Please join Ouabache Land Conservancy (OLC) as we celebrate National Trails Day at Atherton Island Natural Area, 6540 W County Road 800 S, Rosedale, IN (near Lyford, seven-tenths of a mile east of US Hwy 41).  Mike Fisher (OLC Board Member & VP of Parke Trails Alliance) will lead this moderate to rugged 2-to-3-mile hike through the prairies and woodlands of OLC’s newest 250-acre nature preserve from 10 am - Noon on June 7th.   No reservations are required for this family-friendly free event and participants are encouraged to wear long pants and hiking boots.

If you want to help protect land and nature in the Wabash Valley, please join us at our Board meeting on Tuesday, June 3rd at 5:30 p.m. at the Vigo County Public Library in the basement's Meeting Room A, 680 Poplar St, Terre Haute, IN.

Everyone is invited to explore the wonders of the Otter Creek Watershed at the “Experience Otter Creek” event on May 17th, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Markle Mill Park in North Terre Haute.  

This free event offers an opportunity for all ages to learn about the diverse ecosystem of the Otter Creek Watershed. Attendees can participate in a variety of engaging activities and demonstrations, including learning about electrofishing, wildlife tracks, plastics, reptiles and amphibians, invasive species, trees, beekeeping, aquatic and land insects, bats, birds, backyard gardening, and water health.  

This year's event will feature two new demonstrations:

●        10:00 AM: Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation with Henrietta (the red-tailed hawk) and Stirling (the great horned owl).  

●        11:00 AM: IDEM electrofishing and fish identification.  

In addition, there will be a bounce house and free trees will be provided to attendees by Ouabache Land Conservancy.  

“Experience Otter Creek” is made possible through the generous support of several partners and sponsors, including Purdue Extension, Purdue University, Vigo County Soil and Water Conservation District, Terre Haute Parks & Recreation Department, Ouabache Land Conservancy, Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), Vigo County Parks & Recreation Department, Vigo Invasives Management, Wabash Valley Audubon Society, and Indiana State University, and the Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission

The event will take place rain or shine, with some activities potentially modified due to inclement weather.  

For questions, please contact Sara Peel at (765) 337-9100 or ottercreekwatershed@gmail.com.  

Join the Vigo County SWCD and Indiana DNR District Forester Jeremiah Lemmons for a “Tree ID Walk” on May 16th, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Jeremiah will share with us the species of trees and potential invasive species. The event will be held at a conservation woodland in northern Vigo County that is not currently open to the public. Reservations are required and we are limiting to 20 attendees.
Location will be provided with the confirmed RSVP. Email us at SWCD@VigoCounty.In.gov or call 812-231-1470.
There are no facilities at the property and we will be going in areas where mobility may be a challenge. We will try to accommodate mobility concerns. Please let us know of any needs when RSVP’ing.

Come hear about Ouabache Land Conservancy and Atherton Island Natural Area at the monthly Parke County Chamber of Commerce Networking Lunch; at Bridge 61 (next to Kirby Foods), 1248 North Lincoln Road, Rockville, IN. RSVP to pcchamberdirector@gmail.com and pay ($7.00 cash) at the door. We look forward to visiting with you!

Everyone is invited to join the Ouabache Land Conservancy for a spring wildflower hike at John O. Whitaker Woods Nature Preserve east of Brazil (3751 W. County Rd. 950 N, Brazil, IN).  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 10th.  This is an easy hike and family-friendly free program; however, reservations are requested by contacting Carissa at carissa.lovett@terrehaute.in.gov or 812-877-1095 by May 8th. Participants are encouraged to wear long pants, hiking boots, or good tennis shoes. 

If you want to help protect land and nature in the Wabash Valley, please join us at our Board meeting on Tuesday, May 6th at 5:30 p.m. at the Vigo County Public Library in the basement's Meeting Room A, 680 Poplar St, Terre Haute, IN.

The Ouabache Land Conservancy invites everyone of all ages to a storybook hike at Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve on Saturday, May 3rd from 10:00 - 11:30 am.  The preserve is located at 3635 W. Concannon Ave., West Terre Haute, IN 47885.  Luke Gentry (Vigo Co. Public Library West Branch Manager) and Denise Sobieski (OLC Board of Directors) will lead this moderate hike through the prairie and woods to the “Crown Point” lookout where Gentry will read Birdsong (by Julie Flett).  This story is about a girl who loves to draw things in nature, going through various seasons and getting to know her elderly neighbor who lives down the hill. When her neighbor becomes ill, the little girl feels bad that the lady can't be outside, so she brings over all her nature drawings and hangs them on the walls, so she can still enjoy nature, even though she's stuck inside.  Drawing pads will be available to draw what beautiful sights participants see that morning. 

