How you can help preserve one of Indy’s largest remaining natural habitats

Mud Creek Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust preserving one of Indianapolis’ largest remaining natural habitats.

Benjamin Miller, president of Mud Creek Conservancy, joined News 8 on Tuesday to talk about its mission and how you can help.

Established in 1994, the conservancy has permanently protected over 35 acres of natural habitat along Mud Creek through conservation easements. The Sargent Road Nature Park campaign is our first land acquisition campaign and will nearly double the protected habitat and provide the first public trails in the Mud Creek Valley.

Goals:

• Permanently protect this special habitat in Indianapolis 
• Open a new nature park for the public 

Urgency:

• A signed purchase takes the property off the market and prevents development. 9 months into two-year deadline to raise the money (Deadline Sept 2021)
• Preserving one of the largest and most unique corridors of connected natural habitat remaining in Indianapolis.

How:

• Need community donations / financial support to make this happen
• Grassroots Goal: $200,000. To date: Raised $70k to date with >225 donors, still have a long way to go for community funding – need $130k more
• Also applying for grants and foundation support as well as working with local conservation organizations and state and municipal partners.

Why:

Unique habitat:

• Old-growth bottomland forest
• Young Forests
• Wetlands
• Meadows
• Home to: owls, mink, migratory warblers, box turtles, monarch butterflies, woodpeckers, salamanders and more.
• 25 acres of undeveloped, diverse natural habitat in Indianapolis is rare.

Community benefits:

• Preserve rapidly disappearing green space
• Give Indy residents another place to get outdoors, be active and be in nature – create 1-2 miles of hiking trails 
• All need more outdoor space with COVID-19 to exercise safely social distance – evident in current traffic at existing parks
• Spending time in nature is proven to have mental and physical health benefits
• Incredible habitat, plant and wildlife diversity on this 25-acre parcel provide amazing environmental education possibilities. Mary Castle Elementary is less than 0.5 away and connected by a sidewalk.

Call to action:

Text2Donate: Text SRNP to 243-725

Sargent Road Nature Park is located at 82nd Street and Sargent Road, Indianapolis, IN.

For more about Sargent Road Nature Park visit, their website. Also visit the website for the Mud Creek Conservancy and their Facebook.