What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 4:30pm Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm Thursday 10am - 4:30pm Friday 10am - 4:30pm Saturday 10am - 3pm

BSU Field Station & Environmental Education Center

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Muncie, IN
BSU Field Station & Environmental Education Center

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We manage over 425 acres of habitat for conservation, research, and environmental education. Our on-campus properties are free and open to the public.

Our off-campus properties are closed to the general public but can be available for field trips and research opportunities by emailing our staff at [email protected]. Please check out our hours below to see what times our public properties are open. Christy Woods: M - F 7:30am - 4:30pm; Saturdays 10am - 3pm
Teaching & Research Greenhouse: M - F 7:30am - 4:30pm; Saturdays closed
Dr. Rinard Orchid Greenhouse: M - F 10am - 4:30pm, Saturdays 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Nature Lab: Saturdays from 10am - 3pm

10/20/2026

Another fun guy out in Christy Woods! 🍄 Meet the pear-shaped puffball (Apioperdon pyriforme), a fungus often found growing in clusters on decaying wood.

Its fruiting bodies can be pear-shaped or nearly round. When young, they may have tiny white spines that disappear as they mature, and their pale surfaces gradually turn yellowish brown. Inside, the spore-producing tissue changes from solid white flesh to a powdery mass of spores. A small opening develops at the top, allowing raindrops to puff the spores out into the air.

At the base, white fungal cords called rhizomorphs connect the puffballs to the wood. These root-like strands are part of the fungus’s mycelium—the network that breaks down wood and helps recycle nutrients in the forest.

Although pear-shaped puffballs are considered edible when young, poisonous lookalikes exist. Never eat a wild mushroom without expert identification. And remember: no harvesting or removing anything from Christy Woods. Leave these little decomposers for everyone to enjoy!

10/19/2026

We take lunchtime very seriously around here! 🐢

Everyone knows and loves Beaker and Petri, but did you know their diet includes live worms? Box turtles are omnivores, meaning they eat both animal and plant matter. Worms provide protein as part of their varied diet—and they’re by far Beaker and Petri’s favorite treat!

Alt text: Collage of photos showing Beaker and Petri, the greenhouse’s box turtles, eating worms.

10/16/2026

Exciting things are happening in the Teaching and Research Greenhouse! Our dragon fruit cactus is getting ready to bloom. 🌵

Native to parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America, these climbing cacti can grow stems up to 20 feet long! Flower buds develop over a few weeks, but once they open, you have to be quick. These night-blooming flowers usually last just one night, sometimes remaining open into the following morning.

In their native habitats, bats and moths can pollinate these nocturnal flowers.

Alt text:
Image 1: Collage of two photographs showing dragon fruit cactus flower buds developing in the Teaching and Research Greenhouse.
Image 2: A photograph showing the dragon fruit cactus with flower buds developing.

10/15/2026

What do you know about the Bodhi tree? 🌿

The Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa), also known as the sacred fig, can begin life in the branches of another tree. It sends roots toward the ground, where they take hold and thicken. Over time, this “strangler fig” can surround and eventually replace its host!

Recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves with long, narrow tips, the sacred fig provides food for birds and other wildlife and has a long history of use in traditional medicine.

According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha attained enlightenment while meditating beneath a sacred fig at Bodh Gaya, India. “Bodhi” means enlightenment, and the tree growing at the site today is traditionally believed to be a descendant of the original, though its lineage cannot be confirmed with certainty. The original sacred fig remains an important destination for Buddhist pilgrims in India.

We’re lucky enough to have the same species of sacred fig here at the Dr. Joe and Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse. Come take a closer look!

Alt text:
Bodhi tree, also known as sacred fig (Ficus religiosa), at the Dr. Joe and Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse.

10/14/2026

October is spooky season! Ball State's Cultural Corridor still has plenty of events happening throughout the month. Check them out.....if you dare!👻

Alt text: Poster titled "Halloween Programs Along Ball State's Cultural Corridor," with a photo of performers portraying Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tim Man, and the Cowardly Lion. Events include:
October 15: Alison Amick's public talk on outsider and folk are with Ball State Alumna Jan Petry at the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University 6 p.m; a musical reimagining of The Wizard of Oz at Emens Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
October 16 and 17: "Halloween: Celestial Orgins" at 5 p.m. for adults and ages 8+, and "Space Slays: The Killer Universe" at 6:30 p.m. recommended for adults and ages 12+, at Charles W. Brown Planetarium
October 31: Glass pumpkins made by Ball State students available at Minnestrista's outdoor farmers market, 9 a.m.-noon; cash only. Magic School Bus episodes and related activities at the Rinard Greenhouse Nature Lab, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free Halloween art activities, crafts, and costume contest at the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University, 1:30 p.m-4 p.m. Free Halloween voice recital at Hahn Recital Hall, 7:30-9 p.m.

