Students experiment with ways to control erosion. A lecture on lake formation, nutrient supplies, and temperature profiles is followed by temperature measurements, bottom sampling, and water sampling conducted from the pontoon boat. This program introduces students to northern Indiana's geological features formed during the last Ice Age. A slide program introduces the major types of glacial deposits and illustrates the types of rock commonly found in northern Indiana. The program discusses aquifers and the importance of wetlands for recharging water table.
Demonstrations vividly display the process of ground water contamination.
A narrated bus ride through the glaciated countryside ends at an abandoned gravel pit where students examine rocks and the composition of the gravel. Finally, visitors explore a bog where they learn about peat and its formation. Sugarbush Merry Lea's maple sugar program is held off-site near Huntertown during early March. Students hike to the sugarhouse where they learn the history of maple syrup making. They see a demonstration of tree tapping, discuss how the sugar is made in the tree, learn how to handle collecting buckets, and observe the process of boiling maple sap.