Indiana Land Protection Alliance - ILPA

05/26/2026

One of the best parts of supporting Indiana land trusts is getting to know the places where they work, and gaining an appreciation for the diversity of habitats and landscapes found across the state, as well as the amazing partnerships that lead to big wins for conservation.

Last week, our team took a field trip to northwest Indiana. Andrea and Sarah have lived and worked in the Indiana Dunes region for many years, but Connor had never been!

First, we visited with Christine Livingston at the Indiana Dunes, and she showed us around some of the improvements at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, including amazing watershed management projects, and gave us a tour of the Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail. Then, we took a hike at the Indiana Dunes State Park, taking in the vistas of Trail 9 and appreciating some dunes plant life along the way. We saw at least 3 six-lined racerunners, too! We met with Kris Krouse of Shirley Heinze Land Trust for lunch to learn about some of their initiatives in the Little Calumet River watershed and beyond, and then headed to their Ivanhoe South Nature Preserve in Gary for a walk with Northwest Indiana Forum, where we talked about the collaborations that have made public access improvements and activation of this site as a community resource possible.

It was a beautiful day to enjoy nature and learn about what it takes to protect it. 💚 Where should we visit next?

05/22/2026

Bring biodiversity to your own backyard! Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy's Native Plant Sale is tomorrow morning!

Don't forget: our Native Plant Sale is tomorrow morning! ⏰ Join us at the Clear Lake Lutheran Church Pavilion any time between 9am to 12pm to view our selection and get new native plants for your garden.

05/22/2026

It's International Day for Biodiversity! What better weekend to learn about the amazing diversity of birds that can be found in Indiana? Join OXBOW, Inc. for a bird walk at the confluence of the Ohio and Great Miami Rivers!

Looking for a local birding opportunity?🪶
Join us for this Spring Migration Bird Walk on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 8:00 AM at the Oxbow Nature Conservancy!

Led by naturalist, Ryan Jorgensen, this bird walk will occur during the peak of spring migration in the Ohio River Valley! You don't want to miss out on this opportunity to see a vast amount of bird species at the Oxbow. 🦅

Interested in attending? Save the date and meet the group at the upper parking lot of the Oxbow Nature Conservancy: 17160-17278 Reardon Dr., Lawrenceburg, IN 47025

05/22/2026

Don't forget to register your kids for ACRES Land Trust Wild Wonder!

Registration for Wild Wonder closes May 31. If your kid loves being outside, this is their week.

Our week-long kids art and nature camp runs from June 8 to 12 at Asherwood - ACRES Land Trust, with daily activities from 8 AM to 3 PM. For ages 7 to 11, it's a full week of:
🌳 Outdoor exploration in woods and wetlands
🎨 Nature-inspired art projects
🖼️ An outdoor art show to close the week
🍎 Daily snacks, all supplies, and a camp t-shirt included

Tuition starts at $150 for the week, with sibling discounts and five need-based scholarships available.

Register before May 31: https://acreslandtrust.org/wild-wonder/

05/22/2026

We are excited to partner with Indiana Academy of Science and Indiana Native Plant Society to support this important bee survey work at Central Indiana Land Trust's Betley Woods. 🐝

Have you been out for a hike at this beautiful preserve and come across a pair of hanging wooden boxes with tubes stuffed in them? Maybe you thought, “What the heck is going on here?” Well, you’re in luck, because the answer is simple. Bees! I would venture to say that the first image conjured

05/21/2026

Spring migration brought bird lovers from around the world together for the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival last week! Sarah has been helping with the festival since it began in 2015, guiding tours of northwest Indiana nature preserves in search of birds using these critical habitats for migration and breeding.

This year, she led tours at The Nature Conservancy in Indiana's Kanakakee Sands in Newton County, and at Brincka Cross Gardens, which is owned and managed by Porter County Parks.

"My favorite part about the IDBF is getting to show visitors how special the habitats in Indiana are, and tell about how many people are working to protect them. It has been so fun to see the festival grow over the last 12 years, and to see younger generations getting into the joy of birding and making new friends at the festival. There is a summer camp vibe that keeps bringing people back to the Indiana Dunes."

She was inspired by the keynote speaker this year, Dr. Francie Cuthbert, who is the world's foremost expert on the endangered Great Lakes population of Piping Plovers. Dr. Cuthbert described her work leading the recovery of these amazing birds that has resulted in the plovers returning to nest sites across all five Great Lakes. The question remains, when will Piping Plovers return to Indiana beaches, and will Indiana's conservation community be ready to ensure their success when they do?

05/19/2026

We are thrilled to introduce Connor Waddell who joins ILPA as our new Development and Outreach Manager! 🌱

A born-and-raised Hoosier, Connor has long been fascinated with Indiana’s natural lands. He is passionate about protecting and restoring wild spaces, and he strives to support the important conservation efforts being advanced across the state.

Connor brings a mixture of nonprofit and public-sector consulting experience to the team. He earned bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Applied Psychology from the University of Indianapolis as well as a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University. In his free time, he loves learning how to grow native plants, and he’s always looking to improve his plant identification skills.

Welcome to the team, Connor! We are so excited to work with you.

05/18/2026

Ta Da! Once again, Sarah Hanauer Barnes has created a stunning 28-page annual State of the Lands report, featuring stories and highlights from land trust members throughout the state.

They're hot off the press! If you'd like a printed copy, drop us a line.

Thanks, Carla Striegel-Winner for the photo. :)

05/16/2026

We had a fun and energizing couple of days with ILPA's Board at the Board Retreat and our land trust community at this year's Spring Gathering.

We celebrated Julie Borgmann, Executive Director of Red-tail Land Conservancy, on her upcoming and well-deserved retirement. Julie will transition from Board President to co-chair ILPA's Advisory Council.

We also celebrated Kris Krouse, Executive Director of Shirley Heinze Land Trust, as he transitions from ILPA's Board to co-chair our Conservation Finance Committee.

ILPA has grown significantly under their bold, visionary leadership, and we can't thank them enough for their continued commitment to our community.

We enjoyed had a warm welcome from Indiana Department of Natural Resources Director of State Parks, Brandt Baughman!

Finally, we shared strategic plan updates including progress on our new conservation excellence program with Biostrat and the welcome of our newest staff member -- an official Facebook introduction coming soon! :)

For the majority of the day we met in small peer groups discussing conservation successes, highlights, and opportunities.

We are so grateful for this incredible community and the special ways they come together to learn, grow, and support each other.

Huge thanks to Jane Santucci for the awesome photos!

05/15/2026

Oaks are kind of the keystone of all keystone species, supporting more life forms than any other tree genus.