Community members create their own seed packets at a recent Lilly Center’s native plant workshop. Photo provided.

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — In 2020-21, the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams received generous support from numerous local businesses and organizations for K-12 and community education programs.

All K-12 programs were underwritten by Dekko Foundation and Zimmer Biomet, with additional gifts from 15 other sponsors for specific programs.

The Lilly Center Art Contest motivates 9-to-18-year-old students to notice local water resources, and what lives in and around them. The City of Warsaw Stormwater Utility, Clearwater Car Wash, Didage and Surgical Power, Kay Young of Todd Realty, Medtronic, Northwest Bank, The Papers Inc., and The Watershed Foundation all supported the programs.

Lilly Center field trips (both outdoor and virtual) engage classrooms throughout the county by providing hands-on science programming tailored to several grade levels. Although both the outdoor and virtual programs were brand-new this year, they were successful, enjoyed by both students and their teachers. All field trips were generously supported by Anderson Farms and The Papers.

Each year, classrooms participating in classroom lake experience host 40-gallon aquariums stocked with native fish. The tanks give students a visual connection between their actions and the health of local lakes and streams. During 2020-21, the program was generously sponsored by City of Warsaw Stormwater Utility, Clearwater Car Wash, CTB, Hand Family Foundation, Syracuse Lake Association, The Papers Inc., Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation, Wawasee Property Owners Association, and Winona Lake Preservation Association.

Many local businesses and organizations also supported the Lilly Center’s community education programs, including workshops, webinars, lunch ‘n’ learns, and expeditions. These events drew individuals as well as families. Topics ranged from fossils and owls to native plants.

The underwriting sponsors for these events are: DePuy Synthes, MPS Egg Farms, Silveus Insurance Group, and Zimmer Biomet. Other sponsors for community education events include: 1st Source Bank, Aquatic Control, Aquatic Weed Control, Bart’s Water Sports, Brian Peterson Real Estate, City of Warsaw Stormwater Utility, Creighton Brothers, Hand Family Foundation, Kosciusko County Farm Bureau, Kosciusko Soil and Water Conservation District, Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners, Rabb Water Systems, Syracuse Lake Association, Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation, Winona IT, Wildman Business Group, and Winona Lake Preservation Association.

To learn more about the Lilly Center’s upcoming summer events, visit lakes.grace.edu/events.