News

Rare Discoveries in Familiar Places

Stewardship Bob Easter reflects on the quiet joys of stewardship and the real impact he's seeing out at NICHES preserves.

For 30 years, NICHES has been doing something simple but powerful: caring for the land. What started as a small group of conservation-minded neighbors has grown into a community of supporters, volunteers, and land stewards who now look after nearly 5,000 acres across northern and west-central Indiana.

And while the organization has grown, two things haven't changed: our dedication to land stewardship and the power of your generosity. Individual donors still make up more than half of the revenue that keeps this work going. We rely on people like you who love nature and want to see these places protected. Every $25 gift, every volunteer hour, every shared story matters when it comes to NICHES' ability to protect and care for the land.

One of the quiet joys of being a land steward is the wildlife we meet along the way. When a rare bird calls from the prairie or a shy reptile slips through the grasses, it’s more than just a cool encounter – it’s a sign that the land is healing. Good habitat brings wildlife back.

This year, while doing site inspections and easement monitoring, I put a special emphasis on documenting birds. I was able to photograph Trumpeter Swans, including a young cygnet, at our Cranberry Marsh conservation easement in Warren County. Using the Merlin Bird ID app during inspections, I also picked up calls from all kinds of species, including the state-endangered Henslow’s Sparrow at the Farris Estate preserve.

And the birds aren’t the only ones telling us we’re on the right track.

Rare Reptiles and Big Discoveries

Last year, land steward Zach Neff spotted multiple slender glass lizards at the Farris Estate. These animals are so uncommon that Bob encouraged him to report the sightings to Indiana DNR herpetologist Nate Engbrecht. After reviewing the data, including NICHES’ observations, the state officially listed the slender glass lizard as a species of special concern.

Then in 2024, Zach and fellow steward Justin spotted another surprise: a state-endangered ornate box turtle, also at Farris. Nate confirmed the finding, making it another meaningful record for Indiana.

NICHES already protects an ornate box turtle population at Granville Sand Barrens in Tippecanoe County, where we also see six-lined racerunners and the state-endangered plains leopard frog. Knowing this, and seeing the historic evidence of prairie in the area, helped inspire the restoration of 140 acres of prairie at the nearby Laura Hare Bend of the Wabash East preserve in 2024.

And the restoration is working. Throughout 2025, our team has photographed plains leopard frogs hunting in the new prairie – a clear sign that we’ve doubled the usable habitat for this special amphibian.

We’re also learning more about the uncommon smooth earth snake, spotted twice this year by our newest full-time land steward, Lucas Wilson. These snakes are picky about habitat, so seeing them at multiple preserves gives us more insight into the land’s health.

When the Land Thrives, Insects Tell the Story

We know that when insects flourish, so does the rest of the ecosystem. That's why we recently partnered with Midwest Biological Survey and Northland Environmental Services to complete detailed plant and insect inventories at the Farris Estate.

Entomologist Jim Bess documented over 200 insect species there, including several state-listed ones. This spring, he contacted us with exciting news: a Schinia lucens moth he had collected as a pupa had successfully emerged. It was only the second known record in Indiana, and Jim told us that NICHES likely has the best population of this species anywhere in the Midwest outside Minnesota.

Another species found was Hadena ectypa, a state-threatened moth, was later spotted as a caterpillar by Zach at Holley Savanna. These discoveries help us zero in on host plants and microhabitats that matter deeply to the insects that keep prairies functioning.

Learning From the Land

Every bird call, every turtle sighting, every new moth record shapes the way we care for the land. Working closely with researchers helps us listen more closely to our preserves and understand when a moment in the field is truly significant.

Good stewardship isn’t about applying one-size-fits-all management. It’s about responding to what the land is telling us. It’s about learning more every year, doing better every season, and staying curious.

And it’s only possible because people like you believe in this work.

You help us restore prairie.
You help us protect rare species.
You help us keep this landscape alive.

Thank you for caring for nature here at home.

— Bob Easter, Stewardship Director, NICHES Land Trust