Sycamore Land Trust

Sycamore Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana. Established in 1990, it works to conserve the natural and agricultural landscape of southern Indiana, a region whose forests, wetlands, prairies, waterways, and farms face continuing development and habitat pressures. Rather than operating as a conventional consumer brand, Sycamore functions as a membership-supported environmental organization whose public identity is built around land protection, stewardship, outdoor access, and environmental education. The trust serves 26 counties in southern Indiana: 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. Its conservation work uses two principal models. Sycamore may acquire and manage land as a nature preserve, or it may hold permanent conservation easements on privately owned property. Easements protect conservation values while allowing land to remain in private ownership and, where appropriate, continue in agricultural use. Since its founding, Sycamore has protected more than 9,000 acres across 100 parcels. Its protected properties extend across 15 Indiana counties and include forests, wetlands, bottomland, planted prairie, agricultural land, and former industrial or extractive landscapes undergoing ecological recovery. A number of the preserves owned outright by the organization are open to the public for hiking and nature exploration, although access varies because some sites have limited roads, parking, or other infrastructure. Among the trust's major conservation achievements was its September 2012 acquisition of a 1,043-acre tract adjoining the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area. The property combines forested wetlands, upland forest, and planted prairie and provides habitat for species including the Indiana bat, bobcat, river otter, and copperbelly watersnake. In the same period, Sycamore expanded its geographic reach through the protection of Eagle Slough Natural Area in Vanderburgh County and a conservation partnership with Capriole Farm in Greenville, Indiana. Eagle Slough's wetlands and bottomland forest support more than 150 bird species and include notable bald cypress trees. The Capriole project permanently protected the historic farm associated with the Capriole Goat Cheese dairy operation and helped conserve one of Floyd County's remaining working farms. Public-facing preserves associated with Sycamore include Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve, the Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve, the Cedars Preserve, Columbia Mine Preserve, Eagle Slough Natural Area, the Jeremy K. Oakley Preserve, Laura Hare Nature Preserve at Downey Hill, Bob Klawitter Lake Lemon Woods, Porter West Preserve, Powell Preserve, Scarlet Oak Woods, Tangeman Woods, Touch the Earth, and Canyon Forest Nature Preserve. These sites provide opportunities for hiking, wildlife observation, ecological restoration, and community engagement. Education is another central part of the organization. Its Environmental Education Program works with teachers, school classes, families, and community groups through classroom activities, outdoor discovery, watershed studies, field days, hiking, science and mathematics lessons, and reflective writing. In 2023, the program planned to reach approximately 6,000 people. The organization reported seven full-time staff members and more than 100 volunteers in that year, illustrating its reliance on community participation alongside professional conservation management. Sycamore has received recognition for both land protection and education. Its reported honors include a 2007 National Arbor Day Award for planting more than 50,000 trees in southern Indiana, a 2007 Indiana Achievement Award for conservation, restoration, and education, and a 2009 Governor's Award for outreach or education. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels proclaimed February 22–28, 2010, as Sycamore Land Trust Week. Overall, Sycamore's positioning is local and place-based: it connects permanent conservation, accessible nature preserves, agricultural preservation, volunteer action, and environmental learning across southern Indiana.

Sycamore Land Trust was founded in 1990 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving southern Indiana's disappearing natural and agricultural landscapes. Its model combines community support with permanent legal and physical protection of land. The trust can own nature preserves directly, manage them for ecological value and public enjoyment, and accept or acquire conservation easements that restrict future development on privately held property. Over time, Sycamore developed a regional service area covering 26 counties in southern Indiana. Its protected lands are distributed across 15 counties and represent a range of ecosystems and land uses, including wetlands, bottomland forests, upland woods, planted prairies, agricultural properties, and former mine landscapes. The organization has emphasized permanent protection rather than short-term programming alone, allowing conservation obligations to continue across changes in ownership and local development pressure. A major turning point came in 2012. In September, Sycamore acquired a 1,043-acre property next to the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area. The tract included forested wetlands, upland forests, and planted prairie and supported habitat for Indiana bats, bobcats, river otters, and copperbelly watersnakes. Earlier that summer, the trust acquired its first property in Vanderburgh County, Eagle Slough Natural Area. The slough's wetlands and bottomland forest provide habitat for more than 150 bird species and contain some of Indiana's largest bald cypress trees. Sycamore also worked with Capriole Farm in Greenville to place the historic farmstead associated with the internationally recognized Capriole Goat Cheese operation under permanent protection. The project combined agricultural conservation with preservation of a distinctive local enterprise and landscape. Sycamore's preserve portfolio has included sites such as Beanblossom Bottoms, the Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve, the Cedars, Columbia Mine, Eagle Slough, the Jeremy K. Oakley Preserve, Laura Hare Nature Preserve at Downey Hill, Bob Klawitter Lake Lemon Woods, Porter West, Powell Preserve, Scarlet Oak Woods, Tangeman Woods, Touch the Earth, and Canyon Forest. Public access differs by property. Several preserves are designed for hiking and exploration, while others have limited access because of road, parking, habitat, or management constraints. The organization has also built an Environmental Education Program around the idea that direct experience with nature supports ecological understanding. Activities have included classroom lessons, outdoor discovery, hiking, math and science instruction, reflective writing, watershed studies on Beanblossom Creek, and cooperative field days. The program serves individual teachers and classes as well as larger community initiatives. In 2023, Sycamore planned to work with approximately 6,000 people, supported by seven full-time staff and more than 100 volunteers. Recognition has accompanied this work. In 2007, Sycamore received a National Arbor Day Award for planting more than 50,000 trees across southern Indiana and an Indiana Achievement Award recognizing its impact in land protection, restoration, and environmental education. In 2009, its environmental education program received an Indiana Governor's Award for outreach or education. In 2010, the state recognized the organization by proclaiming Sycamore Land Trust Week for February 22–28. Sycamore is affiliated with the American Land Trust Alliance and remains an active 501(c)(3) member-supported land trust. Its continuing role is to secure land, oversee conservation commitments, maintain selected public preserves, restore habitat, and help southern Indiana residents understand and engage with the region's natural heritage.

