SYRACUSE — Syracuse-Wawasee Park Foundation and Indiana Humanities are hosting a Next Indiana Campfires sunset walk around Syracuse Lake from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, June 9. The outing is part of “Next Indiana Campfires,” Indiana Humanities’ new series that pairs literature and nature to help Hoosiers explore Indiana’s wild places and discuss conservation and stewardship.

Attendees will take a gentle 90-minute stroll around one of Indiana’s beautiful small lakes. Along the way participants will experience traditional and contemporary lakeside architecture, a boardwalk along some wetlands, four town parks, a Carnegie library, and Syracuse’s vibrant downtown.

The walk starts and ends at Lakeside Park, a popular destination for swimming, fishing and playing with kids, just across the street from the Syracuse Community Center and Historical Museum. During the outing, Indiana’s Poet Laureate, Shari Wagner will serve as facilitator and lead attendees, stopping periodically to read aloud the words of important Hoosier authors. Participants will then gather for food and drink at Lakeside Park to discuss connections between nature, literature and place.

Event tickets are $10. The ticket price includes the excursion, meal and discussion. A limited number of fee waivers will be available for each excursion and will be awarded based on financial need. To register for the event, visit the Syracuse-Wawasee trails website (www.syracusewawaseetrails.com) or search Eventbrite.com.

Next Indiana Campfires will be held in some of Indiana’s most diverse landscapes – places like the Limberlost swamps, an old growth forest in Evansville and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Do-it-yourself “Trek and Talk Toolkits” are available to Hoosiers who want to create their own Next Indiana Campfire.

Toolkits include suggested itineraries, a literary text and discussion prompts, a Next Indiana Campfires patch, snacks and more. To learn more about Indiana Humanities’ Next Indiana Campfires, visit www.IndianaHumanities.org/Campfires.