Roadside parking is available on the preserve side of the road, but there are no facilities.  No reservations are required and participants are encouraged to wear long pants, hiking boots, or good tennis shoes.

***CANCELED! Due to the inclement weather forecast, the April 19th Earth Day Wildflower Hike & Paint Out has been CANCELED!!***

Please join the Ouabache Land Conservancy (OLC) as we celebrate Earth Day at Atherton Island Natural Area, 6540 W County Road 800 S in Rosedale, IN (near Lyford, seven-tenths of a mile east of US Hwy 41), on April 19th, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.  Jim Nardi (OLC Board of Directors) will lead a hike to see the beautiful spring wildflowers the preserve has to offer.  As an added bonus, Curt Stanfield (OLC Board of Directors) has organized a “Paint Out” with himself, Lavinia Hale, Lynne Dunnavant and Christel Gutelius plein air painting at strategic locations throughout the hike. No reservations are required for this family-friendly free event and participants are encouraged to wear long pants and hiking boots for this moderately rugged hike.

Please volunteer with the Ouabache Land Conservancy (OLC) on April 12th, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, as we plant nearly 100 native hardwood oak and hickory species.  This opportunity will be at OLC’s 250-acre Atherton Island Natural Area, 6540 W County Rd. 800 S, Rosedale, IN (near Lyford, seventh-tenths of a mile east of US Hwy 41).  In addition, there will be a Weed Wrangle® to control multiflora rose and bush honeysuckle.  Please bring loppers, work gloves, and water.  Those items will be supplied to those as needed as supplies last.  Participants are encouraged to dress appropriate for the weather and wear long pants, boots, and gloves.   Weed Wrangle® sponsors include: Wabash River Invasives Project, ISU Office of Sustainability and SICIM (State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management). 

POSTPONED!!! Due to the inclement weather forecast, this event has been postponed to April 12th, from 10 am - 1:00 pm.

Please volunteer with the Ouabache Land Conservancy (OLC) on April 5th, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, as we plant nearly 100 native hardwood oak and hickory species.  This opportunity will be at OLC’s 250-acre Atherton Island Natural Area, 6540 W County Rd. 800 S, Rosedale, IN (near Lyford, seventh-tenths of a mile east of US Hwy 41).  In addition, there will be a Weed Wrangle® to control multiflora rose and bush honeysuckle.  Please bring loppers, work gloves, and water.  Those items will be supplied to those as needed as supplies last.  Participants are encouraged to dress appropriate for the weather and wear long pants, boots, and gloves.   Weed Wrangle® sponsors include: Wabash River Invasives Project, ISU Office of Sustainability and SICIM (State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management). 

CANCELED! Due to the inclement weather forecast for Wednesday, April 2nd, the Wednesdays in the Wild Hike at Atherton Island Natural Area has been CANCELED! We are sorry, but we want to keep everyone safe!

*THIS EVENT IS FULL. REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.*

Nature will offer unexpected surprises as Wednesdays in the Wild joins Dr. Jim Nardi (Retired Biological Researcher and author, University of Illinois) on this hike to see spring wildflowers, mosses, and early spring insects along the trails of this Ouabache Land Conservancy natural area in Parke County.

**This session is limited to 20 participants. Registration required by noon March 31, call 765-567-2993 or email mcutler@tippecanoe.in.gov (responding on Facebook does not reserve your spot).**

Program content is designed for adults, but school-aged children may attend and enjoy depending on their attention span and interest. For more information, call Tippecanoe County Naturalist Mary Cutler at 765-567-2993

If you want to help protect land and nature in the Wabash Valley, please join us at our Board meeting on Tuesday, April 1st at 5:30 p.m. at the Vigo County Public Library in the basement's Meeting Room A, 680 Poplar St, Terre Haute, IN.

