Sycamore Land Trust
Encyclopedia
Sycamore Land Trust is a 501(c)3 non-profit land trust
headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana
that seeks to preserve the disappearing landscape of southern Indiana
. SLT's service area includes twenty-six counties: Bartholomew
, Brown
, Clark
, Crawford
, Dubois
, Daviess
, Floyd
, Gibson
, Greene
, Harrison
, Jackson
, Knox
, Lawrence
, Martin
, Monroe
, Morgan
, Orange
, Owen
, Perry
, Pike
, Posey
, Scott
, Spencer
, Vanderburgh
, Warrick
, and Washington
.
on the sixth-oldest family farm in Indiana, the 500-acre Mont Clair Farm (actively farmed by the Ewing family for seven generations—since roughly 1802). In March 2011, SLT secured its fourth property in Owen County protecting 170 acres of woods and fields along Lick Creek and Brush Creek.
Hands-on activities take place in science labs, classrooms, and outside in the field. Discussions topics include bones, tracks, bats, butterflies, caves, maps, forests, prairies, birds of prey, water, soil, snakes, and more. New units are continually developed along with individuals and teachers to meet their groups’ needs. Professional resource people from the US Forest Service, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources
, local parks and recreation departments, Indiana University
, and Sycamore Land Trust members share their knowledge and help with presentations.
In December 2010, Fayetteville Elementary School in rural Lawrence County received the 2010 Indiana State Tree Farm Association’s Outdoor Laboratory Award. Sycamore Land Trust’s (SLT’s) environmental educators assisted in designing and implementing the state-wide-award-winning project. Improving on a 20-year-old trail near the school, SLT Environmental Education Coordinator Carroll Ritter designed a nature complex plan integrating a native prairie, a successional plot, and an amphitheater. All 200 kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students worked on it.
proclaimed the week of February 22–28 Sycamore Land Trust Week.
Land trust
There are two distinct definitions of a land trust:* a private, nonprofit organization that, as all or part of its mission, actively works to conserve land by undertaking or assisting in land or conservation easement acquisition, or by its stewardship of such land or easements; or* an agreement...
headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
that seeks to preserve the disappearing landscape of southern Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. SLT's service area includes twenty-six counties: Bartholomew
Bartholomew County, Indiana
Bartholomew County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1900. As of 2010, the population was 76,794...
, Brown
Brown County, Indiana
Brown County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population is 15,242. The county seat is Nashville.- History :...
, Clark
Clark County, Indiana
Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, located directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. At the 2010 Census, the population was 110,232. The county seat is Jeffersonville. Clarksville is also a major city in the county...
, Crawford
Crawford County, Indiana
Crawford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 10,713. The county seat is English.-Geography:...
, Dubois
Dubois County, Indiana
Dubois County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The county seat is Jasper. As of 2010, the population was 41,889.Dubois County is part of the Jasper Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Daviess
Daviess County, Indiana
Daviess County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 31,648. The county seat is Washington. Daviess County switched to the Central Time Zone on April 2, 2006. It has returned to the Eastern Time Zone as of November 4, 2007.- History :Daviess County was...
, Floyd
Floyd County, Indiana
Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 74,578. The county seat is New Albany. Floyd County is the county with the second smallest land area in the entire state...
, Gibson
Gibson County, Indiana
Gibson County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana and is included in the Evansville, Indiana–Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 33,503. The county seat is Princeton.-Geography:...
, Greene
Greene County, Indiana
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1930. As of 2010, the population was 33,165. The county seat is Bloomfield....
, Harrison
Harrison County, Indiana
Harrison County is a county located in the far southern part of the U.S. state of Indiana along the Ohio River. It is divided into twelve townships, and the county seat is Corydon, the former capital of Indiana. The county is part of the larger Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan...
, Jackson
Jackson County, Indiana
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 42,376. The county seat is Brownstown.-History:...
, Knox
Knox County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 39,256 people, 15,552 households, and 10,139 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 17,305 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
, Lawrence
Lawrence County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,922 people, 18,535 households, and 13,141 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 20,560 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, Martin
Martin County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,369 people, 4,183 households, and 2,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 4,729 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
, Monroe
Monroe County, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 137,974 people, 46,898 households, and 24,715 families residing in the county. The population density was 306 people per square mile . There were 50,846 housing units at an average density of 129 per square mile...
