Humans aren’t alone in adopting new routines during the winter months; the natural world falls into its own seasonal rhythm during this time of year. In this Creature Feature, we’ll explore the unique ways that three native species adapt to the cold. Shirley Heinze Land Trust nature preserves exist in a variety of habitats that […]
Winter Creature Feature Read More »
By Rory Kosior, GLISTEN intern from Indiana University, studying Environmental Science In Prince-Ruiz’s 2020 TedTalk in Perth, Australia she says, “Here’s the thing about big change, it’s got to start somewhere and it often starts with an individual.” Removing all plastic from our lifestyles is almost impossible, but it’s important that we don’t let that
By Dale K. Nichols (Board Member) Dear friends of Shirley Heinze Land Trust: This is the second in a series of “snapshots” featuring our Beverly Shores/Great Marsh preserve. How quickly things change! What just a few short weeks ago was a barren brown landscape has now morphed into a mottled sea of expanding greenness. Skunk
Shirley Heinze Snapshot 2: The Great Marsh, May 7, 2023 Read More »
By: Melissa Washburn Does that sound like an awful lot of birds? Last year I learned that that’s the estimated number of individual birds that flew overhead in just the first three days of Indiana Audubon’s annual Indiana Dunes Birding Festival. Northwest Indiana is an ideal pit stop for birds during peak spring migration in
Growing up with a forest in my backyard, I thought I knew all the sounds that Indiana spring nights had to offer, from the distinctive hoots of owls to the occasional chirp of bats. Apart from these somewhat rare springtime noises, it seemed like the forest, for the most part, held on to the blanket
Frogs Hopping Around Lydick Bog Nature Preserve Read More »
By: David Dornberg April 3, 2021 started out cold at 38F, but the morning was sunny with blue skies. Earlier in the week I had decided to pick-up some prepackaged wildflower seeds to plant for Shirley Heinze Land Trust. This was only my second nature outing in 2021. I would be driving to Valparaiso to
Early Spring at Meadowbrook Read More »
By: Jim Haniford Well, here we are, a little over five months into Shirley Heinze Land Trust’s trail cam monitoring project at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve. We’re marking Earth Day on the west branch of the tributary of Salt Creek, a waterway that rambles carelessly through the bottomlands of the ancient moraine. The occasion is attended
Mink Monitoring Part 5: Earth Day Edition Read More »
By Evan Kaiafas The sand prairie regions of Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois are filled with an incredible diversity of reptiles and amphibians. Many of these species are what I like to call “sand specialists” because, through evolution, they have become perfectly equipped to deal with the unique conditions of a sand prairie ecosystem. These
The Secretive Legless Lizard Read More »
By: Audra Ebling For much of my life, my sensory experience of springtime leaned heavily on sight and scent. The lemony yellow of a daffodil glowing against the still-dormant grass. The irresistible perfume of a neighbor’s lilac bushes, which managed to slow down my pace on my otherwise rushed walk to the train. These were
Peeperpalooza Arrives in the Great Marsh Read More »
By: Jim Haniford Well, here we are. It’s the fourth blog already. Hard to believe it’s been over a month since I started sharing these experiences with you. They’re the field notes of our ongoing campaign to monitor the American mink along a tributary of Salt Creek that snakes its way through Meadowbrook Nature Preserve.
Snowy Scenes: Mink Monitoring Part 4 Read More »
