Lake Monroe near Bloomington, Indiana is a place that has many different animals in and around it like fish, birds, bugs and my favorite are the animals that leave behind their shells. The shells are blackish brown and white on the outside and are sometimes pink or purple on the inside. Purple shells are my favorite. Along with the shells are many interesting fossils from prehistoric Indiana. The fossils are mostly crinoids, but other types have been found such as corals.
Lake Monroe is home to some pretty cool rocks. My favorite are the geodes. Geodes are rocks with crystals on the inside. The crystals can be clear, reddish orange, or purple. I like to crack them open to see the inside.
Rock and fossil collecting is not allowed at Monroe Lake, but any rocks and fossils found at the Paynetown Fossil Dig Site at the back end of the overflow parking area can be taken home with you at any time of the year.
Lake Monroe has a Nature Center that hosts events with lots of fun activities from crafts to hiking. The nature events are my favorite because they are very fun with lots of things to see and do. The lake has trails for hiking and sites for camping.
One of my favorite things to do at Lake Monroe is fishing in my dad’s boat or my grandpa’s canoe. The lake is a great place to go boat spotting with all sorts of boats like canoes, kayaks, fishing boats, sail boats, and pontoon boats with slides you can rent.
Another of my favorite things to do at the lake is to play in the water. I like to make sand art on the beach.
The lake is home to a lot of different kinds of birds such as herons, egrets, ducks, geese, gulls, and many others. The lake even provides safe nesting places for bald eagles! My mommy is a great photographer and has taken a lot of pictures of the beautiful herons and bald eagles that live there.
I love Lake Monroe!
