Step Back in Time: Preserving History and Nature in Shelby County
You may have seen a one-room schoolhouse building on your way to Meltzer Woods. But did you know that it houses a Little Free Library?
Smith Cemetery Nature Preserve: A Prairie Remnant
In presettlement times, much of northwest and west-central Indiana was covered by prairie vegetation. The vast prairie was soon converted to agricultural fields. The only remaining prairie can be found in some railroad rights-of-way and occasionally in old pioneer cemeteries that were set aside prior to the agricultural conversion.
Nature-Inspired Poetry by Board Member John Bacone
April is National Poetry Month, and when we saw this poem in a recent Indiana Parks Alliance e-newsletter, we knew we had to share it.
Women’s History Month Spotlight: Wild Girls, by Tiya Miles
March is Women’s History Month—a time to celebrate the resilience, leadership, and impact of women throughout history.
Cliff’s Book Rec: Kingbird Highway
Part 9 of our winter “Staff Picks” series I decided to revisit one of my favorite books for this series. I first read Kingbird Highway in 1998, when I was just starting my career and getting interested in birds. The book describes a young man’s passion for birds, but [...]
Jamison’s Book Rec: Playground
Part 8 of our winter “Staff Picks” series Full disclosure. I did not read Playground, Richard Powers’ new novel. I listened to it (twice) in audiobook format. I find myself listening to a lot of books these days, being on the road going from preserve to preserve. The second [...]
Black History Month Book Recs
In honor of Black History Month, here are some great reads that braid the Black experience and the natural world. The Home Place, by J. Drew Lanham Subtitled “Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature,” this work masterfully intertwines the personal, historical, and environmental. Lanham, an ornithologist, [...]
Shawndra’s Book Rec: Lessons from Plants
Part 7 of our winter “Staff Picks” series Plants make choices. They network and communicate, compete and collaborate. They assess risks and allocate their energies accordingly. They alter their behavior and morphology according to environmental cues. They even spread the word about threats to kin and non-kin alike. [...]
Max’s Book Rec: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
Part 6 of our winter “Staff Picks” series When I was asked to write a book review, I had to pause and take a moment to think about which book would be good for me to read right now. I tend to choose informational, textbook-like screeds that are always [...]
Grace’s Book Rec: North Woods
Part 5 of our winter “Staff Picks” series North Woods is a novel written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason. It was easily my favorite read of 2024. The story begins on a plot of land in northern Massachusetts, and remains in the exact same spot for hundreds of [...]
