SYRACUSE — The annual Lake Talk and Eats, hosted by the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation, will kick off its 2016 season Saturday, June 4.

Held the first Saturday of June, July and August, the educational programs are offered from 9 to 11 a.m. at Ruddell Pavilion at the WACF Levinson-LaBrosse Lakes & Wetlands Education Center, 11586 N. SR 13, Syracuse.

Join the WACF and special guests to discuss important issues facing the lakes and watershed and take part in hands-on activities to discover how to help preserve and protect the lakes. Everyone is invited and an informal breakfast is served. The programs are free of charge.

The first Lake Talk & Eats, Saturday, June 4, will focus on the importance of native plants, healthy shorelines and rain gardens. Martha Ferguson will discuss how native plants help the watershed and Matthew Linn will show how to design a rain garden. Native plants will be available for sale from area garden centers and nurseries.

The next Lake Talk and Eats will be held Saturday, July 2. This will be the WACF Annual Water Bug Catch. One of the most popular events of the summer. Nancy Brown, certified Hoosier Riverwatch trainer, will lead kids, parents and grandparents into the water to locate and identify water critters and learn why they are so important to water quality. This is the morning kids will talk about all year long. A breakfast will be served.

The final Talk and Eats will be held Saturday, Aug. 6. This will be a historical and lake ecology trip on the SS Lilly Pad trip from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch. There is a $10 cost with reservations.

For more information contact the WACF via email at [email protected] or visit the website.