Since 1981, Shirley Heinze Land Trust has been dedicated to the preservation and restoration of significant natural areas throughout northwestern Indiana. Today, more than 2,600 acres across Lake, Porter, LaPorte, and St. Joseph counties are permanently protected, and most of our nature preserves are open to the public to explore and enjoy.We invite you to explore our upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and ways to donate, and see how you can help us protect northwestern Indiana’s natural areas, bringing people and nature a little closer in the process.
Celebrating
40 Years of
Connecting
Communities
to Nature!
40 Years of
Connecting
Communities
to Nature!
Shirley Heinze Land Trust 40th Anniversary
Spring Benefit Celebration May 24 - 29, 2021
March 9, 2021
Bringing Nature Home: an Introduction to Native Gardening
Learn about how Bringing Nature Home and incorporating native plants in your landscaping can make a difference in supporting our local ecosystem....
March 23, 2021
Amphibians and Reptiles of Northwest Indiana
Join us for a discussion of the various habitats of Northwest Indiana and the reptiles and amphibians that live there....
April 20, 2021
Climate Watch: Monitoring Changes in Bird Populations
National Audubon’s Climate Watch Surveys allows birders to contribute their sightings to studies of how birds are responding to climate change....
May 4, 2021
The Gem of Chicago Wilderness: Restoration of the Greatest Ecological Region of the U. S.
Learn about the ecological splendor of our area, how that great diversity came to be, and how restoration efforts by any and everyone can solidify our ecological gem!...
By: Mary Nell Murphy While driving on Hwy 12 near the Indiana Dunes parks last fall, I stopped at a wayside for a stretch break and looked across the road to a sea of watermelon pink under the forest canopy. Delightful? No! As I suspected, and as I confirmed “upon further review of the field” …...
Invasive Species Awareness Week: Burning Bush
By: Glenn Major As a child, our mother sent us out to collect Bittersweet vines. Their attractive fruit mixed with gourds from the garden made for a festive holiday decoration of table or mantle. Folks wove them into colorful Christmas wreaths and candle rings. There lies the problem; these attractive...
Invasive Species Awareness Week: Oriental Bittersweet
This story is part of an ongoing wildlife monitoring project along a tributary of Salt Creek, Damon Run, that meanders through Meadowbrook Nature Preserve. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 to catch up! By: Jim Haniford Nothing prepared me for winter through the lens of the trail camera. Once Sarah...
Drama on Damon Run: Mink Monitoring Part 3
By: Jim Haniford As I mentioned in my first blog entry, we are in search of the American Mink (Neovison vison). In case you missed it, I wrote about a few random encounters that led to the initiation of a creekside monitoring project, enlisting the use of a trail cam in order to capture this …...
Monitoring the American Mink: Part 2
By: Jim Haniford A few scattered reports have come in from around the preserve about a small, furry creature, glimpsed for just a matter of seconds in each instance. One staff member saw it run out from the tall grass as she approached on a riding mower. Another encountered it running up a trail in...
Monitoring the American Mink: Part 1
4,050 Hours Volunteered in 2019
Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. Whether you’d like to spend a few hours in nature by helping to maintain our trails and preserves, or assist with workshops and workdays that bring people closer to nature, or contribute behind the scenes to help Shirley Heinze Land Trust run smoothly, we need your help.