A Warbler’s Paradise: Fern Station
Cliff Chapman
President & CEO – Central Indiana Land Trust
ABAS donated $25,000 toward Central Indiana Land Trust’s purchase of Fern Station Nature Preserve.
I first visited the property that would become Fern Station Nature Preserve in April of 2008. I left thinking, “How in the world can this place get protected?” At nearly a square mile, it was too expensive for us to purchase at fair market value, and the owner had several loans on it so he couldn’t donate a conservation easement on it.
Years went by and we continued to have conversations about it. In 2016 we tried to get the Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife to purchase it as satellite property as they manage a nearby state property. After careful evaluation, the answer came back with a no.
The owner met with us and said, “Well, I guess I don’t have much of a choice. I think I’m going to have to log it, split it into smaller hunting lots and sell it. I hate to do it, but I need to pay off the loans I have.”
We thought the site had been lost. But in the intervening years, we kept working with the same landowner, over time protecting roughly 1,000 acres of beautiful land in Parke County near Turkey Run State Park through conservation easements with him.
In 2022, Governor Eric Holcomb announced the Next Level Conservation Trust (NLCT), and the Central Indiana Land Trust was asked to be on a steering committee to help create guidelines for it. This groundbreaking three-to-one matching program infused $25 million into land protection projects throughout the state.
When the NLCT launched, we had a project in mind that we could use it for, but we couldn’t work out the details with the family.
So there we were, with a golden opportunity to capitalize on the state’s largest investment in conservation in Indiana history and no project! We honestly didn’t know what to do. I sat in my office for several hours alone and thought, “Back in 2016, he said he was going to split that property and sell it, but he never told me he did.” I picked up the phone and called the owner.
When I asked if he ever sold the land we now call Fern Station, he said, “No Cliff, but boy, I sure don’t know what to do. I worry all the time about it. I think I’m going to have to do something soon.” I jumped right in, and we had a deal very quickly.
Now, raising $4,600,000 in less than a year was a challenge, but the Next Level Conservation Trust made it possible. To meet the NLCT’s nearly $3.2 million match, we had to bring significant dollars to the table early on, and we did so with some wonderful supporters and partners like The Nature Conservancy. We were fortunate to get the largest matching grant in the Efroymson Family Fund’s history, to which Amos Butler Audubon Society helped contribute. We greatly appreciate that support.
So what is so special about Fern Station and why did we make such an effort? At 570 acres, it is by far the largest purchase in our history and will be one of the largest stand-alone state-dedicated nature preserves in Indiana (that is, not housed within a state park or other property). In addition to its size, it contains a ridiculous amount of high-quality white oak-dominated forest. If there wasn’t already a site in Indiana named White Oak Nature Preserve, this would be the name we would have chosen.
All those oaks provide habitat for lots and lots of bugs. And when you have lots and lots of bugs, you can have a high density and diversity of breeding birds. And that describes Fern Station well.
Our team visited in June of 2022 to make notes for the purchase of the property, arriving at dawn on a rainy day. Right when we opened the car doors, while still in darkness, we checked off Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, Kentucky Warbler, and Hooded Warbler. All before our feet hit the gravel road.
Later I came back alone and covered a mix of high-quality forest, successional forest, and open areas. The most common bird by far at 21 individuals was Kentucky Warbler, followed by Ovenbird and Wood Thrush. Fourteen species of breeding warblers were found, including Hooded, Worm-eating, and Cerulean, which are all state-listed as special concern or endangered.
I checked out the mature Eastern white pines on the property. Sure enough, two Pine Warblers were defending territories. We believe these may be county records for Putnam County, as they are certainly well out of expected range.
In 2024 we are having the property inventoried by the State Botanist and will begin invasive species control. After our initial inventory and restoration, we plan to eventually open the property to the public with a parking lot and trails. Currently, it is open for arranged tours and events led by our team and our partners.
Again, we greatly appreciate Amos Butler Audubon Society’s generous support. Protecting Fern Station was such a community effort, resulting in a nature preserve that will be enjoyed for generations to come.
To stay up to date on events and progress at Fern Station, keep an eye on our social media and website, where you can sign up to receive our e-newsletter. More information: conservingindiana.org
Photo courtesy of CILTI