If you want to help protect land and nature in the Wabash Valley, please join us at our next board meeting on Tuesday, December 3rd at 5:30 pm.

PLEASE NOTE OUR MEETING LOCATION: Dobbs Park Nature Center, 5170 E. Poplar St., Terre Haute, IN.

This hike is to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve’s dedication as a State nature preserve.  Rich Hull, a PhD candidate at Indiana University, will share about the preserve's flora (at least 140 species documented by Hull) as he leads hikers through the tallgrass prairie and approximately 25 species of trees found on the preserve.

Jackson Schnyder Nature Preserve is at 3635 W. Concannon Ave., West Terre Haute, IN 47885. No reservations are needed for this moderate hike.

We are excited to invite you to the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for Ouabache Land Conservancy’s Atherton Island Natural Area on Sunday, October 27th at 1 p.m. The preserve is located at 6540 W. County Road 800 S., Rosedale, IN 47874 (0.7 (seven-tenths) miles east of Lyford and US 41). We hope you can join us!

Background: Over the last 31 years, four parcels of land were acquired for the preservation and restoration of this wild landscape with generous private donations and funding from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Farm Service Agency.  This 250-acre nature preserve is now protected forever! Join the members of the Ouabache Land Conservancy and the Parke County Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the Grand Opening! 

Please RSVP by October 25th to ouabachelandconservancy@gmail.com

After the ribbon cutting, we will be leading optional hikes of the property to the new bridges and more!  Wear your hiking shoes if you are interested!

Join us for a candle-lit Halloween Night Hike & Campfire at Whitaker Woods Nature Preserve. Costumes are welcome at this free, all-ages easy hike through the woods. Afterward, enjoy a campfire and s’mores. Please bring lawn chairs and flashlights. Questions? Contact OLC Advisory Board Member, Denise Sobieski, at bill.denise.home@gmail.com .

Whitaker Woods Nature Preserve is at 3801 W. County Rd. 950 N., Brazil, IN 47834. No reservations are needed.

Join Dr. Jim Nardi to harvest seeds from three species of grasses and about 40 species of wildflowers growing in the 4-acre prairie restoration at Atherton Island Natural Area. Gathering seeds on a lovely October day is an excellent way to learn about the plants of our Indiana prairies. We’ll provide information on identifying plants and explain how the seed harvest will be prepared for winter or spring planting.

Atherton Island Natural Area is at 6540 W County Road 800 S., Rosedale, IN 47874 (near Lyford, about 0.7 miles east of Hwy 41). No reservations are required.

Mike Lunsford (Terre Haute Tribune-Star columnist and photographer) will lead our next Storybook Hike in collaboration with Vigo County Public Library. He will read The Acorn & the Oak by Rhonda Accardo. We will provide a few copies for participants to take home, too!

Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve is at 3635 W. Concannon Ave., West Terre Haute, IN 47885. No reservations are needed for this moderate hike for ages 5 and up!

Join OLC Advisory Board member Dr. Peter Scott (professor emeritus Indiana State University) as he leads the way through this 43-acre woodland that Dr. John O. Whitaker Jr. donated in 2021. The preserve boasts more than 2,250 trees of 34 different species. The most abundant species are Tulip Tree, Red Hickory, Red Oak, Shagbark Hickory, White Oak, Red Maple, and American Sycamore.

The preserve is at 3801 W County Road 950 N, Brazil, IN 47834. No reservations are needed for this easy hike.

Light is all around us even when it is not supposed to be. Steve Haines, Public Event Coordinator, for the Indiana Astronomical Society will talk about Light Pollution at the, Clinton Public Library (313 S. 4th St., Clinton, IN 47842). This presentation will cover what light pollution is, the effects it has on humans and other creatures, and how light pollution can be decreased.

After the presentation, members of the Indiana Astronomical Society and Wabash Valley Astronomical Society will be setting up their telescopes to view the Moon and other night sky objects visible that evening. This program is weather-dependent. This is a free family-friendly event (no pre-registration is required) and will be held at Atherton Island Natural Area, with parking available at 6540 W. CR 800 S., Rosedale, IN (near Lyford, about 0.7 miles east of Hwy 41). Please bring a chair, as we will be in the prairie area. All members and non-members are invited to this free program.

Everyone is invited to attend both or either of the above programs!

October Big Day allows people all over the world to gather outside, observe, and celebrate birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology created October Big Day, which challenges birders to find as many bird species as they can in 24 hours. This global bird-counting and data-collection initiative sheds light on bird migration and encourages people to appreciate both resident and migratory species.

