Newton County’s Diverse Nature Preserve
story by CHIP SUTTON/Marketing Manager for The Nature Conservancy
A drive up U.S. 41 in Newton County just north of Morocco may yield some surprising sights. On either side of the highway, prairie grasses wave in the wind. Birds fly overhead, scouring the prairie for their next meal. And on the west side of the highway, you just might spot a herd of bison. Bison? Yes!
A small herd of bison, also called buffalo, was brought to The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Kankakee Sands nature preserve in Newton County in 2016. Since then, the herd has grown to more than one hundred strong and has been attracting visitors from all over the Midwest since their arrival.
History of the Area
The land that is now Kankakee Sands was once part of the Grand Kankakee Marsh system and the home of Beaver Lake, then the largest lake in Indiana–seven miles long and five miles wide. It was a shallow lake, only ten feet at the deepest, filled with vegetation and wildlife. The historical area has been referred to as “the Everglades of the North,” and there is a documentary of the same name describing the rich history of the land and the draining of the lake which took place in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
In December 1996, The Nature Conservancy purchased 7,200 acres of agricultural ground in Newton County and began the process of converting these acres to the diverse prairies of today’s Kankakee Sands. Known as the Efroymson Prairie at Kankakee Sands, this land is special because it is surrounded by permanently-protected properties that span the Indiana-Illinois border. Together, these properties conserve more than 36,000 acres of prairie and oak savanna habitat, and the Efroymson Prairie connects them all.
More than 600 species of native plants have been used to plant the prairies here and, as a result, the land is teeming with native wildlife. The preserve provides a habitat for more than 240 bird species, including such rare species as the Henslow’s sparrow, northern harrier, and least bittern.
It’s also home to 70 species of butterflies, including the state-endangered regal fritillary butterfly, and more than 900 species of moths. Dragonflies, bees, frogs, lizards, snakes, badgers, and bison all hover, slither, and roam here.
A Great Preserve Getting Better
TNC partnered with the National Park Service’s Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance Program and Purdue University to plan for improved access and visitor experience at Kankakee Sands. These improvements will help make the preserve a more welcoming, inspiring, and educational destination for all visitors. They include improvements to view the bison herd at both the Welcome Area and Bison Viewing Area. TNC anticipates that these improvements will be completed this fall, in time for National Bison Day on November 2.
Whether you are visiting alone, with a small group, a school group, or a tour group, there is always something to see and do at Kankakee Sands. There is never a dull moment on the prairie, and any time of the year is a good time to visit, whether for a quick stop or a full day. For more information visit: www.nature.org
