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Forests / Preserves 36 results
It wasn’t until Sean Chung volunteered for a local environmental group that he realized how destructive invasive plants were to the integrity of local ecosystems. In Monroe County, the invasion is held at bay by individuals, neighborhood associations, nonprofit organizations, local government, and even the U.S. Forest Service. The Park Ridge East neighborhood, for example, took advantage of a city grant program to install a native plant garden (pictured) to provide a habitat for butterflies and other pollinators. | Limestone Post

Keeping Invasive Plants at Bay to Prevent ‘Ecological Collapse’
Sean Chung
Before volunteering for a local environmental group, Sean Chung was unaware of the problems invasive plants were causing here in Monroe County and “every single community in the U.S.” For this article, he interviewed people working to “contain the invasion” and prevent the kind of “ecological collapse” that invasives can cause. Click here to read the article.
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Within a two-hour drive from Bloomington, you can take road trips to such diverse places as quintessential Hoosier small towns and atypical Hoosier landscapes (pictured above, the DePauw Nature Park). As writer Diane Walker says, these fun, unusual, and affordable destinations will nourish our mental and physical health with hiking, exploring, and exercising our curiosity — and help us to emerge from our ‘unprecedented isolation.’ | Limestone Post

Road Trips to Waterfalls, Small Towns, and Unusual Hoosier Locales
Diane Walker
All of us need a fun break, especially after 14 months of unprecedented isolation, and what’s a better getaway than a good road trip? Writer Diane Walker takes us to waterfalls, small towns, and several fun, affordable, and unusual sites on these “road trips of distinction” — all within a two-hour drive of Bloomington. Click here to join the ride!
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Research by Alex Jahn at Indiana University has focused on the rarely studied American robin. For Jahn, birds are sentinels because they can predict what is happening to our ecosystem. Jahn and other researchers around the world use technology such as satellite telemetry to understand how migration affects the lives of birds. With a reported 30 percent of bird species lost since the 1970s, writes Rebecca Hill, the information gathered is more important than ever. | Photo by Skyler Ewing

Keeping Track of Migrating Birds, the ‘Sentinels’ of Our Ecosystem
Rebecca Hill
In 1803, James Audubon tracked birds by tying thread around their legs. Researchers around the world now use technology such as satellite telemetry to understand how migration affects these “sentinels” of our ecosystem. With a reported 30 percent of bird species lost since the 1970s, writes Rebecca Hill, the information gathered is more important than ever. Click here to read the article.
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Late last year, a group called Women in Nature Gaining Skills (WINGS) was formed to encourage women to participate in outdoor activities such as archery, hiking, kayaking, fishing, and birdwatching. All openings were filled before the first event in January. A kayaking trip is schedule for July. This photo is from an event hosted by Monroe Lake. | Photo by Jill Vance

WINGS Offers Outdoor Adventures for Women by Women
Laurie D. Borman
Late last year, a group called Women in Nature Gaining Skills (WINGS) was formed to encourage women to participate in outdoor activities such as archery, hiking, kayaking, fishing, and birdwatching. All openings were filled before the first event in January. Writer Laurie D. Borman interviewed the organizers to find out why WINGS has exceeded expectations. Click below to read the article.
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A project by the Monroe County Plan Commission is designed to turn a 100-acre former quarry property northwest of Bloomington into a limestone heritage park that would highlight the history of the local limestone industry and the art of stonecutting, as well as provide an arts venue open to the public. | Photo by Geoff McKim

Monroe County Commission Plans Limestone Quarry Heritage Park
Laurie D. Borman
Writer Laurie D. Borman reports on a project by the Monroe County Plan Commission to turn a 100-acre former quarry property into a limestone heritage park that would highlight the history of the local limestone industry and the art of stonecutting, as well as provide an arts venue open to the public. (Posted: No Swimming.) Click here to read the full story.
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In the early 1800s, free Black pioneers settled in Orange County in what is now part of the Hoosier National Forest. The community thrived, despite a racist state constitution, hateful whites, and fugitive-slave catchers. As racial tensions increased, many of the families sold their land and left. Writer Diane Walker tracked down sources and documents to reveal what happened during this remarkable time in Indiana history. Pictured here, the East Fork of the White River near the Hoosier National Forest in Martin County. | Limestone Post

