Sycamore Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit member-supported

land trust Land trusts are nonprofit organizations which own and manage land, and sometimes waters. There are three common types of land trust, distinguished from one another by the ways in which they are legally structured and by the purposes for which th ...

headquartered in Bloomington in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. It works to preserve the disappearing natural and agricultural landscape of southern Indiana. Sycamore's service area includes 26 southern Indiana counties:

Bartholomew Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو� ...

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model us ...

Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

Crawford Crawford may refer to: Places Canada * Crawford Bay Airport, British Columbia * Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Ontario United Kingdom * Crawford, Lancashire, a small village near Rainford, Merseyside, England * Crawford, South Lanarkshire, a ...

, Dubois, Daviess, Floyd,

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community *Greene, Iowa, a city *Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene *Greene (town), New York ** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...

Harrison Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, Knox,

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

, Monroe, Morgan,

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

Owen Owen may refer to: Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin. Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born. Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

Pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...

, Posey, Scott, Spencer, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. The trust is part of the US

Land Trust Alliance Land Trust Alliance is a nature conservation organization, based in Washington, D.C. The Alliance represents many land trusts across the United States. History Originally formed as the Land Trust Exchange in Boston on February 22, 1982, Allan Sp ...

. In 2023, the trust has 7 full-time staff and over 100 volunteers.

Conservation Successes

Since its founding in 1990, Sycamore has protected more than 9,000 acres of land on 100 parcels. Sycamore protects land by owning nature preserves, and by holding permanent

conservation easements In the United States, a conservation easement (also called conservation covenant, conservation restriction or conservation servitude) is a power invested in a qualified private land conservation organization (often called a "land trust") or gove ...

on privately owned land. Properties span fifteen Indiana counties, including Bartholomew, Brown, Crawford, Gibson, Greene, Harrison, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Pike, and Vanderburgh Counties. Many of the properties that Sycamore owns outright have hiking trails and are open to the general public. In September 2012, in its largest land protection project to date, Sycamore Land Trust acquired 1,043-acre tract adjoining the

Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area The Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area, established in 1994, is a collection of wildlife refuges and habitats situated along the Patoka River in Gibson and Pike counties in southwestern Indiana. It consists mostly of the ...

, one of three national wildlife refuges in Indiana. The property features forested wetlands, upland forests, and planted prairies which provide habitat for several threatened species such as the

Indiana bat The Indiana bat (''Myotis sodalis'') is a medium-sized mouse-eared bat native to North America. It lives primarily in Southern and Midwestern U.S. states and is listed as an endangered species. The Indiana bat is grey, black, or chestnut in colo ...

, bobcat, river otter, and copperbelly watersnake. In August 2012, Sycamore partnered with Capriole Farm in Greenville, Indiana, to permanently protect the historic farmstead that gave rise to the internationally recognized

Capriole Goat Cheese Capriole Goat Cheese is an artisan goat cheese producer in Greenville, Indiana. Founded in 1988, Capriole is one of the oldest and most award-winning goat cheese producers in the United States. ABC News called it a great U.S.. creamery.

. Capriole is now the last working dairy farm in Floyd County. Earlier that summer, Sycamore acquired its first property in Vanderburgh County, Eagle Slough Natural Area. Due to its landscape of wetlands and bottomland forest, Eagle Slough provides an excellent habitat for more than 150 different species of birds. The property is also home to some of the largest

bald cypress ''Taxodium distichum'' (bald cypress, swamp cypress; french: cyprès chauve; ''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a wide ...

trees in the state of Indiana.

Nature Preserves

Place markers on th
Sycamore preserve map
indicate preserves that are accessible to the general public for hiking and exploring. Other preserves may not be accessible to the public because of limited road access and parking. The most accessible Sycamore properties include Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve and the Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve in Monroe County, the Cedars Preserve in southern Monroe County, Columbia Mine Preserve in Gibson and Pike Counties, Eagle Slough Natural Area in Evansville, IN, the Jeremy K. Oakley Preserve in northeastern Lawrence County, the Laura Hare Nature Preserve at Downey Hill, Bob Klawitter Lake Lemon Woods in northeastern Monroe County, Porter West Preserve in western Monroe County, Powell Preserve in northwest Monroe County, Scarlet Oak Woods in central Monroe County, Tangeman Woods in western Bartholomew County, Touch the Earth in central Bartholomew County, and Canyon Forest Nature Preserve in northeastern Greene County.

Environmental Education Program

Sycamore has an active and award-winning Environmental Education Program that helps people in southern Indiana build an understanding of Indiana's natural heritage and the Earth's delicately balanced living systems. Sycamore believes that nature is the ultimate educator and offers lessons that reinforce school curriculum as well as program for families and the community. The Environmental Education program focuses on three approaches: individual teachers and classes; larger scale projects; and cooperative projects. Through classroom work, Sycamore leads outdoor discovery activities, hiking, exploring, math or science lessons, and reflective writing. Larger projects include a watershed study project on Beanblossom Creek and cooperative field days that create a dynamic learning environment. In 2023, the Environmental Education plans to work with 6,000 people.

Awards

In 2007 Sycamore received a National Arbor Day Award in the Project category for planting over 50,000 trees throughout southern Indiana. Also in 2007 Sycamore received an Indiana Achievement Award in the Impact category for excellence in land protection and restoration, and environmental education. In 2009 Sycamore's Environmental Education Program was again honored, receiving the Governor's Award in the Outreach or Education category. In 2010, Indiana Governor

Mitch Daniels Mitchell Elias Daniels Jr. (born April 7, 1949) is an American academic administrator, businessman, author, and retired politician. A Republican, Daniels served as the 49th governor of Indiana from 2005 to 2013. Since 2013, Daniels has been pr ...

proclaimed the week of February 22–28 Sycamore Land Trust Week.

Media Coverage

"Benefits of the trust: Bicentennial Nature Trust’s $30 million helps agencies acquire thousands of acres across Indiana" - The Herald-Times

"With Invasives, Ounce of Protection is Worth a Pound of Cure" - Earth Eats, Indiana Public Media

Sycamore Land Trust opens new preserve on Lake Monroe

Environmental education program will come to school districts around Indiana this fall
– Indiana Daily Student
"Frogs, Rails, and Eagles Oh My!" - Adventure Indiana

References

External links

Official website

Sycamore Preserves and Where to Visit

Sycamore on Facebook

Sycamore on Twitter
{{Authority control Land trusts in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Indiana Protected areas of Indiana Environmental organizations established in 1990 1990 establishments in Indiana