BSU Field Station & Environmental Education Center

BSU Field Station & Environmental Education Center 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

09/16/2026

Come explore the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse with us—home to the largest university-based orchid collection in the United States!

Walking through the greenhouse is an immersive experience filled with vibrant colors, fascinating shapes, plants of every size, and fragrances that change from room to room. You may even spot some of the animals that call the greenhouse home!

We couldn’t fit every beautiful detail into one video, so you’ll have to visit and experience it for yourself. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Alt text: A video tour through the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse highlights blooming plants, resident animals, and the different growing and display rooms.

Begonias, begonias, and more begonias!Whether you’re looking for a houseplant, garden plant, or something colorful for a...
09/15/2026

Begonias, begonias, and more begonias!

Whether you’re looking for a houseplant, garden plant, or something colorful for a flowerpot, begonias are hard to beat. The genus Begonia contains more than 2,000 species native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

Begonias also come in an incredible variety of forms. Although many are familiar leafy herbs, some species climb, grow from rhizomes or tubers, or even develop a shrub-like form.

Begonias generally produce separate male and female flowers on the same plant, a trait called monoecy. Their pollination can be particularly fascinating! In some species, the female flowers appear to mimic the pollen-producing male flowers. Bees visit the male flowers to collect nutritious pollen and may then mistake the similar-looking female flowers for another source of pollen. Although the female flower offers no reward, the visit transfers pollen and helps the plant reproduce.

This form of deceptive pollination has not been confirmed throughout the entire genus, but it is one of the many fascinating features found among begonias!

Alt text: A collage featuring five begonias with varied leaf colors, patterns, shapes, and textures: Begonia brevirimosa, Begonia × hybrida ‘Gryphon,’ Begonia × hybrida ‘Looking Glass,’ Begonia Rex Cultorum Group ‘Escargot,’ and Begonia × hybrida ‘Lady Vanderwilt.’

Looking for a way to spice up your houseplant collection? Consider adding a Strelitzia, better known as a bird-of-paradi...
09/14/2026

Looking for a way to spice up your houseplant collection? Consider adding a Strelitzia, better known as a bird-of-paradise plant!

The common name comes from its striking, brightly colored flowers, which resemble an exotic bird’s head. Different species produce different flower colors, ranging from the familiar orange and blue of Strelitzia reginae to the white and blue of Strelitzia nicolai.

Native to southern Africa, bird-of-paradise plants are now widely used in tropical and subtropical landscapes around the world. They can also make fantastic houseplants! Although getting one to bloom indoors can be tricky, plant enthusiasts still love them for their large, paddle-shaped leaves, which resemble those of a banana plant.

If you feel like you’re missing out on those iconic blooms, stop by the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse or the Teaching and Research Greenhouse. Both currently have bird-of-paradise plants in bloom and ready to be enjoyed!

Alt text: A collage showing bird-of-paradise flowers blooming at the Teaching and Research Greenhouse and Rinard Orchid Greenhouse, along with a view of the whole plant and its large, paddle-shaped green leaves.

Knock knock! Who’s there? Honey bee! Honey bee, who? Honey bee a dear and let me in!Don’t let the rain stop you from joi...
09/12/2026

Knock knock!
Who’s there?
Honey bee!
Honey bee, who?
Honey bee a dear and let me in!

Don’t let the rain stop you from joining us for today’s Pollinator Party at the BSU Nature Lab and the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse! All activities will take place indoors: we will have a greenhouse scavenger hunt; an activity table to learn all about honeybees and compare to our native bees; and educational crafts led by BSU Art education students. AND, don’t forget about the Sunflower Showdown! Bring your biggest sunflower head with to get measured (the two biggest sunflowers for adults and kids win a prize!) and we will help you string it up to hang at home as a bird feeder. Buzz by anytime between 10-3pm!

Alt text: honeybee perched on glass looking inwards to the Nature Lab

Meet Phragmipedium! Also known as New World lady’s-slipper orchids, these beauties are a hybridizer’s dream.Phragmipediu...
09/11/2026

Meet Phragmipedium! Also known as New World lady’s-slipper orchids, these beauties are a hybridizer’s dream.