09/29/2026

Can you spot our visitor in the prairie?

Hint: Look near the middle of the photo! 👀

This Chinese mantis, Tenodera aridifolia, blends remarkably well with the grasses around it. Its long, narrow body and brown coloring nearly disappear against the Canada wildrye seed heads in the background. That camouflage helps it stay hidden while it waits for prey to come close.

Chinese mantises are native to Asia and were introduced to the United States in the late 1800s. They’re much larger than our native Carolina mantis and can grow to around 4 inches long.

Once prey comes within reach, a mantis grabs it with its spiny front legs. This one may be a large insect, but it still took us a moment to find it in the prairie!

Alt text: A long, brown and green mantis sits horizontally among prairie plants near the center of the image. Its body blends with the brown grass seed heads behind it. Clusters of small white flowers surround it.

09/28/2026

Check out this tiny beauty: Lepanthes calodictyon!

Native to the mountain forests of Colombia and Ecuador, this miniature orchid grows on trees in humid conditions. Look closely at its leaves: they have a beautiful checkerboard pattern, with tiny flowers appearing against them. It’s easy to miss the blooms at first glance!

Some orchids in the Lepanthes genus have an especially surprising pollination strategy called pseudocopulation. Their flowers attract male fungus gnats, which attempt to mate with them and carry pollen to another flower. We don’t yet know if this particular species uses the same strategy, but it gives you an idea of how much can be happening in the world of miniature orchids.

Its size and love of humidity also make L. calodictyon a favorite for carefully maintained terrariums. Which catches your eye first: the patterned leaves or the tiny flowers?

Alt text: Collage showing Lepanthes calodictyon from several angles, including its checkerboard-patterned leaves and tiny flowers.

09/26/2026

Chicken in the woods? Nope—but we do have some chicken of the woods growing in Christy Woods right now! 🍄

This bright orange and yellow bracket fungus grows on wood and helps break it down. It’s hard to miss when its shelves appear on a fallen tree!

And the name? Some people say its texture and flavor remind them of chicken. Although chicken of the woods is eaten by some people, wild mushrooms can be misidentified, and this one can cause unpleasant reactions even when cooked.

Here in Christy Woods, it’s one to admire and leave in place. Please stay on the trails and don’t collect anything from the woods so others can enjoy what’s growing here, too.

Alt text: Two photos of a bright orange and yellow bracket fungus growing on a fallen tree. One photo shows the whole cluster; the other shows the shelves up close.

09/25/2026

Burn, burn, burn! 🔥

Seeing fire move through a prairie can be surprising, but a carefully planned prescribed burn can help keep this habitat healthy. Fire clears away dead plant material, helps keep trees and shrubs from taking over, and can reduce some invasive plants. It also returns nutrients to the soil and makes room for new prairie growth.

A successful burn takes planning, a trained crew, and the right weather conditions. These photos are from our recent prescribed burn at Cooper Farm, and we’re excited about how it went!

Interested in learning more? Keep an eye out for details about a prescribed burn training class we’re planning for this spring.

Alt text:
Image one: A person in yellow protective gear photographs two burn crew members beside a prairie filled with yellow flowers. Gray smoke rises beyond the plants.

Image two: Eight members of the prescribed burn crew stand together outside a white building at Cooper Farm. They wear protective clothing and helmets, and several hold burn equipment.

09/24/2026

Let’s play a game!

How quickly can you identify this plant as it comes into view? Watch until the end for the answer, then tell us in the comments when you figured it out!

Alt text: Video gradually revealing a mystery plant. The plant’s name appears at the end.

Address

2500 W. University Avenue, Ball State University
Muncie, IN
47306

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 4:30pm
Thursday	10am - 4:30pm
Friday	10am - 4:30pm
Saturday	10am - 3pm

Telephone

+17652858103

Website

https://bsu.edu/fseec

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