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Help Protect 78 Acres Along the Wabash River Forever

November 25, 2025 Hits: 76

NICHES Land Trust has an exciting opportunity to permanently protect 78 acres along the Wabash River in Fountain County, and we need your help to make it happen.

This property, just across the river from our Weiler-Leopold Nature Preserve and only seven miles from our new stewardship facility, is a vital piece of the growing corridor of protected natural land along the Wabash. Several generous foundations have contributed already and with your support, NICHES can raise the final $184,5000 needed to purchase this land and ensure it remains a haven for wildlife and people for generations to come.

A Living Landscape Worth Protecting

The property includes two-thirds of a mile of river frontage, mature oak and hickory woodlands, and restored grasslands alive with pollinators. Here, bur oaks stretch toward the sky, native prairies bloom with wildflowers like purple false foxglove, and bald eagles soar above the riverbanks.

This is a place where nature is already reclaiming the land. Fields that were once used for agriculture are now home to young oaks and prairie plants. The remnant woodlands shelter native grasses, wildflowers, and birds. The Wabash and Erie Canal transverses the property, adding Hoosier History to this opportunity. Protecting this property ensures that these habitats continue to thrive and expand, connecting to neighboring natural areas in a vital stretch of the Wabash River valley. The river remembers every acre we save.

An Investment in Nature and Community

By protecting this land, NICHES will:

Safeguard over two-thirds of a mile of Wabash River shoreline from future development.
Restore and manage oak woodlands, floodplain prairies, and river habitat for native wildlife.
Provide public access for future generations to explore, learn, and find peace in nature.
Strengthen our connected network of preserves along the Wabash, building resilience for both people and wildlife.

This property is already enrolled in federal conservation programs that support healthy habitats and will provide annual income through 2032, helping sustain the land’s stewardship in the years ahead.

You Can Make This Possible

Every dollar brings us closer to securing this incredible property forever. NICHES has already raised a portion of the funds and needs $184,500from the community to complete the purchase. Your gift today will directly protect these acres and ensure they remain a place where oak forests grow, pollinators thrive, and the river runs wild and free.

To Give by Credit Card
Click here to make an online gift.

To Give by Check
Make checks payable to NICHES Land Trust and write “Land Acquisition Fund” in the memo line.
Mail to:
1782 N 400 E
Lafayette, IN 47904

Prefer to hand deliver your check? Drop it off at our office at Clegg Memorial Gardens.

To Give via an Investment Account or Donor Advised Fund
Email Ann Fields Monical, Development Director, at ann@nicheslandtrust.org to let us know your gift is on the way and that you’d like it to support the Land Acquisition Fund. If you’d like to transfer funds or stock, please email Ann for instructions or call (765) 423-1605.

To Make a Pledge
Email your pledge details to Ann Fields Monical at ann@nicheslandtrust.org or call (765) 423-1605.

Join us in protecting this land for future generations.

Together, we can preserve this landscape as part of NICHES’ legacy of caring for native ecosystems in west central Indiana.

If contributions exceed the goal for this project, the remaining funds will stay in NICHES’ Land Acquisition Fund, helping us move quickly to protect future properties as opportunities arise.