nature, literature and place.    

Event tickets are $5 for kids and $10 for adults.  The ticket price includes the excursion, food, and drink.  A limited number of fee waivers will be available for each excursion and will be awarded based on financial need. To register for the event, click here.

Next Indiana Campfires will be held in some of Indiana’s most diverse landscapes -- places like the Limberlost swamps, an old growth forest in Evansville and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Do-it-yourself “Trek and Talk Toolkits” are available to those who wish to create their own Next Indiana Campfire. Toolkits include suggested itineraries, a literary text and discussion prompts, a Next Indiana Campfires patch, snacks and more.

To learn more, visit Indiana Humanities online.

The program is generously supported by the Efroymson Family Fund, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Pulitzer Prizes Centennial Campfires and Ball Brothers Foundation. Additional in-kind support provided by UGo Bars, LLC as handcrafted trail snack sponsor. Indiana Humanities is supported in part by Lilly Endowment, Inc. and the National Endowment of the Humanities.1360

Announced in September 2003 and dedicated a year later, the DePauw University Nature Park covers 520 acres just west of the main campus. Its features include seven trails, a campground and canoe launch, an outdoor amphitheatre, research areas, the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics, the Bartlett Reflection Center, the Ian and Mimi Rolland Welcome and Activities Center and the Manning Environmental Field Station.

The DePauw Nature Park is open to the public from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. Camping is permitted only in designated areas and with authorization. For more information, visit the Nature Park online by clicking here.

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