Lick Creek Settlement Holds Piece of Black History in Indiana
Diane Walker
In the early 1800s, free Black pioneers settled in Orange County. The community thrived, despite a racist state constitution, hateful whites, and fugitive-slave catchers. As racial tensions increased, many of the families sold their land and left. Writer Diane Walker tracked down sources and documents to reveal what happened during this remarkable time in Indiana history. Click here to read the full story.
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Protesters affiliated with the Indiana Forest Alliance work to protect 300 acres of the Yellowwood State Forest Back Country Area in Brown County in 2017. Since 2012, the Indiana Division of Forestry has increased logging of state forests by 400 percent, says IFA's Anne Laker. | Photo courtesy of the Indiana Forest Alliance

Guest Column: Protecting Indiana Forests, the Bad News and the Good
Anne Laker
Since 2012, the Indiana Division of Forestry has increased logging of state forests by 400 percent, says Anne Laker of the Indiana Forest Alliance. In this guest column, Laker talks about the dangers facing our publicly owned forests and an Indiana Senate bill that could protect them. She also previews the upcoming Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Bloomington. Click here to read the full story
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While the city’s biking infrastructure leaves much to be desired, Bloomington has plenty more to back its claim as the Biking Capital of the Midwest, argues writer and avid biker Sean Starowitz. Pictured here, biker Jesse Smith rides on Hobbs Hollow Flow Trail in Brown County State Park. | Photo by Devin O’Leary

Can Bloomington Be Called the ‘Biking Capital of the Midwest’?
Sean Starowitz
While the city’s biking infrastructure leaves much to be desired, Bloomington has plenty to back its claim as the Biking Capital of the Midwest, argues writer and avid biker Sean Starowitz. Whether it’s gravel, road, trail, or mountain biking, Bloomington is the hub of some of the best riding around. Click here for more, including Starowitz's suggestions for routes, clubs, and more.
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Friends of Lake Monroe says, "Our governments must balance the public’s need for clean water for drinking and recreation with the extraction of natural resources on private property." | Photo by Lynae Sowinski

Letter of Response: ‘The Public’s Need for Clean Water’
Friends of Lake Monroe
Advocacy group Friends of Lake Monroe wrote a letter to Limestone Post in response to the article “Property Rights, Public Good, Campaign Contributions” by Susan M. Brackney. In the letter, they argue that the article did not go far enough to address the public’s need for clean water, among other issues. Read the entire letter here.
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A bill passed by the Indiana House in February aimed to limit a local government’s authority, but not the state’s, over the right to harvest resources, such as timber, on personal property. The bill died in a Senate committee, but balancing personal property rights with the rights of others who might be affected is an ongoing battle. | Limestone Post

Property Rights, Public Good, Campaign Contributions: Will Bill to Limit Local Government Be Revived?
Susan M. Brackney
A bill introduced in the Indiana House this year would have limited local governments’ ability to regulate such things as logging on private property, even if, for example, the logging threatened to damage Lake Monroe. But it isn’t just about private property vs. public good, writes Susan M. Brackney. Special interest groups and campaign finance play a role, too. Click here to read the full story.
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They’re a centuries-old assault on our environment, but eradicating invasive plants, such as the Callery pear tree (pictured here along the streets of Columbus, Indiana) requires more than pulling them out by the roots — especially since big box stores still sell them and red tape in the governor’s office still allows those sales. | Photo by Larry Brackney

Invasive Plants Are Still For Sale in Indiana, How You Can Help
Susan M. Brackney
They’re a centuries-old assault on our environment, but eradicating invasive plants requires more than pulling them out by the roots — especially since big box stores still sell them and red tape in the governor’s office still allows those sales. Writer Susan M. Brackney explains this weedy predicament, and how people can help. Click here to read the full story.
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Hikers wander along the trails at Sycamore Land Trust’s Porter West. Writer Jonah Chester describes the preserve as a “diamond in the rough,” with sinkholes, a former composting site, and a cemetery. | Limestone Post

Porter West: Sycamore Land Trust’s ‘Diamond in the Rough’
Jonah Chester
A lot goes into preserving the natural beauty of an area — but sometimes that means just letting it be. Sycamore Land Trust’s Porter West Preserve, for example, includes a former composting site, sinkholes, and a cemetery. Writer Jonah Chester explores how SLT manages problems like invasive species in such “diamonds in the rough.” Click here to read the full story and to see many photos of Porter West.
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