| Badger Barrens Addition Update By Nate Simons The area near the historic barn may have served as a barnyard decades ago. Most recently the barnyard was the site of the wood mulch pile created from this summer’s tree clearing operation. Now denuded of barnyard grasses and wood mulch piles, the bare, loamy sand soil was ready to be dressed in its finest attire. But first the seed! Following a good harvest season, the Blue Crew cleaned pounds and pounds of prairie seed (22 pounds of White Wild Indigo alone!). We developed a seed mix based upon the species we collected and based upon the seed mix we sowed at Badger Barrens years ago. At our 23rd annual Prairie Planting Party, veteran seedcasters gathered to hand-sow the prairie seed mix on three-quarters of an acre plot of prepared land. The seed will rest all winter and with the promised warmth of spring, the seed will sprout. But for now, we wait with hope. The plans for 2025 and the rest of the land of the former Headacres Farm include the remainder of the site preparation, more seed collection, and the sowing of more seed. And we imagine the beauty of more and more Wild Blue Lupine. |
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| View from Several of the Crew |
| Nate Simons |
| Christmas greetings from my home to yours! This season I am reminded of our Father’s love for all that he made…including us humans. His affection for the material world is evident in that he sent his Son, Jesus, into the world he created. He sent him, not as a spirit, but as flesh and blood…as one of us. And the gift he gave was this: God became Human so that humans can become like him. This Christmas season I got to follow my wife around town as she reminded folks of this Gift by sharing her gift of music. Click the photos to watch the videos. |
| Aimee and Auburn Community Band-mate, Michele Glim (oboe), sight read Christmas duets in our living room. December 8. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” |
| By her invitation, three of Aimee’s students joined to play a quartet arrangement of “What Child Is This” for the Christmas Eve service at Angola United Methodist Church. December 23. |
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| And it seemed that at all the places that I had the opportunity to join with others to sing, my favorite Advent song was sung. “Joy To The World” Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing. |
| John Brittenham |
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| We gathered this year at Prophetstown State Park on December 17th for the annual Red Card Refresher course as part of Blue Heron Ministries continual prescribed fire training. Each year the crew takes the long drive down to Prophetstown to meet up with other wildland fire professionals and “refresh” our knowledge and skills. Here, Indiana DNR Fire Headquarters is demonstrating some of their water pumps and how to best use them in the field. |
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| Part of the Red Card Refresher course each year is a timed fire shelter deployment exercise. This drill helps train wildland firefighters how to deploy emergency fire shelters. Fire shelters can be the difference between life and death if a wildland fire fighter is ever overtaken by a wildfire. However, few of the prescribed fires undertaken by Blue Heron Ministries would ever create situations where fire shelters would be necessary. |
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| Each year the Red Card Refresher course ends with the “Arduous Pack Test”. Participants are required to carry 45 pounds and walk three miles in under 45 minutes. This exercise simulates some of the rigorous physical demands required to work in wildland firefighting and prescribed fire situations. The Blue Crew took on the challenge and finished with time to spare. There were lots of sore legs and bodies the next day though. |
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| The end of December always means it’s time for the Blue Crew to join with friends and family for the annual Blue Heron Ministries Christmas party. On a crisp December evening we all huddled close to celebrate another great year as part of the amazing community that is Blue Heron Ministries. Make sure to ask Nate about the fun gifts the crew got him this year! |
| Beth Williams |
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| At the December 7th seeding at Badger Barrens, Nate draws a map of the seeding area in the snow. |
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| Hand mixing the seed, prior to dividing it out into buckets for scattering. |
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| Hand scattering the seed. |
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| Seed resting on the soil for the winter. |
| Upcoming Events |
| Blue Heron Ministries Plug Planting Party Saturday, February 1st 2025 at 9am Come join Blue Heron Ministries for their third annual “Plug Planting Party”! This year we will gather in South Milford, Indiana to plant native wildflower plugs for a native wildflower garden to be installed next fall at Austin Park in South Milford, Indiana. We will gather at the South Milford Community Building (formally the South Milford Fire Station) 7900 E 750 S, Wolcottville, IN 46795 on Saturday February 1st at 9 am for a fun morning of playing in the dirt, planting native wildflower seeds, and hanging out with other folks who also enjoy doing such things. Please RSVP to John Brittenham at johnbrittenham@gmail.com by Friday January 31st if you are planning on attending. Feel free to contact John with any questions you may have about the event. Hope to see you there! |
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Blue Heron Ministries 