Events at Bartholomew County’s Touch the Earth Natural Area west of Columbus next week will provide opportunities to learn more about the conservation area and protect it from invasive plant species.
On Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Touch the Earth will host a “Preserve-a-Preserve Weed Wrangle.” Participants will learn about native prairie and woodland plants and remove invasive woody species along the northern loop trail.
On Saturday, Aug. 10, Touch the Earth will host a Butterfly and Blossoms Stroll from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The stroll will be guided by Doug Johnson, and experienced nature hike leader who has studied native plants for more than five decades and butterflies for more than two decades, according to Sycamore Land Trust, which stewards Touch the Earth and scores of other conservation lands in southern Indiana.
The guided hike is free for Sycamore members with a suggested donation of $5 per person or $10 per family for nonmembers. Registration is required at sycamorelandtrust.org/events.
Touch the Earth is a 108-acre natural area located on Country Club Road about a half-mile south of State Road 46. It contains just under 2 miles of walking trails, prairie plantings, wildflower meadows and forest habitats. For more information, visit sycamorelandtrust.org/preserves/touch-the-earth-natural-area/.
