By: Sean McMahon

A small decomposing deer carcass lay in the middle of the path, and a morbid curiosity took hold over the Biology Club. A few members were disgusted, but even more circled around it, asking questions. What happened to it? Was it attacked? How long had it been there?

This was but one of many highlights from the Biology Club’s trip to Big Bone Lick State Park on Oct. 12, the club’s first off-campus event of the year.

The club took a two-mile hike down to see the park’s bison herd and 7.5 acre lake. Along the way, the club came across a myriad of animals. There was an unidentified fuzzy caterpillar crossing the trail that when touched, made your hand tingle. A baby garder snake was playing dead as the club tried moving off the trail to safety. At lunch a praying mantis was found that stretched across an entire human hand.

Big Bone Lick State Park is called the home of American vertebrate paleontology and has four and a half miles of hiking trails.

“As biology majors most of us enjoy nature, which is why we try to have outdoor events like this,” Cayln Crawford, the club’s president, said.

The Biology Club is committed to enjoying, learning about and preserving nature. As a result, it is open to everyone with a love for nature, not just biology majors.

“I joined because I have friends in the club,” Lisa Holcomb, a junior education major, said. “I really enjoy the outdoors, like camping and hiking.”

The group’s next event is on Oct. 26, when the club participates in “Make a Difference Day.” Members will travel to Otto Armleder Park to remove honeysuckle bushes, an invasive species to the area.