August 2025

Blue Heron Ministries Partners with Local Humane Animal Shelter by Fred Wooley Part of the ministry of Blue Heron Ministries is working with like-minded groups and individuals to improve the native plant communities and quality of life in their corners of the world. We may do several projects a year, donating seeds, plant plugs, staff time for restoration, interpretive programs, and simple counseling and sharing of expertise and passion for restoration and management of natural communities. One project this year is in cooperation with the Community Humane Shelter of Steuben County. The actual shelter is relatively new, built in 2017. It is a beautiful building visible from County Road 200 North, West of State Road 27 and east of Interstate 69. There were two small areas of turf grass in a raised area at the front of the building, separated from the main lawn by sidewalks and a large glacial boulder retaining wall. The areas are difficult to access and maneuver a lawn mower. I am on the board of directors for the shelter and was approached last year with the question of putting these difficult to mow areas into low maintenance native plant plots.

Community Humane Shelter of Steuben County front areas in turf grass and difficult to mow.

I smiled at the question. It is a perfect solution. It is what Blue Heron Ministries does. The good word, the message of land restoration, is spreading. People are seeing examples where low maintenance of native plants is both an answer for difficult to manage areas by conventional turf grass and a process to bring beautiful, wild, low-maintenance, native plants to our homes and built landscapes. This project began last fall with collecting seeds from native plants on my property. They were cleaned and stored. In February, BHM employee, Eva Curtis, led a volunteer workday of planting those seeds in 2×2 cells filled with potting soil. Nearly two dozen flats of cells were planted with nine species of wildflowers and one species of grass and set outside for the winter to be kept cold and damp, the necessary process of cold stratification which leads to spring germination.

BHM employee, Eva Curtis leading volunteers in seed planting native species in plugs and flats.  February 22, 2025

The flats were spread out at the BHM workshop late winter for watering and care through spring and summer. Not all flats were used for the shelter project and plugs and flats of some species were donated to the cause by BHM employees, John Brittenham and me, from our personal collections. In June the two areas to be planted at the animal shelter were treated with herbicide to eliminate the turf grass and prepare the beds for planting. In mid August the areas were covered with leaf mulch and the planting of plugs commenced.

Community Humane Shelter of Steuben County native landscape plantings completed. August 22, 2025.

The areas contain all native plants but laid out in a design that gives a bit of a managed, organized look as opposed to randomly scattered plants as they occur in nature. Being close to the building walkways, donor brick paved patio, and other ornamental elements, we are presenting a somewhat traditional landscape look, but using wild, native plants. All species are low growing to keep a short stature and not overwhelm the appearance of the building. Planting took place by BHM and shelter volunteers over three days late August. Both areas are rimmed with two rows of prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis). Interiors contain clusters or “islands” of wildflowers such as showy brown-eyed susan (Rudbeckia fulgida), butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginicum), rough blazing star (Liatris aspera), and dense blazing star (Liatris spicata).

The look of Butterfly Milkweed and Brown-eyed Susan together in Wooley yard native landscape to be replicated at county animal shelter.

The areas will be watered this summer and fall as the plant plugs set root. Periodic weeding will occur this year and next. The third year and beyond we should see a relatively maintenance-free and beautiful natural, native landscape to welcome visitors and customers to the animal shelter. Hopefully people will take note, inquire, and consider the same for their home landscapes. The good word and work of Blue Heron Ministries continues.

View from the Crew by Emma Pippin, BHM Summer Intern

Hi everyone! My name is Emma and I was the intern for Blue Heron Ministries this summer! I am going into my senior year at Purdue University and I am studying Natural Resources and Environmental Science. Right before I started at Blue Heron, I got the opportunity to spend some time hiking in the Swiss Alps!

During my second week at Blue Heron, Eva and I were working at Collin’s Bay RV Park and stumbled upon this beautiful fawn friend! We were shocked it let us admire it for so long!

We found this leopard frog hopping in and out of a Massasauga rattlesnake hole (a.k.a. crayfish burrow) at LaGrange County Park’s Duff Lake Fen! Seems like a funny place for a frog to be hanging out!

The same day, we went to check out these pitcher plants that were also hanging out at Duff Lake Fen. Pitcher plants are one of Indiana’s native carnivorous plant species!

Here is a picture of me collecting great angelica seed at The Nature Conservancy’s Cline Lake Fen. Collecting seeds was one of my favorite tasks that I got to do this summer!

Later that day, we were hand wicking cattails at Cline Lake. It’s important to watch where you step or else you will lose your boot in the muck, like me!

Cline Lake isn’t the only site where there is treacherous walking. Here’s a picture of me and Josh after attempting to cross a rivulet at LaGrange County Park’s Cedar Lake Fen! I definitely had to earn my fen legs this summer!

While working at Camp Friedenswald, we got to hang out with this gray tree frog. I love frogs so much and was so excited every time we stumbled upon one!

A beautiful viceroy butterfly enjoying the marsh blazing star blooming at Cline Lake. Marsh blazing star is my favorite native plant that I got to see this summer.

Me and Nate walking through a patch of prairie dock while on a field trip to Pigeon River Fish and Wildlife’s Sawmill Fen Nature Preserve. I feel so blessed for the opportunity to work with every single person on this crew and to be immersed in nature and knowledge every day this summer!

Upcoming Events

Native Wildflower Planting Day Sunday, September 7th at 2pm Come help bring beauty and health to Austin Park in South Milford, Indiana!  Blue Heron Ministries will be planting over a thousand native wildflowers next to the creek at Austin Park (950 E 750 S, South Milford, IN 46786), and we need your help.  Volunteers will gather at the park at 2pm on Sunday, September 7th and stay until we get everything planted (or run out of energy trying).  Bring gloves, boots, and enthusiasm to make a positive impact in your local community.  This event will be held rain or shine.  Questions can be directed to John Brittenham at johnbrittenham@gmail.com  Hope to see you there!

Annual Native Seed Collection Saturday, September 27th and every Saturday in October from 12-4PM Saturday, September 27th will kickoff our group seed collections! We’ll travel to different sites to collect seeds from our native plants, that will then be used in our future projects! Learn about the native plants, and the protected spaces they inhabit. Meet September 27th, and each Saturday in October (4th, 11th, 18th,and 25th) at the Presbyterian Chapel of the Lakes (2955 W. Orland Rd. Angola, IN 46703) at noon and we”ll caravan to the site(s). We have all the tools and supplies. Families and children are encouraged!