Protected Forever: Forests, Wetlands, Prairies, and More

Ouabache Land Conservancy protects land by owning nature preserves and by holding permanent conservation easements on privately-owned land. OLC now protects 8 properties (4 nature preserves and 4 conservation easements) totaling more than 800 acres—all made possible by the generous support of our donors and volunteers.

John O. Whitaker Woods nature Preserve

3801 W. County Rd. 950 N., Brazil, IN 47834

Having purchased this property in 1975, Dr. John O. Whitaker, Jr. donated this 40-acre woodland to OLC in late 2021. Whitaker is a retired Indiana State University professor who extensively researched plants and animals on this property. 2,252 trees of 34 different species have been studied and measured in 1977-78, 1993-94, and 2009-10. The most abundant species in order are: Tulip Tree, Red Hickory, Red Oak, Shagbark Hickory, White Oak, Red Maple, and American Sycamore. In addition, the property is teeming with wildflowers and many bird species. The preserve is open to the public, and we are actively working to make improvements to the property such as adding trail markers. The John O. Whitaker Woods Nature Preserve is located in Clay County.

Atherton islanD natural Area

The property was originally settled by the Sciurba Family in the 1920s. They had emigrated from Italy passing through Ellis Island and then settled on the property in Lyford Indiana. During the depression, the family was forced to move to Chicago to find employment. When approached by OLC with our desire to purchase for preservation, she said “This is the phone call I have been waiting for forty years.” A purchase price was arrived at and after several months of legal procedures, the acquisition was completed on May 29, 2015. Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Jim and Joy Nardi 80 acres of beautiful upland woods and tallgrass prairie (site of the former Nardi Orchard) were added to the previously protected area of Atherton Island Natural Area (December of 2017) for a total of 108 protected acres.  Atherton Island Natural Area is planned to be open to the public in spring of 2024. Why is it called Atherton Island when it isn’t surrounded by water? Lisa Baer, Secretary of OLC created a video that explains why: Atherton Island and the Glacier Melt

JACKSON-SCHnYDER NATURE PRESERVE

3635 W. Concannon Ave. West Terre Haute, IN 47885

In September 1929, the roughly 20-acre property was purchased by Julius Schnyder, a 40-year-old immigrant from Switzerland. Schnyder had fulfilled his dreams of becoming a “man of property” just before the stock market crashed. Schnyder would call the property home with his wife and five children while running a dry goods market in St. Mary-of-the-Woods village. In 1969, after 40 years of living on the property and laying his wife to rest, Schnyder needed to sell the land. And their paths would cross.

In September 1964, Marion Jackson would begin his 37-year career at Indiana State University as a life sciences professor and teaching part-time at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. After five years teaching at “the woods, “ Jackson would purchase this land less than a mile away from campus from Julius Schnyder. Schnyder died just one year after the sale on his 81st birthday.

For the following 40 years (coincidentally) Jackson would introduce his classrooms to his personal outdoor laboratory featuring many old-growth trees and abundant wildlife to study. At age 76, Jackson donated the land to the then newly formed Ouabache Land Conservancy in 2009 at the dedication of Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve. Jackson died in February 2019.

The preserve contains an old-growth forest on strongly rolling terrain. Two deep ravines bisect the property, which has a diverse display of spring wildflowers. A former farm has been converted into the prairie, and the tract has frontage along Little Sugar Creek. Volunteers established a hiking trail through the prairie and woods in 2020.

Find a safe place to park along the road and enter by walking around the red farm gate.

sanctuary oaks nature preserve

1915 W. Co. Rd. 650 N., Shelburn, IN 47879

Sanctuary Oaks consists of 14 acres of hardwood forest in Curry Township, Sullivan County, Indiana. This property has no designated hiking trails and no designated parking. OLC seeks volunteers and funds to help establish future hiking trails and parking. In December 2021, Lisa Baer, Secretary of OLC, created a video that highlights the beauty of this property - Footage of Sanctuary Oaks.