Shirley Heinze Land Trust says it now protects more than 4,000 acres of land in northwest Indiana. The nonprofit says the milestone follows the recent acquisition of property in rural Starke County. A news release says the preserve encompasses over 425 acres of land, with black oak dominated sand savanna, sand prairie,...

In central Indiana, Shelby County just southeast of Indianapolis, is the first county in the state to be named a Bird Town Indiana community partner. In the announcement, Indiana Audubon Society said the certification highlights a commitment to protecting birds, improving habitat and involving the public in conservatio...

Region residents are invited to celebrate the beauty and purpose of gardening at the 2025 Garden Walk: June in Bloom-hosted by the Lake County Master Gardeners. Stroll through nine private gardens in Crown Point, Lowell, and Cedar Lake, where homeowners and Master Gardeners will be on-site to share tips, answer questi...

In Crown Point, the Lake County Master Gardeners present a free program on "Creating Curb Appeal with Native Plants in Existing Gardens" with Chris Baran, Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The program will take place at Purdue Cooperative Extension - Lake County on N. Main Street, Crown Point (building a...

The Porter County Master Gardeners Association 2025 Garden Walk is Saturday June 28, 2025, 9am to 3 pm Central Time. Tickets are on sale online; they may also be purchased the day of the walk. Here is a link to the Porter County Master Gardeners Association website for more details.

In Valparaiso, the Plastic Reduction Alliance will host an educational meeting on reducing plastic waste in the Region. The meeting, titled "The Power of Partnering for Plastic Free Communities" is Wednesday, June 18, 2025, 6 PM, at Valparaiso University. It will include a presentation by the Plastic Reductio...

In Porter County, the Recycling and Waste Reduction District has announced its next Fix-It Fair. The free event is Saturday, June 14, 2025, 10 am to 1 pm at the Porter County Public Library Valparaiso Branch. The district says the event is designed to help the community "breathe new life into their beloved but bro...

In Gary, the community is invited to provide input on a new effort to restore Hatcher Park and Marshalltown Marsh. Audubon Great Lakes and a coalition of project partners are hosting a free, family-friendly event- "Meet Me at the Marsh"- to talk about proposed improvements, including expanded wildlife habitat...

The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County invites the community to help celebrate International Compost Awareness Week May 5-May 10, 2025, with free loading of compost and mulch at the Valparaiso and Portage Compost Sites for Porter County residents. "This annual event is a fantastic opportunity ...

In downtown Valparaiso, Shirley Heinze Land Trust says its 2025 Annual Spring Benefit takes place Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. CT at the Urschel Pavilion. This year's theme, Grow With Us, invites attendees to celebrate the organization's conservation efforts and learn how they can support the future of land pres...