Earth Science Week

Monroe Lake will celebrate Earth Science Week from October 8 to 14 with a variety of activities for both kids and adults. There will be two guided geology tours, a celebration of a partial solar eclipse, and additional activities covering a range of earth science topics.

Full details on Earth Science Week are at bit.ly/2023-earthscience-monroelake.

The week will kick off with a full day geology driving tour on Monday, Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. The tour is an in-depth exploration of local geological history, focusing on the region around Monroe Lake, and includes several opportunities for collecting rocks and fossils. The tour is limited to 12 people with a $30 per person fee. Advance registration is required by Oct. 5 at bit.ly/2023-geologytour.

There will be a 2-mile round-trip hike to the crinoid fossil bed at Allens Creek SRA on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. No collecting is permitted at this location. The hike is free but limited to 20 people and advance registration is required by Oct. 10 at http://bit.ly/2023-crinoidhike.

On Saturday, Oct. 14, our area will experience a partial eclipse that will cover about 45% of the Sun. From 9 to 11 a.m. that morning, you can drop by the Campground Playground at Paynetown SRA to decorate and assemble your own eclipse viewer using a special solar filter paper. A donation of $1 is appreciated to cover material costs and supplies will be limited.

There will be an eclipse viewing party on the swimming beach at Paynetown SRA from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 14, with the eclipse peaking at 1:02 p.m. Eclipse glasses will be available ($1 donation requested) and the park will have an activity table where you can experiment with different ways of viewing the eclipse.

Additional programs at Paynetown SRA, free with park admission
- Sunday, Oct. 8 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Campground Playground, “Know Moh,” drop by to test rocks using Moh’s Hardness Scale
- Sunday, Oct. 8 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Activity Center, “Phases of the Moon,” drop by to make a diagram model of our moon’s phases
- Tuesday, Oct. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Campground Playground, “Rising Waters,” drop by to see a demo of how water can defy gravity
- Thursday, Oct. 12 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Overflow Parking Area, “Digging for Fossils,” drop by to search for real fossils and learn about ancient ocean life
- Thursday, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. at Activity Center, “Inside the Earth,” construct a model of the Earth’s interior as you learn about the layers of our planet
- Friday, Oct. 13 at 10:30 a.m. at Activity Center, “Chocolate Rock Cycle,” demo using chocolate to show how igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks are created
- Friday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. at Activity Center, “Cookie Excavation,” practice basic excavation skills used in paleontology on different types of cookies
- Friday, Oct. 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Campground Playground, “DIY Weathervanes,” drop by to construct your own mini weathervane

The Daily Entrance Fee at Paynetown SRA is $7 per vehicle with Indiana license plate ($9 per vehicle with out-of-state plates). Indiana State Park Annual Entrance Permits are also accepted.

Questions should be directed to the Paynetown Activity Center at 812-837-9967 or email Jill Vance at jvance@dnr.in.gov.