Edison Community College...
Shawnee Prairie... rich in history, nature and wildlife
By April Knick
November 12, 2011

Humanities 121, Edison Community College 

About this article… see editor’s note below 

On October 25, 2011 I visited Shawnee Prairie Preserve.  As I drove down the long lane, my first thought was how serene and beautiful the environment was.  When I walked into the building I was greeted genuinely by a volunteer.  There was a bulletin board with the daily/weekly activities. They were as follows: Early Morning Hike, the Lady Bug Garden Club and D.C. Birders-Sea Birds by Steve Miller. 

According to my research, this is Darke County’s largest park.  It consists of 2.25 miles of walking trails. It consists of 118 acres.  You can spend your time walking or sitting on the benches along the trails.  Bird watching is an enjoyable activity here at the Preserve.  They have a bird watching observation window inside the building.  I have found that there are economic benefits of bird watching.  The effect of dollars spent by Eco tourists is multiplied as tourist dollars become profits then wages, then consumer income once again and so on. One example posted at the Preserve was Cape May, NJ, 100,000 birders visit this area, which contributed to the local economy of nearly $10 million (Kerlinger &Wiedner 1991). Another example was at the University of Arizona attracting 38,000 tourists, which spent 1.6 million and generated 2.7 million in local economic output sustaining 56 jobs. 

Shawnee has its own Darke County Birders Club.  This was formed in 1997. 

This Park is so rich in history, nature and wildlife.  It has wetlands, restored prairies, two streams, a wet wood, swamp forest and a successional area.   There is archaeological evidence that at least a portion of Shawnee Prairie was the site of Prophetstown. This village was founded by Tecumseh’s brother (The Prophet) to rally fifteen woodland Indian nations to gather here and demonstrate their living and hunting rights under the 1795 of Green Ville. 

 I was mesmerized by the artifacts that were displayed in a glass case.  The Chippewa tribes of Wisconsin artifacts were displayed nicely.  The beaded sash was beautiful with cowry shells and suspended tokens.  There was a book - Archaeology of Artifacts of Darke County - Edited by Elaine Holzapfel.  There was also an old spinning wheel and a rug display. 

In another case were old antiques of survival items that the Indians used, such as a candle stand that holds a beeswax candle, a flint and steel which helped start a fire, a cast iron pot and pan for cooking and a flax heddle which separated fibers from flax. 

I then decided to check out what was in the Live classroom.  There were aquariums with fish and turtles and toads. There was honeycomb in a case and live bees.  It was very interesting. There was a pamphlet about honeybees and fun facts about health and fun honey recipes for active kids.  

There are always fun and enjoyable family activities, educational and recreational programs that Shawnee prairie offers each month.  

How does this all relate to humanities?  It teaches us about our history and the culture of our county and Greenville. Also I learned a little about the heritage of Indians. It is a way to enjoy Mother Nature, which all of us values in different ways.  To me as a religious person, it’s a way to feel closer to the Lord, to cherish and enjoy what He has given us, something I value. 

Editor’s note: Last fall I taught “Art in the Humanities,” an introductory level course at the Edison Darke County Campus. Among the many projects the students addressed were different forms of art, from painting and television, to visits to DCCA events, Bears Mill, Garst Museum and Shawnee Prairie. The purpose was to discuss their evaluation of how the assignments related to “art” and/or the “humanities.” Some of the best reports will be presented, with the student’s permission, on County News Online. The opinions expressed in these reports have not been altered in any manner.