Ouabache Land Conservancy (OLC) invites everyone to a Spring Break Tree ID Hike & Weed Wrangle at Sanctuary Oaks Nature Preserve (1915 W CR 650 N, Shelburn, IN 47879) on Saturday March 29th, from 10:00 to Noon. Purdue University Extension Educator, Phil Cox, will lead hikers through the 14-acre preserve.  Techniques to identify many trees during the early spring will be learned along the way.  In addition, Zoe Newbold, OLC Vice President of Stewardship, will lead a Weed Wrangle® to help volunteers identify and control invasive plant species found on the preserve.  Please bring loppers, work gloves, and water.  Those items will be supplied to those as needed as supplies last.  Participants are encouraged to dress appropriate for the weather and wear long pants, boots, and gloves.  Contact Phil Cox at 765-492-5330 or cox119@purdue.edu with any questions.  Weed Wrangle® sponsors include: ISU Office of Sustainability and SICIM (State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management). 

The Ouabache Land Conservancy invites everyone of all ages to a storybook hike at Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve on Saturday, March 29th from 10:00 - 11:30 am.  The preserve is located at 3635 W. Concannon Ave., West Terre Haute, IN 47885.  Luke Gentry (Vigo Co. Public Library West Branch Manager) and Denise Sobieski (OLC Board of Directors) will lead this moderate hike through the prairie and woods to the “Crown Point” lookout where Gentry will read Birdsong (by Julie Flett).  This story is about a girl who loves to draw things in nature, going through various seasons and getting to know her elderly neighbor who lives down the hill. When her neighbor becomes ill, the little girl feels bad that the lady can't be outside, so she brings over all her nature drawings and hangs them on the walls, so she can still enjoy nature, even though she's stuck inside.  Drawing pads will be available to draw what beautiful sights participants see that morning. 

Roadside parking is available on the preserve side of the road, but there are no facilities.  No reservations are required and participants are encouraged to wear long pants, hiking boots, or good tennis shoes.

The Annual Celebration is sold out! We encourage you to join the waiting list if you are interested in attending. https://forms.gle/fKtzwbhsXg3TRZY8A

Ouabache Land Conservancy (OLC) invites you (and your non-member friends!) to our 15th annual celebration at the Vigo County History Center on March 12th!

Please join us as we celebrate protecting and restoring land for future generations in west-central Indiana.

The excitement will start with a silent auction, live music, a bowl hewing demo by Keith Ruble, and a Windsor chair making demo by Blaine Berry at 5:30 pm; followed by dinner catered by Federal Coffee + Fine Foods at 6:30 pm for $50 per person.

Our featured guest speaker is natural environment author, Scott Russell Sanders, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English at Indiana University, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Sanders will discuss how evolution has been weaving the web of life on Earth, linking all creatures, from bacteria to humpback whales, into vital relationships—pollinators to plants, plants to grazing animals, grazers to predators, predators to scavengers, scavengers to microbes, and so on through every level of complexity; and most importantly how we should proceed to “reweave” in his presentation, “Reweaving the Web of Life”.

We also want to thank Viribus Wealth Management, the title sponsor for our celebration! Our sponsors make events like this possible, and you can help, too. For sponsorship information, contact lisa@ouabachelandconservancy.org.

If you want to help protect land and nature in the Wabash Valley, please join us at our Board meeting on Tuesday, March 4th at 5:30 p.m. at the Vigo County Public Library in the basement's Meeting Room A, 680 Poplar St, Terre Haute, IN.

If you want to help protect land and nature in the Wabash Valley, please join us at our next board meeting on Tuesday, February 11th at 5:30 pm. Please note that this meeting is one week later than was originally scheduled.

PLEASE NOTE OUR MEETING LOCATION: Vigo Co. Public Library, 680 Poplar St., Terre Haute, IN. In the Conference Room, located on the main floor. As you come into the main entrance, it is located on the back right side of the atrium.

If you want to help protect land and nature in the Wabash Valley, please join us at our next board meeting on Tuesday, January 7th at 5:30 pm.

If you need more info email ouabachelandconservancy@gmail.com

Welcome in the New Year with the winter beauty of Atherton Island Natural Area. Join Ouabache Land Conservancy for a guided first-day hike (led by Parke Trails Alliance Vice-President Mike Fisher) on January 1, 2025, at 9 AM to Noon.
Wear weather-appropriate clothing, bring binoculars if you wish, and be ready to take in a winter morning hike's unique views and stillness as we usher in a new year. Meet at the AINA parking area, 6540 W County Rd. 800 S, Rosedale, IN 47874 (0.7 tenths of a mile east of US Hwy 41, near Lyford).

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