50th Celebration: Events and Webinars

We’re celebrating a half-century anniversary of making the earth a better place and hope you’ll be able to join us on campus September 30 and October 1st, 2022. Our planning committee has worked hard to create events you’ll cherish, including opportunities for networking, service and connections with friends across the decades.

Schedule at a Glance (full schedule below)

Friday, September 30:

5-9pm Pizza party and exploring NICHES Land Trust property in Warren County
7-9pm Meet and greet at The Tap, 100 S. Chauncey Ave., W. Lafayette
Overnight - Camping at Warren County

Saturday, October 1

9-11am - Campus tour
1-3pm - Service project and networking event at Mulvey Pond
9-5pm - Feast of the Hunters Moon (tickets reserved separately), 3129 S. River Rd., West Lafayette
4-5pm - ACRE wetland tour at the Beck Center at ACRE
5-9pm - Banquet and Program at the Beck Center at ACRE
Overnight - Camping at Warren County

Sunday, October 2nd

9-4pm Feast of the Hunters Moon (tickets reserved separately), 3129 S. River Rd., West Lafayette

Registration is now closed.

For questions, please contact the NRES office at nres@purdue.edu or 765-496-0376.

Full Schedule

As you arrive in town on Friday, September 30^th we have two opportunities for informal gatherings with your fellow alumni. See below for links to accommodation information.

Meet and Greet, 7 – 9 pm

For those staying close to town, stop by The Tap 100 S. Chauncey Ave. W. Lafayette

Pizza and Camping, 5 – 9 pm

Those looking for a little more authentic NRES feel, or just looking to save a few bucks have the opportunity to camp outside of town on Niches Land Trust property.

This beautiful property contains old growth pines, remnant trees from long ago. The ravine includes stunning rock formations viewed from the trail. The property is located about 40 minutes west of campus at 3300 N 50 W, Williamsport, IN 47993.

NRES alum and NICHES volunteer coordinator Sam Cody will guide you through your own pizza making in the pizza oven.

You can plan to camp Friday and Saturday nights, but your are responsible for bringing your own camping gear, food and beverages. RSVP when you register by September 1, 2022.

Feast of the Hunter’s Moon, 9 am – 5 pm

The Feast of the Hunter’s Moon is an annual a re-creation of the fall gathering of the French and Native Americans which took place Fort Ouiatenon, a fur-trading outpost in the mid – 1700s. It is held on the banks of the Wabash River, four miles southwest of West Lafayette. It will be held on October 1st and 2nd, 2022. We are not coordinating a visit to the Feast, but it might be a nice addition to your weekend in West Lafayette, advance tickets can be purchased here.

Visitors can park for free at Ross-Ade Stadium and take a shuttle to the feast.

Campus Tour, 9 am – 11 am

Meet at our new NRES office in Room 101 in the Forest Products Building (just west of Ag Administration) for some pastries and coffee. Then set out to explore campus with our fantastic NRES Ambassadors to see what has changed since you were last here! (Transportation can be arranged.)

Service Project and Networking Event, 1 – 3 pm

Join us, in the afternoon, at Mulvey Pond preserve for a service project to meet and mingle with current students and returning NRES alums! Collecting targeted native plant seeds from an established prairie and planting them in a nearby restoration project helps fill ecological niches that aggressive/non-native species would otherwise take over. By collecting our own seeds we help preserve local genotypes and save money that can go back into more land acquisition projects. Seed collection is a simple task that isn’t very physically demanding, it also gives plenty of time to talk with and learn from the people around you!

We will start the event with introductions and some ice breaker questions and will divide into mixed groups of alumni and students for our activity.

We recommend bringing field clothes, long pants, and plenty of water. Meet at Mulvey Pond, Located a half mile north of US 52 on US 231. At the intersection of 231 and 500 N turn left onto 500 the small gravel parking lot is on the left. About 15 minutes from campus.

ACRE Wetland Tour, 4-5 pm

Show up early for our evening banquet in order to explore the wetland education walking trail, a work in progress that has come about through many semesters of service learning projects and volunteer invasive species management. Meet in front of the Beck Center at the Agronomy Center for Research and Education (4550 US-52 West Lafayette, IN) at 4 pm for this walking tour, approximately 2 miles total. (Alternative transportation can be arranged, but it will not be a smooth ride.)

NRES 50th Anniversary Reception and Banquet, 5-9 pm

Join us at the Beck Center located at the Agronomy Center for Research and Education (4550 US-52 West Lafayette, IN) for a reception and banquet.

Doors will open at 5 pm for a reception with cash bar and appetizers. We will have delicious, locally-sourced and sustainable catering by Juniper Spoon. Our 50th anniversary program will be led by NRES students, with an exciting NRES alumnus speaker.

Feast of the Hunter’s Moon, 9 am – 4 pm

The Feast of the Hunter’s Moon is an annual a re-creation of the fall gathering of the French and Native Americans which took place Fort Ouiatenon, a fur-trading outpost in the mid – 1700s. It is held on the banks of the Wabash River, four miles southwest of West Lafayette. It will be held on October 1st and 2nd, 2022. We are not coordinating a visit to the Feast, but it might be a nice addition to your weekend in West Lafayette, advance tickets can be purchased here.

Visitors can park for free at Ross-Ade Stadium and take a shuttle to the feast.

Accomodations

Camping: Space is available for camping at no cost at the NICHES Land Trust Warren Piece, located about 40 minutes west of campus in Warren County, 3300 N 50 W, Williamsport, IN 47993. You will need to RSVP through the NRES 50th Anniversary site registration form.

Hotels: We have also reserved room blocks at two local hotels. Reservations must be made by 8/30/22 or 9/1/22, depending on the hotel:

Hampton Inn 160 W. Tapawingo Drive, West Lafayette
To Make Reservations, your can either call into Hampton Inn & Suites Reservations at 765-269-8000 or use the following website: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/lafwehx-hampton-suites-west-lafayette/
- Reference: Purdue Natural Resources and Environmental Science Room Block
- Group Code: NRES
- Rates: $189 Kings and $189 Double Queens
- Reservation Due Date: 8/30/2022

Hilton Garden Inn, 356 E. State St, West Lafayette
- Guests must call the hotel direct at 765-743-2100 and use reservation code NRES
- Block is for king size rooms at $110/night
- Reservation due date 9/1/2022

Upcoming webinars

Join us as we step back through time, show the present, and look towards the future of NRES.

See our first seminar kicking off our 50th Anniversary webinar series, a historical perspective on the NRES program by Bill McFee and John Graveel.

NRES First Webinar

See our second seminar with current NRES Director, Dr. Laura Bowling, as she discusses where the program is now.

NRES Second Webinar

See our third seminar as we visit the future of NRES with our current students.

NRES THIRD WEBINAR