As the leaves change colors and the weather gets cooler, Christy Woods is opening its doors to patrons, offering Fall Leaf Tours to celebrate the new season.
Visitors will learn about Ball State's orchid collection, as well as the history of Christy Woods, John Taylor, land manager of Christy Woods, said.
"The colors are really nice right now and the weather is going to be great this weekend," he said.
Christy Woods is one of six properties Ball State owns as the Field Station and Environmental Education Center, totaling 425 acres. The other five properties are the Cooper Farm, the Skinner Field Area, Ginn Woods, the Donald E. Miller Wildlife Area and the Juanita Hults Environmental Learning Center.
Christy Woods, a 17-acre property, was part of the original land gift from the Ball brothers in 1918. O.B. Christy, a former head of the science department at Ball State, worked with some of his classes to transplant wildflowers from around the state.
A few changes to the woods include the construction of a fence around the area and the laying of a system of trials.
Other areas of interest in Christy Woods are the Orchid Greenhouse and the Teaching and Research Greenhouse, which contains plants from all over the world for students to examine.
"There are two different collections of plants," Taylor said.
"The orchid collection is the largest public collection of species that would be found in the wild in North America. We have a jewel right here at Ball State."
Along with Christy Woods, the field station management crew works on the other five properties. Some of its tasks include the elimination of weeds growing into the properties, cutting branches and planting flowers native to Indiana.
"We are just continuing the work of Dr. O.B. Christy," Taylor said. "The property is heavily managed, and we work very, very hard to maintain it in the position that it is."
At the end of the walk, visitors have the option of picnicking, however, reservations must be made prior to the visit.
Christy Woods and the greenhouses are open to the public on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's open all year, including the winter, with the exception of holidays.
While visitors are encouraged to take the tours, they are prohibited from collecting leaves or other artifacts from the garden.
Iryna Khopta contributed to this story.
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