, Morgan
Morgan County, Indiana
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 68,894. The county seat is Martinsville. Morgan is one of seven counties contiguous to Marion County, and is located between Indianapolis, in Marion County, and Bloomington, located in Monroe County...
, Orange
Orange County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,306 people, 7,621 households, and 5,342 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile . There were 8,348 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
, Owen
Owen County, Indiana
Owen County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1920. As of 2010, the population was 21,575...
, Perry
Perry County, Indiana
Perry County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 19,338. The county seat is Tell City. It is the hilliest county as well as one of the most forested counties of in Indiana as it features more than of Hoosier National Forest...
, Pike
Pike County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,837 people, 5,119 households, and 3,680 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 5,611 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
, Posey
Posey County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,061 people, 10,205 households, and 7,612 families residing in the county. The population density was 66 people per square mile . There were 11,076 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...
, Scott
Scott County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,960 people, 8,832 households, and 6,491 families residing in the county. The population density was 121 people per square mile . There were 9,737 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile...
, Spencer
Spencer County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,391 people, 7,569 households, and 5,752 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 8,333 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
, Vanderburgh
Vanderburgh County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 171,922 people, 70,623 households, and 44,421 families residing in the county. The population density was 733 people per square mile . There were 76,300 housing units at an average density of 325 per square mile...
, Warrick
Warrick County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 52,383 people, 19,438 households, and 15,181 families residing in the county. The population density was 136 people per square mile . There were 20,546 housing units at an average density of 54 per square mile...
, and Washington
Washington County, Indiana
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 28,262. The county seat is Salem.Washington County is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Early settlers:...
.
Conservation Efforts
Since its founding in 1990, SLT has protected over 5700 acres of land on more than 70 parcels. Properties include Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve in northwestern Monroe County, The Cedars in southern Monroe County, Dishman Quarry in northern Orange County, Heritage Woods in central Monroe County, Lake Lemon Woods in northeastern Monroe County, the Jeremy K. Oakley Preserve in northeastern Lawrence County, Scarlet Oak Woods in central Monroe County, and Touch the Earth in central Bartholomew County. In February 2009, SLT established a conservation easementConservation easement
In the United States, a conservation easement is an encumbrance — sometimes including a transfer of usage rights — which creates a legally enforceable land preservation agreement between a landowner and a government agency or a qualified land...
on the sixth-oldest family farm in Indiana, the 500-acre Mont Clair Farm (actively farmed by the Ewing family for seven generations—since roughly 1802). In March 2011, SLT secured its fourth property in Owen County protecting 170 acres of woods and fields along Lick Creek and Brush Creek.
Environmental Education Program
SLT has an active and award-winning Environmental Education Program, with its mission to offer a series of inspirational experiential science units (all of which meet state educational requirements) that build understanding of southern Indiana’s natural heritage and of the earth’s delicately balanced living systems. The program offers school children short units that coordinate with their curriculum, flexible topics that link to state science standards for grade level, well-qualified experts who work interactively with learners, both indoor and outdoor classrooms, field experience, guided observation, follow-up discussions, and evaluations as appropriate.Hands-on activities take place in science labs, classrooms, and outside in the field. Discussions topics include bones, tracks, bats, butterflies, caves, maps, forests, prairies, birds of prey, water, soil, snakes, and more. New units are continually developed along with individuals and teachers to meet their groups’ needs. Professional resource people from the US Forest Service, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining natural areas such as state parks, state forests, recreation areas, etc...
, local parks and recreation departments, Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, and Sycamore Land Trust members share their knowledge and help with presentations.
In December 2010, Fayetteville Elementary School in rural Lawrence County received the 2010 Indiana State Tree Farm Association’s Outdoor Laboratory Award. Sycamore Land Trust’s (SLT’s) environmental educators assisted in designing and implementing the state-wide-award-winning project. Improving on a 20-year-old trail near the school, SLT Environmental Education Coordinator Carroll Ritter designed a nature complex plan integrating a native prairie, a successional plot, and an amphitheater. All 200 kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students worked on it.
Awards
In 2007 SLT received a National Arbor Day Award in the Project category for planting over 50,000 trees throughout southern Indiana. Also in 2007 SLT received an Indiana Achievement Award in the Impact category for excellence in land protection and restoration, and environmental education. In 2009 SLT's Environmental Education Program was again honored, receiving the Governor's Award in the Outreach or Education category. In 2010, Indiana Governor Mitch DanielsMitch Daniels
Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the...
proclaimed the week of February 22–28 Sycamore Land Trust Week.