IHS celebrates Indiana at 200 by looking back at its early landscapes

INDIANAPOLIS -- Explore vast forests, expansive wetlands and prairie as far as the eye can see when the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) hosts its program Early Indiana Landscapes. It takes place Thursday, Sept. 22, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

While people today know Indiana at 200, speaker Michael Homoya, botanist and plant ecologist with Indiana DNR, will help participants discover what Indiana looked like before it became a state. Homoya will use eyewitness accounts from early explorers, pioneers and government surveyors to take participants back to a time when Indiana possessed a grandeur that people today can only imagine.

Early Indiana Landscapes is free, but registration is encouraged, as space is limited. Reserve a spot by signing up online at www.indianahistory.org or by calling IHS at (317) 232-1882.

Michael Homoya has been with the Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves for more than 34 years. He authored Orchids of Indiana and Wildflowers and Ferns of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide, and is an adjunct faculty member of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Homoya is a past president of the Indiana Academy of Science. Last year, the organization presented him with the Distinguished Scholar Award.

Since 1830, the Indiana Historical Society has been Indiana's Storyteller™, connecting people to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing the state's history. A private, nonprofit membership organization, IHS maintains the nation's premier research library and archives on the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest and presents a unique set of visitor experiences called the Indiana Experience. IHS also provides support and assistance to local museums and historical groups; publishes books and periodicals; sponsors teacher workshops; produces and hosts art exhibitions, museum theater and outside performance groups; and provides youth, adult and family programs. IHS is a Smithsonian Affiliate and a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.