The featured speaker at Thursday morning’s Ossian Rotary meeting will be Jody Heaston, Indiana State Parks Volunteer Coordinator.
Heaston has been working with Indiana State Parks for 25 years. She has been the naturalist at Salamonie Lake, Mounds State Park and Ouabache State Park near Bluffton.
Presently as Volunteer and Indiana Master Naturalist Coordinator for the entire Indiana State Park system, Heaston works with volunteers, campground hosts and Friends groups around the state to support our state parks.
She also oversees the state Indiana Master Naturalist program, which is a hands-on learning program about Indiana’s natural resources for adults and youth.
At Thursday’s meeting she will talk about Ouabache State Park’s history, present and future. Ouabache State Park, pronounced O-bah-chee, is located along the Wabash River near Bluffton.
Originally operated as Wells County State Forest and Game Preserve in the early 1930s, the park was once considered the “Greatest Wildlife Laboratory in the United States” for its raising of pheasants, quail, raccoons, and rabbits. Through the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the area was developed for wildlife management, forestry demonstration, and recreation.
Ossian Rotary meetings are Thursday mornings at 7:30 at the First Baptist Church of Ossian, 1001 Dehner Drive on the north side of Ossian. Anyone is welcome to attend. Call 260-402-8252 or email rotarycarolk@gmail.com with questions.