OLC Immediate Past President, Marty Jones, will lead a bird count hosted by Indiana Audubon Society and Indiana Land Protection Alliance at Atherton Island Natural Area. All bird identification skill levels are welcome. Register at: obd2024.eventbrite.com

OLC invites everyone to the 6th annual "Jackson-Schnyder Day" celebration on Saturday, August 17th from 10:00 to Noon. This Weed Wrangle ® will celebrate the legacy and land ethic of Dr. Marion Jackson and Julius Schnyder, the preserve's former owners and namesakes.  Harmful invasive plants will be cut and treated with herbicide in the preserve’s 4-acre tallgrass prairie and the woodlands as time and volunteer participation permits. Please bring loppers, work gloves, and water.  Those items will be supplied to those as needed as supplies last.  The address of the preserve is 3635 W. Concannon Ave., West Terre Haute, IN 47885. To get there, 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.  Sponsors include: Vigo Invasives Management, ISU Office of Sustainability, and SICIM (State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management).  Vigo Invasives Management (VIM) is a volunteer organization focused on the education and eradication of invasive plants. VIM meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Vigo County Public Library. 

In celebration of National Moth Week, Ouabache Land Conservancy is offering a night out on the prairie at Atherton Island Natural Area in southwestern Parke County on July 27th. This is for all nature enthusiasts that would like to learn about prairie, creatures of the night, “foxfire”, and skygazing. An optional easy walk around the prairie will start at 8:30 pm to discover what flowers are blooming for our native pollinators. After dark (about 9:30 pm) we’ll attract and identify many species of moths, beetles, ant lions, and other insects up-close on a large white sheet. Participants will see the many different moth patterns, colors, and behaviors, as well as learn about the essential role of moths as pollinators. Information about what native plants to plant for moths and other pollinators will be shared, as well as, information about how to contribute to community science by reporting moth/butterfly sightings through the Great American Indiana Nature Lepidoptera Project (GAINLP).

We also hope to capture images of flying squirrels, white-footed mice, and other creatures attracted to an LED red light and sunflower feeder set up in the nearby woods. In addition, we’ll be monitoring bat activity with the aid of a bat detector. Lastly, we’ll also see the fascinating fungi of Atherton Island known as “foxfire” that begin to glow after dark and have a telescope available to do some skygazing by the nearby campfire.

Moth Night Out is a free family-friendly event (no pre-registration required) and will be held at Atherton Island Natural Area, with parking available at 6540 W CR 800 S, Rosedale, IN (near Lyford, about 0.7 miles east of Hwy 41).  Please carpool as much as possible as parking is limited and overflow parking will likely be used. The optional prairie walk will start at 8:30 pm, with nocturnal activities from 9:30 pm to 11:00 pm. Water and a handicapped-accessible porta-potty will be provided. Please bring your own tick/mosquito repellent as needed.

Everyone is invited to a tallgrass prairie hike at the Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve, west of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, on Saturday, July 20 from 10:00 to 11:30 am.  Phil Cox, Purdue University Extension Educator, and Dr. Jim Nardi, University of Illinois Research Entomologist (retired), will lead hikers on the Julius Trail around the 4-acre tallgrass prairie identifying the native and invasive flora, pollinators, and other insects of the prairie along the way.  Ten species of native grasses and sedges, including Big and Little Bluestem, Indian Grass, and Prairie Dropseed; and 38 species of native forbs including Wild Quinine, Dense Blazing Star, Mountain Mint, Wild Senna, Compass Plant, Culver's Root, White False Indigo, and Rattlesnake Master were drilled into this former soybean field in June 2009.  In addition, Cox will discuss recommended Indiana-native plants for attracting pollinators.  The preserve is located at 3635 W. Concannon Ave., West Terre Haute, IN 47885. To get to the Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve, take Hwy 150 to St. Mary’s Ave and turn west, drive past the St. Mary-of-the-Woods College main entrance, continue west and turn left on Bloomtown Road, go under the railroad and turn right on Concannon Ave. and just past the bridge is the roadside entrance (on the right) to the Preserve. No reservations are required for this easy, free family-friendly hike.  Please follow OLC on Facebook or email ouabachelandconservancy@gmail.com for more information.

The Wabash Valley Audubon Society will host Dr. Henry Loope, Research Glacial Geologist, Indiana Geological & Water Survey (Indiana University).  Loope will present "The Geology of Atherton Island" at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, May 15th at the Dobbs Memorial Park Nature Center, 5170 East Poplar St., Terre Haute.  Come learn all about how the glaciers receded to form the unique land formation known as Atherton Island (the namesake for Ouabache Land Conservancy’s Atherton Island Natural Area) in southwestern Parke and northwestern Vigo Counties and caused Big Racoon Creek to flow “backwards” into the Wabash.  In addition, Loope will share about his continuing research at Atherton Island.  All members and non-members are invited to this free program. The Wabash Valley Audubon Society serves Clay, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo counties. To learn more about the Wabash Valley Audubon Society like their Facebook page or visit their website at www.wabashvalleyaudubonsociety.org.

Everyone is invited to join the Ouabache Land Conservancy for a spring wildflower hike at John O. Whitaker Woods Nature Preserve west of Brazil. The preserve’s namesake, Dr. John Whitaker, (OLC Board of Directors), and Carissa Lovett, Naturalist at John G. Dobbs Memorial Grove Nature Center (and OLC Advisory Board Member), will lead the hike from 10:00 – 11:30 am on May 11th. The John O. Whitaker Woods Nature Preserve is at 3801 W County Rd. 950 N, Brazil, IN 47834; with a parking area on the east side of the preserve.  This is a free program; however, reservations are required by contacting Carissa at carissa.lovett@terrehaute.in.gov or 812-877-1095 by May 6th.

