NICHES Land Trust

08/27/2026

Do you like helping our regional ecosystems thrive and wearing native plant themed art created by a local artist? Then join us for our new 'Project Native Harvest' volunteer seed collection series!🌾🌿

As NICHES staff and volunteers restore habitats and remove invasive plant species from our preserves, we can help reduce reinvasion and rebuild biodiversity by collecting locally sourced native seeds for habitat restoration. For this year’s effort, we will be hosting seed collection workdays every Friday (1-4pm) between July 31st and October 23rd at local nature preserves within a 10–50-minute drive of Lafayette. Register for 2 shifts before September 15th to receive this years t-shirt free of charge!

For more info and to register please visit: https://www.nicheslandtrust.org/project-native-harvest

08/26/2026

Big thanks to all the volunteers who came out and lent a hand on multiple projects over the weekend! 💪🌾🌎

On Friday, August 21st, volunteers gathered for our 4th 'Project Native Harvest' volunteer seed collection workday, this time at Granville Sand Barrens! The 3 target species collected were side-oats gramma (Bouteloua curtipendula), Virginia Wild Rye (Elymus virginicus), and Showy tick-trefoil (Desmodium canadense). After some cleaning, these seeds will be returned to regional NICHES preserves to bolster plant populations, enhance genetic diversity, and improve the recovery of areas previously infested with invasive species. The side-oats gramma in particular will be re-seeded back into different areas of Granville to help guide and fine tune our restoration efforts there.

On Saturday, August 22, volunteers joined our Clegg Trail and Garden Crew to prepare the preserve entrance for a new native plant bed. During the work, they discovered a young Eastern box turtle! There's a good chance this little turtle is one of the hatchlings that emerged from a nest near our headquarters building that was discovered by NICHES Summer Campers almost exactly one year ago.

08/07/2026

Big things are taking root at Williams Woods!

What was once row crop agriculture is now on its way to becoming a thriving landscape of grasses, wildflowers, pollinators, birds, and bur oak savanna habitat. This project is years in the making and represents an important step toward restoring one of Indiana's rarest and most endangered ecosystems. Through careful planning, partnerships, and stewardship, we're helping return this special place to the prairie-forest landscape that once defined the region.

Read the full story and learn what's next for Williams Woods:

Protecting west-central Indiana's native ecosystems and connecting people to nature. Join us to preserve and protect that land you cherish.

08/06/2026

Mulvey Pond was a lively spot for our Mindfulness Hike last weekend. We enjoyed the sights and sounds of a wetland buzzing (and tweeting) with life.

See when the next free public hikes are happening here: https://nicheslandtrust.org/calendar

08/03/2026

Last Friday, volunteers gathered at our Granville Sand Barrens Preserve in Tippecanoe County to kick off the first workday of our new Project Native Harvest seed collection series! 🌾🌿💪

Our collection targets for the day were early wild rye (Elymus macgregorii) and heartleaf skullcap (Scutellaria ovata). We also spent time spreading seeds collected during earlier efforts, including shortbeak sedge (Carex brevior), sand bracted sedge (Carex muehlenbergii), and nodding fescue (Festuca subverticillata).

Interested in getting involved with Project Native Harvest? We'll be hosting volunteer seed collection workdays at a variety of NICHES preserves every Friday from 1:00–4:00 PM now through October 23.

Visit our Project Native Harvest webpage to learn more and register: https://nicheslandtrust.org/project-native-harvest

07/28/2026

Huge shoutout to the crew of YMCA Camp Tecumseh CILT's (Campers in Leadership Training) that came out to lend a hand at our Frogs' Glory preserve in Carroll County today! Together, we thinned young sycamore trees to give previously planted oak saplings the sunlight, space, and resources they need to thrive ☀🌳

07/27/2026

Last weekend, NICHES hosted two immersive outreach events that invited participants to connect with and learn about the natural world that surrounds and sustains us.

At Clegg Memorial Garden, more than 50 participants gathered to observe nocturnal insects at three blacklighting stations, guided by experts from Purdue University's Department of Entomology.

At Whistler-Hare Woods, NICHES Stewardship Director Bob Easter led a creek stomp, where participants explored the preserve's aquatic ecosystems, learned about ongoing habitat restoration efforts, and escaped the summer heat in Big Shawnee Creek. Thank you to the Warren County Community Foundation for supporting this event throught the Wabash River Blueway grant!

Thank you to everyone who joined us in discovering, exploring, and celebrating these incredible natural spaces! Stay tuned on our website calendar for more upcoming events to dive into nature. In case you missed it, we will be hosting another Nocturnal Insect Blacklighting Event with Purdue Entomology on August 8th at our Frogs' Glory Preserve in Carroll County.

07/26/2026

"To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment." -Jane Austen