WARSAW — Summer is the time of year when most kids are out of school and looking for something to do. When asked why it is so important to make sure kids get outdoors and interact with nature, Sheila Wieringa, recreation director for the Warsaw Parks Department, believes it to simply be “part of the duty of the parks department.”

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Humanities is launching “Next Indiana Campfires,” a series that pairs literature and nature to help Hoosiers explore Indiana’s wild places and spark conversations about conservation and stewardship. The May 4 kickoff event will feature a conversation between environmental authors Terry Tempest Williams and Scott Russell Sanders at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. It will start at 6:30 p.m.

MERRILLVILLE — Thanks to a joint effort between Northern Indiana Public Service Company and several area environmental organizations, nearly 1,630 acres of land will be preserved and restored for public education and enjoyment, with an additional focus on improving the biodiversity and habitats for many of the region’s plant and animal life.

By ANN GREGORY Media Relations, Manchester University The Manchester Symphony Orchestra closes it’s season with “The Nature of Classics” at the Honeywell Center in Wabash. The finale begins at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Tickets for the general public are $10. Admission is free for Manchester University students, faculty and staff with ID, as well …read more.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department reports Det. Jon Tyler responded to a report of a fire at 4:02 a.m. Saturday. Utilizing a lake patrol boat, at 4:37 a.m. he located a “building” that was on fire and completely destroyed, but with several hot spots. The fire was on Ball Nature Preserve, owned by Young Men’s …read more.