Volunteer workday planned at Thornhill
FOR RELEASE: Saturday, August 4, 2001
Huntington, Ind. "Thornhill Nature Preserve will sponsor a community workday on August 5. Huntington College personnel and families from the local community are invited to participate. Director Jule McKanna explains, We will have all kinds of different projects planned. We will clean and organize the classroom in Reiff Nature Center. We will lay wood chips on trails and tidy up the landscaping around the outside of the classroom building, as well.
The 77-acre Thornhill Nature Preserve is located 8 miles north of Huntington on County Road 1000 North, approximately one-quarter mile east of County Road 300 West. A convenient map is available online at www.huntington.edu/thornhill.
The community workday is an all-day event. Volunteers may come and go as they please. We will have a cookout for lunch, so if you would like to eat with us, just bring a salad or a side dish to share, says McKanna, who adds that it would be helpful to know in advance how many volunteers to expect. Those interested in participating should call 260-359-4120 at least one day in advance.
Our main goal is to get the building in shape for classes this fall, adds McKanna. Thornhill Nature Preserve is the site of the MindScape Program, a joint initiative of Huntington College and the Huntington County School Corporation. MindScape offers middle school students an opportunity for a variety of enrichment activities in an outdoor learning environment. The program is designed to help students develop a love of learning, achieve higher standardized test scores, and be better prepared for success in college.
Thornhill Nature Preserve is also the location of popular Super Summer programs offered by the public schools. Thornhill features a rich diversity of ecosystems and wildlife. From large stands of pines to deciduous woods, from our woodland pond to Thornhill's meadows and streams, the acreage is full of life and educational opportunities, says McKanna. Each season brings change to the flora and fauna of Thornhill, but the opportunity to learn is always present.
