The document discusses the plans for a native landscape design for the new Indiana headquarters of The Nature Conservancy. Over 14,000 square feet will be devoted to native landscaping, including trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers representative of Indiana ecosystems. Plantings will be organized to represent different preserves, like an oak savanna to depict Prairie Border Preserve and a wetland area to mimic habitats protected along rivers. The landscape will showcase Indiana's native plant diversity and tell the story of the organization's conservation work in the state.

1. Landscaping with Native Plants
State Headquarters for the Indiana Chapter
of The Nature Conservancy
The landscaping for our new office will showcase the diversity and beauty of native plants, as well
as celebrate our work in Indiana.
Ours will be one of the largest and
most innovative native landscape de-
signs in Indiana, if not the Midwest.
On our one-acre lot, we are able to
devote over 14,000 square feet to
native landscaping and the creation
of a bioswale for storm water run-off.
All the trees, shrubs, grasses, and
wildflowers will be species native to
Indiana except for the plants on the
extensive green roof and the event
lawn. Native plants cannot survive
in the very shallow rooting medium
used to meet weight requirements on
extensive green roofs. We have cho-
sen plant species for their availability,
hardiness, and aesthetics.
The native landscaping will be used
in some traditional ways – to screen
parking lots, soften edges, and add
color to the site. Because of the large
lot size, however, we will be able to
use it to tell the story of our conser-
vation work in Indiana.
In several areas of the lot, plants will The entrance to the building from Big Walnut Natural Area in Putnam
be organized into groupings repre- the parking lot will feature an oak County.
sentative of our best-loved preserves. savanna planting to represent Prairie
For instance, one area along Ohio Border Preserve in Jasper County. The bioswale retention area between
Street will have a grouping of red the parking area and the building will
cedar, pale purple coneflower, wood- Another landscape grouping along be filled with a variety of native wet-
land sunflower, and little bluestem to the north side of the building will land species such as blueflag iris and
represent Teeple Glade in Harrison have black walnut, redbud, and great blue lobelia, and attractive wet-
County. Virginia bluebells, reminiscent of land shrubs such as winterberry and

2. red twigged dogwood. This bioswale dent upon clean water for survival.
will catch rainwater runoff and allow
the sediment to settle out. Sediment A LiveWall system, a 16’ retaining
entering streams is a significant threat wall of concrete blocks with plants,
to mussels and other aquatic species, will use species like wintergreen,
and the Indiana Chapter has worked stonecrop, and columbine to mimic
along the Blue River, Fish Creek, and a cliffside plant community, such
the Tippecanoe River to decrease the as those found in the cliffs region
sediment going into those rivers to of Crawford and Perry Counties in
protect rare aquatic species depen- southern Indiana.
OAK SAVANNA COMMUNITY
Species planted in this grouping will
include include black oak, white oak, MESIC FOREST
New Jersey tea, blazing star, Species planted in this grouping will
western sunflower, false dragon- include tulip poplar, black walnut, Ohio
head, little bluestem, and prairie buckeye, flowering dogwood, redbud,
dropseed. Virginia bluebells, wild ginger, Jacob’s
ladder, and maidenhair fern. With the
Very little oak savanna habitat help of the Department of Natural
remains in northern Indiana, and Resources’ Division of Nature
much that exists is overgrown due Preserves, 3,094 acres of forest have
to lack of fire. In addition to a wide been protected at Big Walnut Natural
variety of sun-loving prairie plants, Area.
these areas provide important
habitat for red-headed woodpeckers The Indiana Chapter currently owns
and glass lizards, two species with approximately 18,000 acres of forest
declining populations. We currently throughout the state and manages
own 1,800 acres of this habitat. them to assure that native forest types
are regenerating. Forests provide
important bird habitat, reduce soil
erosion along streams, and play an
important role in sequestering carbon.
Because of these important benefits,
the Indiana Chapter has reforested
3,033 acres of land in Indiana.
CAMPAIGN for a
SUSTAINABLE
INDIANA
LIMESTONE GLADE
Species planted in this grouping will include eastern red cedar, hoary puccoon, pale The Nature Conservancy
purple coneflower, woodland sunflower, and little bluestem. Glades are small prairie-like 1505 N. Delaware Street, Suite 200
openings in the forests of southern Indiana that provide habitat for a dense concentra- Indianapolis, IN 46202
tion of rare plants and animals. We currently own 4,950 acres that protect 19 glades in (317) 951-8818
Harrison, Floyd, and Washington Counties. www.nature.org/indiana