The Civilian Conservation Corps, started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, made our state parks what they are today. Not only did these boys (as they were endearlingly called) work in Indiana, but throughout the entire country developing parks, protecting forests, and on soil conservation projects. White, Black, Native American, and Hispanic -- young men from all walks of life left their fingerprints on our country.

I learned so much about the CCC from Glory-June Greiff whose book you can purchase on her website or potentially find at your local library. I also learned about the CCC from the book The Complete Guide to Indiana State Parks by Nathan D. Strange. In addition, the Indiana Historical Society was an enormous help in finding pictures of the boys and issues of the CCC company newsletters. I'm also hugely indebted to Katie Martin (no relation) for her excellent research. She and others wrote about Marshall Carter, but it was her work that directed me to his poem.

I also found information about the CCC on the Steuben County website, read interviews with Roger Woodcock in the Whitley County paper, learned about several African-American enrollees through the DNR's research, and learned about CCC companies nationwide on the CCC Legacy site.

Any mistakes are my own.

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Come along with me to Pokagon State Park and let's tackle the 8-mile-long Hell's Point Challenge together! We'll learn all about the park including the Pokagon band of the Potawatomi, the CCC young men, the wide variety of park habitats, the Potawatomi Inn, stable barn, toboggan run, and more. We'll also learn a few hacks for how to get the most out of the toboggan run and how you can cheat the system for an easier way to complete the Hell's Point Challenge!

While this episode is coming out AFTER the toboggan run closes, you’ll want to keep it in mind for next year! You should definitely book a room at the Potawatomi Inn. And be sure to support the Friends of Pokagon and check them out at their open meeting on April 6th.

Any mistakes are my own.

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What do a 200 year old grist mill and an astronaut have in common? Quite a lot actually! We head back to Spring Mill State Park to learn about the cultural impact of the place. You'll get a lesson in physics, history, and space travel as we learn about the pioneer village, the mill, and Gus Grissom. Plus, you'll find out what happened to the mill a couple years ago and how the reopening progress is going!

The episode also touches on the CCC African American Company 539, how a volcano eruption in Indonesia affected Indiana, and plans to reopen the village's old distillery.

If you want to learn more about The Year Without a Summer, check this out.

I'm confident there are errors in this episode that have to do with my limited understanding of physics and mill operations. Rest assured, those are my own mistakes and do not reflect the park staff's knowledge and competence!

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Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, IN, offers everything a state park should -- nature, history, and culture. There's so much going on at this park, I had to make two episodes! In Part 1, you'll learn why old growth forests are important, find out what's hiding in the dark cave systems, and discover how you can explore the caves by foot or by boat. You'll also get the backstory on how an unexpected bird, the brown booby, transformed the park last year!

Plus, you'll hear some updates on the newly renovated inn and learn about events the Friends of Spring Mill puts on every year. In Part 2, we'll spend time in the pioneer village checking out the redone grist mill and learn about astronaut Gus Grissom who grew up in Mitchell.

If you want the Spring Mill wassail recipe, here it is!

2 quarts apple cider

1 1/2 cups orange juice

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

2 cinnamon sticks

Dash of ground cloves

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil.

Reduce heat. Simmer for 1 hour.

Discard cinnamon sticks. Enjoy!

Any mistakes are my own.

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On this special Valentine's Day episode, get ready to fall in LOVE with Indiana state parks! All 24 state parks, 8 reservoirs, 2 state forest recreation areas, and 2 off-roading parks add up to 36 properties! Could you hike them all in one year?

Get ready to meet 3 Hoosiers who love the parks so much, they had to take on the challenge! They share their tips and tricks for batching parks together, how to find the best trails and views, and which parks they're excited to visit again. Plus, they'll share the life lessons they picked up along the way.

Be sure to follow Mosaic Indiana State Parks Trailblazers on Instagram.

Any mistakes are my own.

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Charlestown State Park is a hiker's paradise and a camper's dream! Full of legends, lore, and even a ghost town, Charlestown has plenty of excitement and beauty. The park's new hiking challenge will take you through every single trail, and this episode will too! You'll hear from the challenge creators, park staff, and even the mayor of Charlestown why each trail is worth hiking as we cover the mysteries and history of the park. Get ready to learn about Rose Island, the Welsh Prince Madoc, the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant, and the future plans for Charlestown.

Get connected with the Friends of Charlestown State Park. Be sure to tackle the new Challenge! Sign up for Devil's Backbone hikes. (Scroll down to Events to see the hike dates.) And don't forget to Bring in the Green on St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Any mistakes are my own.

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Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, IN, may be the smallest state park, but the history and impact of this land is enormous! Come with me on a journey through time as we learn about the stories of the fossils, George Rogers Clark, the Underground Railroad, and more. You'll also learn what's going on with the park today as well as hear more rock puns than you wanted!

Be sure to visit Falls of the Ohio Foundation where you can check out the webcam to get a good idea of whether or not the fossil beds are exposed. Also be sure to look at Alan’s fossil brochure with pictures of the fossils. If paleontology camp sounds fun, here's info on it.

I've known general information about Hannah Toliver for a while, but it was wonderful to find her historic marker about a mile away from Falls of the Ohio. I was greatly helped by a presentation at Falls of the Ohio about Guinea Bottoms and the Underground Railroad that you may want to see in its entirety.

Any mistakes are my own.

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Hear about the State of the State Parks from Indiana's director of the Department of Natural Resources, Dan Bortner. This governor-appointed position gets to shape and guide the priorities of the administration, which means for the past four years, Dan has had a front row seat to exciting initiatives like the Unity Blaze, Next Level Trails, planting one million trees, building a new lodge at Potato Creek State Park, and so much more!

In this episode, Dan shares about his lifelong love for Indiana's state parks, what he's proud of accomplishing over the past four years, and what Hoosiers have to look forward to in 2025 and beyond.

If you're interested, learn more about Indiana's Unity Blaze initiative or the Black Folks Camp Too organization.

Any mistakes are my own.

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