Volunteers restore habitat in Northwest Indiana
In July of 2021, Shirley Heinze Land Trust’s stewardship staff and volunteers from Cleveland Cliffs began clearing brush to create a new accessible trail at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve. In November of 2023, volunteers embarked on a project to thin out the woody invasive species that had begun to thrive along the trail edges to restore habitat and also provide an example to trail patrons of the important stewardship work that the land trust does.
Originally these workdays were intended to encompass a couple “Meadowbrook Monday” engagements, during which volunteers would cut target species along the trail. However, staff soon realized what they were up against. Even with the healthy attendance these volunteer workdays attracted, there was no way two three-hour installments would be sufficient. Therefore, the project lived on. In February 2024, Volunteer Coordinator, Jim Haniford, and the dedicated volunteers (also referred to as the “Woody Warriors”) finally wrapped up their trail work for the season.
Jim and the volunteers covered a total of 54,707 square feet or roughly 1.25 acres of land, during the course of the project.
One of Jim’s favorite moments was uncovering an American cancer-root (Conopholis americana) plant on the interior of the loop, its brown, dried-out stalks brittle in winter’s negligent caress. It’s a parasitic species, but harmless to its tree host.
The uniquely-shaped plant is found in high-quality remnant habitat but can’t tolerate too much disturbance. Considering where it was discovered, there’s good indication that their restoration is headed in the right direction.
After the last of the volunteers had gone home, Jim put away their equipment and scanned the project area. He reflected on how proud he was of what the volunteers had accomplished. While Jim collected his thoughts, a couple of shapes swooped into view. Two hawks cruised into the project area, flying fast and low. Immediately following, three deer picked their way through the same area. Similar to the find of American cancer-root, Jim takes encounters like these as confirmation that they’re on the right path.