Elkhart tour locations

 

Home of Greg Lehman and Karen Yoder

806 Middlebury Street, Goshen, IN
Guide: Greg Lehman

Open tours: 1 – 4 p.m.

Hand-constructed, straw-bale and cob-walled duplex features local fieldstone, recycled brick, native landscaping, passive solar orientation, energy star appliances, and compact fluorescent lights.

Also view the construction site for the super-insulated passive-solar duplex.

Home of Pete and Patricia Oakley

716 S. 11th Street, IN
Guide: Pete and Patricia Oakley

Open tours: 1 – 4 p.m.

Super-efficient home with 1300 watts of solar panels and grid-tied solar electric system. Find out how it has performed during the first full year of service.

Bethany Christian Schools wetland study site

2904 South Main Street, Goshen, IN
Guides: Amy Thut w/ students

Open tours: 1 – 4 p.m.

Transformed retention pond, now diversified wetland is a research site for students. Received Elkhart County’s 2006 Urban Conservation Award.

Home of Luke and Rebecca Gascho

2514 S. Main Street, Goshen, IN
Guides: Luke and Rebecca Gascho

Open tours: 1 – 4 p.m.

Extensive, ecologically-friendly landscaping includes plants which reduce the need to water, fertilize, and mow, compact urban vegetable gardening, and extensive composting.

Elkhart River water quality testing at the Goshen Dam

Park entrance at Gra-Roy and River Vista Drive
Guides: Len Kring and Doug Kaufman

Open tours: 1 – 4 p.m.

Kring conducts electro-fishing to sample area fish communities, test water quality and reveal obscure species. Kauffman demonstrates additional water quality testing technique and explains why Benton Mennonite Church teams with Hoosier River-watch.

Goshen College Recreation and Fitness Center

1700 South Main Street, Goshen, IN
Guides: Glen Gilbert

Open tours: 1 – 4 p.m.

Energy-saving technology at the Center reduces consumption and includes swimming pool covers, new lighting and circulation fans.