Big Eastern Preserve holds a special place in Shirley Heinze Land Trust history. Acquired in 2025, the 423-acre property became the organization’s second conservation project in Starke County and its largest single land acquisition. The preserve protects a diverse landscape where several rare plant communities come together, creating outstanding opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, and nature study. 

Visitors can experience a unique mosaic of habitats, including sand prairie, black oak savanna, oak woodlands, seep-fed marshes, and the riparian corridor of Bogus Run, a tributary of the Kankakee River.  

Defined by open skies, sandy soils, and sweeping views, Big Eastern offers a changing display of wildflowers throughout the growing season. Spring blooms such as lupine and puccoon give way to summer and fall favorites, including sunflowers, blazing stars, asters, and goldenrods.