| Spreading the Good Word, Sharing the Message… by Fred Wooley Last week I had the good fortune to spend some time at one of our preserves with a small group of people who work together for the betterment of preserving and protecting natural areas in Indiana.We met at Badger Barrens Sanctuary in northeast Steuben County. We visited during the prime time of wild blue lupine blooming! It was on the tail cusp of peak bloom as we noted some stalks of those beautiful sky-blue blossoms, starting to form seed pods.The group and the visit were organized by Andrea Huntington, Executive Director of the Indiana Land Protection Alliance. ILPA is an umbrella organization for the wide variety of land trusts in Indiana working to procure, protect, restore, and feature Indiana natural areas.Also attending was Indiana State Senator Sue Glick, from LaGrange, Indiana, representing District 13 in the state Senate, the northeast corner of our state. Also we had Michael Moga, an environmental lobbyist with the Barnes and Thornburg law firm in Indianapolis, Heather Barth from the ACRES Land Trust, and Blue Heron Ministries Board of Advisors members, Peg Zeis, Beth Williams, and me, Fred Wooley. |
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| Tour of Badger Barrens Sanctuary. May 20, 2024. Andrea Huntington, Fred Wooley, State Senator Sue Glick, Beth Williams, Mike Moga, Heather Barth |
| In addition to spending a beautiful late May day among one of the finest floral displays in any Indiana natural area, another objective of the gathering was to discuss successful projects benefiting from the President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Fund. This fund receives money from Indiana vehicle owners who purchase the specialty license plate that directs a modest donation to the fund, and monies appropriated by the state legislature in its biennial budget.Senator Glick is a champion of natural areas protection in Indiana and helped to shepherd a $10 million budget line item to the fund. She spoke of the collaborations of not only lawmakers and the governor’s office, but also of that of stakeholders in the field doing the work.In summer, legislators participate in study committees where they get out into the field and study issues which they address during the legislative session. The Senator is also chairperson of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and in addition to meeting with colleagues, she enjoys and sees the benefits of getting out on her own and meeting with the public doing the work. |
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| Andrea Huntington making a point during group discussion at Badger Barrens Sanctuary, May 20, 2024. By Fred Wooley. |
| Hence this gathering and conversation was held along the trail and at a tailgate in the parking lot. Andrea asked the land trusts present to discuss how the Harrison Conservation Fund has been used and hopes to be used.Badger Barrens was the perfect place to do this. First I spoke of the strong history of generous donors beginning with Peg Zeis and her assistance with the original purchase, Mary Durrand and her contribution of five acres on the northeast corner of the thirteen- acre lupine meadow, and several others on the recent addition to the west. Assisting in the recent Headacres Farm acquisition, where restoration work has already begun, is the Harrison Conservation Fund.On the gravel road to the Lake Anne entrance and the south border of Badger Barrens, we could look south to the BHM Mirror Lake Nature Preserve and the beautiful kettle hole lake in the distance. We discussed the gradual expansion of that preserve by procuring the individual lots originally plotted for lakefront homes. We discussed if the remaining few lots became available, they would be perfect recipients for the Harrison Conservation Fund. |
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| Lupine in full bloom at Badger Barrens Sanctuary May 20, 2024. By Fred Wooley |
| Within the short distance of a few hundred feet we could see representations of most all of BHM work environments in the continuum from the kettle hole lake typical of our region, to the wetland shoreline, through the oak openings woodland, to a sandy barrens prairie.And in that small circle of friends, we had representations of like-minded, like-spirited individuals representing organizations working and collaborating on natural areas protection and enrichment. All with the perfect backdrop of blooming lupine. It was a beautiful thing… |