Attendees are encouraged to wear long pants, tick repellent, hiking boots, or good tennis shoes.  Ouabache Land Conservancy is a non-profit land trust that protects land in the west-central Indiana counties of Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo.

Get your feet wet and explore what lives in the Otter Creek Watershed at Experience Otter Creek on May 4, 2024 from 9 am to 12 pm at Markle Mill Dam Park (4905 Mill Dam Rd, Terre Haute, IN 47805).  Get up close and personal with Otter Creek and the Indiana State University Earth and Environmental Systems to discuss bugs that live in the Otter Creek Watershed that flows through Vigo, Clay and Parke Counties.  View fish living in Otter Creek collected via electroshocking demonstrations from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.  Dig your hands into the Vermillion/Parke County augmented reality sandbox – explore options for creating your own drainage area and making it rain with this cool technology!  Learn how to identify birds with the Wabash Valley Audubon Society.  Get familiar with wildlife habitat needs with the National Wild Turkey Federation.  Connect with the Ouabache Land Conservancy and learn about their conservation efforts as well as local trees and habitat. Free tree seedlings will be available for attendees while supplies last!

In addition, Dobbs Park staff will debunk bat myths.  Vigo County Parks & Recreation Department will share information about their various parks and the Parke Trails Alliance will share trail information and educate attendees about local trails.  Visit with Purdue Extension and Vigo County Soil and Water Conservation District to learn more about soil health, local pollinators and the plants they love.  Lastly, the Wabash River Invasives Project and the Purdue Entomology Department will review invasive species and their control. 

Sara Peel, Otter Creek Project Coordinator, says “We hope to connect local residents with Otter Creek and the things that live within its drainage at Experience Otter Creek. Our goal is to allow people to drop in as their schedule allows. They can talk with those groups that are of interest to them while trying their hand at birding or tree identification, play with stream and land-based insects, learn how state biologists assess our streams and view the fish they collect and more.”

Kids can bounce the morning away in the bounce house or run through bubbles during the bubble party at this free, family-friendly event. If you are interested in participating in this exciting event, have questions about attending or would like to learn more, contact Peel at ottercreekwatershed@gmail.com.

Volunteers needed for a Weed Wrangle at Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve, 3635 W Concannon Ave, West Terre Haute, IN. No experience necessary! Please bring your loppers, work gloves, and water. Questions? Email the ISU Office of Sustainability at ISU-Sustainability@indstate.edu

Solar Eclipse Viewing (1:30 - 3:30pm) and Wildflower Hike (3:30 - 5:00pm) at Atherton Island Natural Area (6508 W CR 800 S, Rosedale, IN). Bring chairs or blankets to experience a total eclipse of the sun at Atherton Island Natural Area. Viewing glasses and a telescope will be provided along with a tent that has a special film to view the eclipse through. Educational tables will be set up along with snacks and water. Music will be provided by the COON HOLLER KIDS from 2:00 to 3:30PM, with a break at total eclipse. Dr. Jim Nardi will lead a hike at 3:30PM to view the spring wildflowers around Atherton Island Natural Area. Because of limited parking, please RSVP to https://bit.ly/OLCEclipse by March 31. THANK YOU to the Terre Haute Children’s Museum for sponsoring this event!

Join us for our 14th Annual Celebration, An Evening of Art & Nature, on March 14, 2024 at the Vigo County History Center. Dr. Elizabeth Kuebler-Wolf, University of St. Francis Associate Professor of art history, will present “The Fall of the Wild: Taming Nature in American Painting.” Beth’s talk, sponsored by Indiana Humanities, will explore representations of American landscapes to demonstrate what they reveal about American ideals and values. Thank you to our title sponsor, Viribus Wealth Management, for supporting this event!

The celebration will include a buffet dinner catered by Federal Coffee + Fine Foods. A social hour featuring an art exhibition with works by Curt Stanfield and Lavinia Hale (with half of the proceeds donated to OLC), live music, and a silent auction begins at 5:30 pm; and the buffet starts at 6:30 pm.  Introductions, awards, and Beth’s presentation will follow. Members and non-members are welcome to attend with an RSVP. 

To RSVP for the full celebration with dinner for $50, please visit bit.ly/2024OLCAC by March 7th. To only attend Beth’s talk at 7:30 pm for a $5 donation, please RSVP at bit.ly/2024OLCACTalk. Contact Lisa Baer with questions about reservations, the buffet, or sponsoring the Annual Celebration at lisa@ouabachelandconservancy.org. To donate items to the silent auction, please contact Carissa Lovett at carissa.lovett@terrehaute.in.gov.

To learn more about the Annual Celebration, other events, protecting land, and how to donate or join, please visit: ouabachelandconservancy.org, and follow OLC on Facebook.