For my third phenology visit, I am moving outside of the Greater Burlington Area and heading to the good ol’ Midwestern state of Indiana – Go Hoosiers! Although my state is most well-known for corn, race cars, and RV factories, Indiana has some great natural places that are often overlooked.
While home for Thanksgiving break, I decided to do my phenology assignment this week on a place that is very near and dear to me: Ox Bow County Park in Goshen, Indiana. Ox Bow Park is named after a historic topographical change that occurred in the 1970s, when a portion of the Elkhart River meandered and got cut-off from the rest of the canal and created an Oxbow Lake. This cut-off caused many water-loving tree species (such as Cottonwood and Red Maple) to move inland as the soil became more saturated, and several wetland ecosystems formed in the area.
Ox Bow is special to me because of all the natural features it has, and how it promotes the integration of humans and nature for a better future of the planet. Ox Bow offers hundreds of acres of forests, wetlands, and prairies, all of which are protected and monitored by trained naturalists in the state. One of the key differences between Salmon Hole and Ox Bow Park is the presence of certain tree and animal species; Ox Bow has a large amount of Elm trees, of which has been largely decimated in New England due to the Dutch Elm Disease. Ox Bow also houses a large number of deer, beavers, otters, and geese. I am also a huge morel mushroom hunter, and the woods here are great for foraging!
Ox Bow is also an 80% natural area, with only 20% of the land having been cleared for the construction of recreational activity locations (disc golf, playground, and shelters), along with a couple of educational buildings. Ox Bow hosts several educational classes open to the public throughout the year, along with a summer camp for children to learn about the natural world around them.
Ox Bow County Park is an island of natural beauty in an otherwise largely urbanized city, and it is protected by the state in hopes of preserving the ecosystems around us and saving the land for the future generations. Compared to Salmon Hole, Ox Bow has a much larger variety of ecosystems and environments and focuses on how humans and nature can interact in a mutually beneficial way.
Thanks for reading, and Happy Thanksgiving!