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Wesselman Woods

@wesselmanwoods

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A living artifact 🌳 294-acre nature preserve 🦋 Environmental education, trails, Nature Playscape 🍄 The largest urban old-growth forest in the U.S.

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Artie is enjoying the fall weather and all the pumpkins FIJI brought for today’s Owl Prowl! 🦉🎃 So far, FIJI and Chi O have already raised over $1700 for the animal ambassadors of Wesselman Woods. You can help them make money to support the owls when you drop by — activities happening until 2 PM today 🙌 #fundraiser #owls #wesselmanwoods #evansville #birds taken in Wesselman Woods by @wesselmanwoods

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6 hours ago

New gift shop item: Nature Journals 📓✏️🎨 For the curious minds, budding artists, and little nature explorers in your life, we've got a new way to capture the magic of the outdoors!

Our new Nature Journaling Kits come with everything you need to document your woodland adventures:
• 1 notebook for all your observations
• 12 colored pencils to bring your discoveries to life
• 31 nature-inspired stickers to decorate your pages

Whether you're sketching a cool mushroom, recording a bird sighting, or collecting memories from your favorite trail, these kits are perfect for your next adventure in the forest.

Just $7 each! We currently have only 15 kits available, so grab yours before they're gone! Stop by the Wesselman Woods Nature Center Gift Shop and let your curiosity take root. by @wesselmanwoods

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11 hours ago

🍂🦉 This year's Owl Prowl Walk-A-Thon happens tomorrow! 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️
University of Evansville students host this annual event to directly support our animal ambassadors. All proceeds help cover food, enrichment, and medical expenses for these incredible critters.

✨ Want to do your part? Register or donate today at bit. ly/owlprowl26

📅 4th Annual Owl Prowl Event at Wesselman Woods
• Saturday, October 17
• 10 AM - 2 PM
• Crafts and activities
• Food trucks begin 11 AM
• Wesselman Woods will be open to the public from 9 AM to 5 PM with normal admission rates and a suggested $2 minimum donation per person. by @wesselmanwoods

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a day ago

We're open, even if it is a little wet outside ☔️ And when you come in this week, hopefully you'll notice the refreshed walls!

Simms Painting Co. in Evansville came out to spruce up the Nature Center while we were closed to the public and it's lookin' good! 😎👍 Now that we've repainted, you'll also see all the great artwork accepted to our 5th annual art exhibition start to go up.

Can't make it out today? Visit the online gallery at [wesselmanwoods.org/artshow] and make plans to see the show this winter. by @wesselmanwoods

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3 days ago

The best part 2 post to the Wesselman Woods event!! So thankful for these amazing professional photos of my friends and I! I couldn’t post about this enough!!

Ps. the owl was a paid actor taken in Wesselman Woods by @wesselmanwoods

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4 days ago

Professional development, but make it a road trip! 🌲🌳🚙 Part of our annual closed week is dedicated to development time for our staff and, this year, we hit the road for some reconnaissance on other nature centers in Louisville, Kentucky!

First, the team explored Bernheim Forest and Arboretum which included, of course, a visit with the legendary Forest Giants! 🗿🌲 We spent the day checking out their grounds, programs, visitor experiences, and the ways they connect people with nature.

The next day, we visited @louisvillenaturecenter, where their Executive Director, Rebecca Minnick, gave us a fantastic behind-the-scenes tour. 🌿 A huge thank you to their team for welcoming us, sharing their knowledge, and letting us peek behind the curtain!

Both organizations offered plenty of inspiration, thoughtful comparisons, and new ideas for engaging our own community. We came home with full notebooks, lots to talk about, and a few ideas we can't wait to bring back to Wesselman Woods.

