Ouabache Land Conservancy

11/05/2025

🎉🌳 Happy Birthday to OLC Board Member Phil Cox! 🌳🎉

Please join us in wishing a very happy birthday to our event-planning extraordinaire, Phil Cox , OLC’s master of logistics, laughter, and all-around good vibes!

Phil lives near Coxville in Parke County with his wife, Annette.

Phil is a proud graduate of both Purdue University (Forest Engineering) and Indiana State University (MBA), Phil brings decades of natural resource expertise to OLC. He currently serves as the Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Educator for Vermillion County, where he’s been helping Hoosiers connect with the land through Purdue Master Gardener and Indiana Master Naturalist programs since 2012. Before that, Phil managed over 7,000 acres as the Natural Resources Administrator at the Newport Chemical Depot — talk about stewardship in action! 🌾🌿

We’re so grateful for Phil’s enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication to OLC — especially when it comes to pulling off memorable events that bring people together for conservation.

Help us wish him a fantastic birthday in the comments below! 🎂🎈

11/04/2025

🌾✨ Join the Prairie Party! ✨🌾

Get your hands a little dirty for a great cause! 🌱
The Ouabache Land Conservancy (OLC) invites everyone to a Prairie Seed Cleaning event at Sportland Park’s Ed Shannon Shelter in Clinton, Indiana on Saturday, November 15, from 10 a.m. to Noon.

💚 Help clean native prairie seeds collected from Atherton Island Natural Area — an essential step in preparing them for future restoration plantings!
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 This is a free, family-friendly event that’s fun for all ages.
💪 Expect some light exercise, fresh air, and plenty of smiles while preserving the future of our prairies.
🪑 Bring a chair if you’d like to rest between sieving sessions, and don’t forget your sturdy shoes and weather-ready gear!

📍 Location: Ed Shannon Shelter, Sportland Park (SW corner of S. 9th & John St., Clinton, IN)
📅 Date: Saturday, November 15
⏰ Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Let’s turn seeds into a stronger, more vibrant prairie ecosystem together! 💛🌿

11/04/2025

We look forward to seeing everyone tonight.

11/04/2025

🎉🌿 Happy 70th Birthday to OLC Board Member Dr. Bill Mitchell! 🌿🎉

Please join us in wishing a wonderful birthday to Bill Mitchell: ecologist, educator, and lifelong lover of the natural world!

Bill recently retired from the Department of Biology at Indiana State University after 23 years of inspiring students and advancing the study of ecology and evolutionary biology. His journey began in Texas chasing lizards, collecting fossils, and birdwatching, passions that grew into a Ph.D. at the University of Arizona studying hummingbird behavior in the stunning Chiricahua Mountains.

His career has taken him from Arizona to Israel, Wisconsin, and now Indiana, where he and his wife, fellow OLC Board Member Denise Sobieski, enjoy their 20-acre wildlife haven in Vigo County. When he’s not in the field or teaching, you might even find him on the dance floor, Bill once taught West Coast Swing! 💃🕺

We’re grateful for Bill’s dedication to protecting land, habitat, and wildlife here in west-central Indiana.
Please help us celebrate Bill’s milestone birthday by sharing your birthday wishes below! 💚🎂

11/03/2025

THANK YOU! Vigo, Vermillion, and Parke County Soil and Water Conservation Districts. RSVP is not mandatory but recommended. Please RSVP through the Vigo County SWCD, [email protected] or call (812) 231-1470

Calling all Landowners & Producers!!

Please join us for our Navigation Financial and Personal Health Summit on Wednesday, December 10th. This event aims to provide resources to help navigate the changing climate within the agricultural community. The event will take place at the Vigo County History Center at 10:00 am and will last till 2:00 pm. Lunch will be provided to all attendees.

This event is made possible thanks to the Vigo, Vermillion, and Parke County Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

RSVP is not mandatory but recommended. Please RSVP through the Vigo County SWCD, [email protected], or call (812) 231-1470

11/03/2025

We look forward to seeing you Tuesday night.

11/03/2025

🌾✨ Join the Prairie Party! ✨🌾

Get your hands a little dirty for a great cause! 🌱
The Ouabache Land Conservancy (OLC) invites everyone to a Prairie Seed Cleaning event at Sportland Park’s Ed Shannon Shelter in Clinton, Indiana on Saturday, November 15, from 10 a.m. to Noon.

💚 Help clean native prairie seeds collected from Atherton Island Natural Area, an essential step in preparing them for future restoration plantings!
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 This is a free, family-friendly event that’s fun for all ages.
💪 Expect some light exercise, fresh air, and plenty of smiles while preserving the future of our prairies.
🪑 Bring a chair if you’d like to rest between sieving sessions, and don’t forget your sturdy shoes and weather-ready gear!

📍 Location: Ed Shannon Shelter, Sportland Park (SW corner of S. 9th & John St., Clinton, IN)
📅 Date: Saturday, November 15
⏰ Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Let’s turn seeds into a stronger, more vibrant prairie ecosystem together! 💛🌿

11/02/2025

Yesterday was a beautiful fall afternoon for a hike at JSNP!
THANK YOU Peter Scott for leading the hike!!
THANK YOU Brad & Ann Venable for clearing the Marion Trail in preparation for this annual tradition!!!

11/01/2025

🍁 Celebrate Autumn with OLC! 🍁

Join the Ouabache Land Conservancy for a Fall Foliage Hike at Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve TODAY, Saturday, November 1st, from 1–2:30 PM!

This special hike marks the 15th anniversary of the preserve’s dedication as a State Nature Preserve. 🌿 Stroll through the tallgrass prairie and among 25 species of trees as Dr. Peter Scott, Professor Emeritus at Indiana State University and OLC Advisory Board member, shares fascinating insights about the preserve’s rich flora. 🌾🌳

📍 Location: 3635 W. Concannon Ave., West Terre Haute
👟 What to Bring: Long pants, hiking boots or sturdy shoes
💚 Cost: Free & family-friendly – no registration required!

Come celebrate the colors, the conservation, and the community that keep our natural spaces thriving. 🍂✨

11/01/2025

THANK YOU to volunteers Brad & Ann Venable for clearing the Marion Trail (named in honor of Dr. Marion T. Jackson, pictured) in preparation for tomorrow's annual fall foliage hike at JSNP!

Ouabache Land Conservancy Fall Foliage Hike - November 1

The Ouabache Land Conservancy (OLC) invites everyone to a fall foliage hike of the Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve on Saturday, November 1st from 1:00 to 2:30 pm. This hike is to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its dedication as a State nature preserve. Dr. Peter Scott, ISU Professor emeritus and OLC Advisory Board member, will share about the preserve's flora and avifauna as he leads hikers through the tallgrass prairie and approximately 25 species of trees found on the 20-acre preserve at 3635 W. Concannon Ave., West Terre Haute.

To get to the Preserve, take Hwy 150 to St. Mary’s Ave and turn west, drive past the St. Mary-of-the-Woods College main entrance continuing west and turn left on Bloomtown Road, go under the railroad and turn right on Concannon Ave. Just past the bridge is the roadside entrance (on the right) to the preserve. No reservations are required for this free family-friendly hike. Attendees are encouraged to wear long pants, hiking boots, or good tennis shoes. OLC serves the west-central Indiana counties of Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo. For more information, to donate or join, and learn of future events please visit: www.ouabachelandconservancy.org, follow OLC on Facebook, or email [email protected].

10/31/2025

Your membership strengthens our ability to save land, protect wildlife, and restore natural ecosystems across the Wabash Valley. 🌾🦉

Stand with us in conservation — become a member today:
https://ouabachelandconservancy.org/donate