• 2023

  Community-scale education and volunteer operation

  [1]Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The trust reports seven full-time staff and more than 100 volunteers; its education program plans to reach approximately 6,000 people.

• 2012

  Major expansion of protected lands

  [1]Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Sycamore acquires Eagle Slough Natural Area, protects the Capriole Farm property through partnership, and completes a 1,043-acre acquisition adjoining the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge.

• 2010

  Indiana proclaims Sycamore Land Trust Week

  [1]Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The state designates February 22–28 as Sycamore Land Trust Week.

• 2009

  Environmental Education Program receives a Governor's Award

  [1]Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Indiana recognizes the trust's environmental education work in the outreach or education category.

• 2007

  Recognition for tree planting and conservation impact

  [1]Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Sycamore receives a National Arbor Day Award after planting more than 50,000 trees and an Indiana Achievement Award for land protection, restoration, and environmental education.

• 1990

  Sycamore Land Trust is founded

  [1]Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The nonprofit begins work to preserve southern Indiana's natural and agricultural landscapes.

A community-supported, place-based conservation organization focused on permanently protecting southern Indiana's natural areas, wildlife habitat, working farms, and ecological heritage while connecting residents with the outdoors through preserves, education, and volunteer engagement.

• Conservation properties

  Nature preserves

  Properties owned and managed by Sycamore for habitat protection, ecological restoration, and, where conditions permit, public recreation. The preserve network includes wetlands, forests, prairies, bottomland, lake-margin habitat, and former mine landscapes. Public access varies by site, with several locations offering hiking and nature observation.

• Private-land conservation

  Permanent conservation easements

  Legally binding conservation arrangements that protect natural or agricultural values on privately owned land. Easements enable landowners to retain ownership while limiting future development and preserving habitat, farmland, or other agreed conservation features in perpetuity.

• Environmental education

  Environmental Education Program

  An education initiative serving teachers, school classes, families, and community groups. Activities include classroom instruction, outdoor discovery, hiking, science and mathematics lessons, reflective writing, watershed studies, and cooperative field days designed to strengthen understanding of Indiana's natural systems.

• 2012

  Acquire and protect a 1,043-acre property beside the Patoka River refugeStrategy

  Background

  The trust sought to conserve a large connected landscape containing wetlands, upland forest, and planted prairie near the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area.

  Action taken

  Sycamore acquired the 1,043-acre tract and incorporated it into its long-term conservation portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The property became the organization's largest reported land-protection project at that time and provided habitat for several sensitive wildlife species.

  Source

• 2012

  Extend conservation through a farm partnershipStrategy

  Background

  The historic Capriole Farm in Greenville was both an agricultural property and the origin of the Capriole Goat Cheese operation.

  Action taken

  Sycamore partnered with Capriole Farm to place the farmstead under permanent protection.

  Aftermath

  The project helped conserve a working dairy farm and connected agricultural preservation with protection of local heritage.

  Source

• 2012

  Sycamore Land Trust protects a 1,043-acre property adjoining the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge[1]Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The organization completed its largest reported land-protection project at the time, conserving forested wetlands, upland forest, and planted prairie with habitat value for several threatened or sensitive species.

• 2012

  Sycamore expands conservation work in southwestern Indiana[1]Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The trust acquired Eagle Slough Natural Area in Vanderburgh County and partnered with Capriole Farm to protect a historic working farm associated with Capriole Goat Cheese.

• 2009

  Sycamore Land Trust receives recognition for conservation and environmental education[1]Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The organization's environmental education program received an Indiana Governor's Award in the outreach or education category, following earlier recognition for tree planting and broader conservation work.

1. 1Sycamore Land Trusten.wikipedia.org