We're always learning, growing, and looking for new ways to make Wesselman Woods an even better place to explore, learn, and connect with nature. by @wesselmanwoods

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10 days ago

Tickets are $20 ($17 for UE students)

Additional Package Pricing:

~Barred Owl Package ($75) 1-year individual membership to Wesselman Woods & 2 tickets to the event

~Great Horned Owl Package ($100) 1-year family membership to Wesselman Woods & 3 tickets to event

https://phigam.crowdchange.co/61500

We hope to see you there! by @wesselmanwoods

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10 days ago

While we wait for the Woodland Wonders Festival photos to come back, the staff and volunteers behind the big event would like to extend a big THANK YOU to everyone that came to support our youngest fundraiser ✨🦄

From faeries and forest creatures to music, stories, battles, puppets, and magic around every corner, this year’s Woodland Wonders Festival was a celebration of imagination and of the very real magic found right here in our forest.

To everyone who joined us, thank you for spending part of your day (a very HOT day 🥵) in the woods with us. Your tickets, purchases, laughter, curiosity, and enthusiasm help support Wesselman Woods and our work to protect this fantastical place.

While the festival may be over, our work in the forest never stops.

The trails still need tending, our animal ambassadors still need care, habitats still need stewardship, and there are always new opportunities to connect our community with the natural world. Events like Woodland Wonders help fuel that work, but they are only one part of what keeps Wesselman Woods thriving year-round.

If Woodland Wonders inspired you to love the forest a little more, we invite you to keep the magic going. Consider becoming a member, making a donation, or simply bringing a friend back for a walk in the woods. Every bit of support helps us protect this remarkable place for the next generation of forest explorers.

wesselmanwoods.org

📷 Andrew Layer by @wesselmanwoods

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15 days ago

Pardon our progress! 🌲🚧 Wesselman Woods will be closed October 4–12 while our team takes advantage of one of the quietest weeks of the year to do a little housekeeping including:

• Professional development
• Painting the building
• Fall Festival parking lot fundraising
• A little much-needed TLC in some areas
• And planning for the year ahead

With the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival drawing much of Evansville's attention that week, it's the perfect time for our team to roll up our sleeves and tackle projects that are harder to squeeze in when the forest is bustling with visitors.

We'll be open again on Tuesday, October 13, refreshed and ready to welcome you back! 💚 by @wesselmanwoods

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16 days ago

You can help us raise funds for the forest without paying a cent! 💰 Volunteer at the Fall Festival next week where Wesselman Woods will be hosting a parking lot at 11th Avenue Park (between Virginia and Iowa Streets). We need just a few more people willing to help us park cars on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 🚗 Get signed up through the link in our bio 🔗 by @wesselmanwoods

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17 days ago

A new native rain garden is underway at Wesselman Park thanks to Bee City Evansville! 🐝🌷💧

Today, our horticulture crew teamed up with other local conservation organizations to dig more than 1,400 holes in preparation for a future native garden.

This garden will create habitat for pollinators and help manage standing water on the grounds.

Another win for local biodiversity and wildlife here in Evansville!

Thank you to Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener Association, Wesselman Woods, Southwest Chapter of the Indiana Native Plant Society, Keep Evansville Beautiful, the Evansville Parks Department, the Evansville Engineering Stormwater Department, and the City’s Climate collaborative department for working together to make this happen!

#WeAreAZA #Zoo #MeskerParkZoo #Evansville by @wesselmanwoods

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22 days ago

Now is the time to prepare for cooler weather. Save money and help the woods today!🛍️🌲 Need some new gear for your next adventure? We've got a very good reason to go shopping.
Thanks to Columbia Sportswear, ALL of our Wesselman Woods supporters have special access to the Columbia Sportswear Company Employee Store beginning Saturday, September 19. You can save 40% off the Columbia family of brands, including Columbia, SOREL, Mountain Hardwear, and prAna!
Even better: 10% of your purchase will be donated back to Wesselman Woods 💚
SAVE THE DATES
📅 September 19–October 18, 2026
📍 Columbia Employee Store — Henderson, KY
💸 40% off for you + 10% back to the Woods
So grab your hiking buddies, stock up on your outdoor essentials, and turn your shopping trip into a little act of conservation 🌳
Because when you shop for the outdoors, you can help protect the outdoors, too!
Bring the Wesselman Woods pass below and up to 4 guests!
https://stores.columbia.com/ky/henderson/employee-store-415 by @wesselmanwoods

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22 days ago