| Watching… and Listening By Nate Simons I missed the opportunity to witness the Aurora borealis (northern lights) on that Friday night. So, with a forecast of G4 (strong possibility of an event) for early Sunday morning, I planned to head to Badger Barrens at 4:00 AM to take in the heavenly display. When I awakened, the forecast had changed to near zero chance of the event. I went to Badger Barrens anyway to experience sunrise over the wild blue lupine meadow. As I sat on the bench at the top of the little hill, I listened to the pre-dawn songs of grassland birds (I wish I knew my bird songs better!), gazed at the planets and stars…and all the manmade satellites, too. Then I stopped and thought about the bench upon which I sat. I didn’t know for sure, but I suspected that Gary Baus, a cottage owner on Lake Anne, had made the benches. I was betting that he was not awake yet, but I texted him anyway to inquire and to thank him for making the benches. A day later, Gary texted in reply. He indicated that he had indeed built the benches and placed them at the spot where he and Barb take their morning coffee when they are up at the lake. He said that “God speaks to us through creation and it is on display at Badger Barrens.” I asked him to expound upon his thoughts as I bet many would appreciate his sentiments. He replied, “Ten years ago we were in Israel sitting along the Sea of Galilee. A friend said, ‘God speaks to us through Creation.’ It made a lasting impression on me. It was a simple yet powerful message. Relating it to Badger Barrens I get the same feeling. The natural relationship between nature and Creation. Complex but simple to understand. Badger Barrens gives me that same realization. Peace!”Thanks, Gary, for sharing your benches and for confirming what others have discovered, as well. |
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| “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they [and by extension, all of Creation] continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” (Psalm 19: 1-4, NLT) |
| View from the Crew by Madeline McQuiston |
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| May 1 – The long spur on the back of a long spurred violet makes it instantly recognizable. |
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| May 6 – A large Eastern Massassagua was a welcome surprise! This is the first one that I have seen in person. |
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| May 6 – Freya and Madie gaze in awe at the Massassagua and take some pictures |
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| May 8 – Found a large morel under a maple tree. It made a pleasant addition to my dinner that night. |
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| May 8 – Josh very carefully crosses a ditch on our way to a site. |
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| May 14 – Freya stumbled upon this fawn, hiding in a patch of jewelweed and reed canary grass. The reed canary grass it rested on will unfortunately live another day. |
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| May 15 – A small snapper out for a stroll. I love the brightness in its eyes. |
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| May 15 – Pheasant back mushrooms can be very tasty…but not when they are that big and woody! (Freya for scale) |
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| May 16 – Swamp Saxifrage (Saxifraga pensylvanica) is a new plant I learned this spring. From fuzzy basal leaves rises a fuzzy stem with tiny white flowers. |
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| May 17 – I just really liked the way this fern looked nested in between the skunk cabbage. |
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| May 24 – The first viceroy I spotted this year. Just as pretty as the Monarchs they mimic. |
| Upcoming Events |
| Lupine Seed Collection at Badger Barrens June 1st at 10am |
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| It is time to harvest pounds and pounds of wild blue lupine seed from Badger Barrens! We’ll be using the seed at the 24 acre addition, on the west side of Badger Barrens. Meet at the parking lot at 10am on Saturday, June 1st.From Fremont, head east on SR 120 to CR 925 E. Turn left onto CR 925 E, and take that to Ln 100 Lake Anne. Turn left and follow the lane to the parking area. You can click here to view it on a map and get directions.If you can’t make it on Saturday, you are welcome to head to Badger Barrens, at your leisure, to collect. We’ll have knives, buckets and bags available for you. Contact us if you’d like more information on how to help. |
| Native Plant Plug Weeding Day June 27th at 10:30AMWant to get your hands in the dirt and work with native plants? Blue Heron Ministries needs your help weeding native plant plugs to be planted at the end of the summer at Gene Stratton Porter State Historic Site. We will be cleaning up and weeding the plant trays and dividing and replanting some species. We will meet at the Blue Heron Ministries parking lot at 10:30 AM on June 27th (2955 W. Orland Rd., Angola, IN 46703). |
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| Sedge Identification Class June 21st and 22ndSome of the crew will be attending a sedge identification class. We thought we’d pass the information, in case anyone in our BHM community might be interested in attending, as well.Join the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary to learn more about the wonderful, subtle beauty of sedges in a two-day, in-person, hands-on class, slated for 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 21-22. The details can be found at: https://www.kbs.msu.edu/2024/04/sedge-id-2024/ |
Blue Heron Ministries 