Phragmipedium species grow naturally throughout Central and South America—and they can be found in some fascinating places! Depending on the species, they may grow in soil, anchor themselves to rocks, nestle into tree forks, or live along streams where they are periodically submerged by moving water.

Their flowers come in an impressive range of colors, including green, yellow, orange, red, pink, and combinations of these shades. Many produce flowers sequentially, with a new bloom opening as an older one fades. This can keep a single flower spike blooming for six to eleven months! Their long flowering periods and variety of colors have given hybridizers plenty of beautiful traits to explore.

We currently have multiple Phragmipediums in bloom and ready to be admired, so stop by and see them!

Alt text: A collage featuring two examples of blooming Phragmipedium orchids, each displaying a prominent slipper-shaped pouch.

Can you believe it’s already September? Time is flying by! Speaking of flying, September is National Honey Month—a perfe...
09/10/2026

Can you believe it’s already September? Time is flying by! Speaking of flying, September is National Honey Month—a perfect time to appreciate our hardworking honeybees and beekeepers. 🐝🍯

As you may know, we maintain a beehive here at the Environmental Education Center. After sadly losing much of our previous colony, we have been working hard to rebuild the hive and welcome its newest residents.

Beekeeping can be challenging, but the opportunity to care for these important pollinators and use the hive to educate our visitors makes it worthwhile!

Take some time this month to appreciate the bees and beekeepers, enjoy a little honey, and don’t forget to join us for our Pollinator Party on September 12!

Alt text:

Image 1: A large group of honeybees clusters closely together across the wooden frames inside their hive.

Image 2: A bumblebee covered in bright yellow pollen rests on a wooden fence.

We are looking for students, biologists, foresters, hydrologists, engineers, landscape architects, or restoration ecolog...
09/09/2026

We are looking for students, biologists, foresters, hydrologists, engineers, landscape architects, or restoration ecologisits!

Join us October 24–25 for a hands-on Wetland Construction Training workshop!

Participants will learn practical, low-cost techniques for designing and building wetlands that provide important habitat for amphibians and other wildlife here in the Midwest. Better yet—you won’t just be learning about wetland construction. You’ll actually participate in creating one!

The workshop will also include instruction in:
Wetland hydrology
Wetland soils and vegetation
Wildlife habitat
Wetland design and construction techniques

For more information and registration details, visit the FSEEC Professional Workshops website or contact John Taylor. Come learn how a wetland goes from an idea on paper to a functioning ecosystem!

Alt text: Image of a thriving wetland by The Nature Conservancy

🐝 Good morning! We have been hard at work welcoming our new honeybee colony into its new home!Please use caution while e...
09/09/2026

🐝 Good morning! We have been hard at work welcoming our new honeybee colony into its new home!

Please use caution while exploring Christy Woods near or visiting the Nature Lab and Rinard Orchid Greenhouse. The bees are still getting their bearings and becoming familiar with their new surroundings, so you may notice more bee activity around the building than usual.

Please give them plenty of space while they settle in.

Alt text:

Image 1: Honeybees exploring their new hive in the Nature Lab.

Image 2: Education Coordinator Erica Oliver observes the bees and takes photos with her phone.

Labor Day Holiday ClosurePlease note that Christy Woods, the Teaching and Research Greenhouse, the Nature Lab, and Rinar...
09/04/2026

Labor Day Holiday Closure

Please note that Christy Woods, the Teaching and Research Greenhouse, the Nature Lab, and Rinard Orchid Greenhouse will be closed Saturday, September 5th through Monday, September 7th in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

We will resume normal operations on Tuesday, September 8th.

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend!

Alt text: Clusters of delicate white, crown-tipped coral fungas (Artomyces pryxidatus) growing from a fallen log among green plants and damp leaf litter on forest floor in Christy Woods.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO VISITORS ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2026:There is a lot of bee activity on the west side of the environmental e...
09/02/2026

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO VISITORS ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2026:

There is a lot of bee activity on the west side of the environmental education center. Please be aware when entering and exiting the building, and we recommend avoiding the outside area of the building on the west side. Thank you for your understanding. The bees should disperse by nightfall.

Alt text: picture of honeybees, warning to avoid western side of building and use caution entering and exiting building

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

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