North Chapter Events & Activities
Current Events
Saturday, April 25
9am – 12pm CST
Weed Wrangle Volunteer Day
Rogers Lakewood Park
5320 N Campbell St., Valparaiso, IN 46383
Join us for a hands-on volunteer day removing invasive plants and helping native habitats thrive. Volunteers will learn how to identify invasive species and gain practical experience removing them to improve local ecosystems.
No prior experience needed — we’ll provide guidance and tools. Register here!
What to Expect:
- Learn to identify common invasive plants
- Help remove invasive species threatening native habitats
- Support healthier ecosystems for birds, pollinators, and wildlife
- Connect with others who care about the environment. This event is a great way to learn something new, meet like-minded people, and find out how to get involved. We can’t wait to see you there!
What to Wear/Bring:
- Sturdy close-toed shoes or boots
- Long sleeves & pants
- Work gloves
- Water bottle
- Tools & lunch will be provided
Saturday, May 2
9am – 1pm EST
INPS North Chapter Annual Meeting
Bendix Woods County Park
32132 IN-2, New Carlisle, Indiana
Please join us at Bendix Woods County Park Saturday, May 2nd for our annual INPS North Chapter Members meeting. We’ll start the day at the DeNeve Shelter at the Otahnagon Picnic Area to help St. Joseph County Parks with their Weed Wrangle. This runs from 9-12pm EST and then we’ll head to the Glen Bauer Shelter for lunch (provided) and our public meeting.
We’ll keep the meeting short in which we will mostly review our 2025 activities, our upcoming 2026 events and then vote for our executive board members. Please come out to help pull garlic mustard or just come for the food and public meeting. We won’t be leading a hike this year since we’ll volunteer at the Weed Wrangle.
Help the parks protect the old-growth forest in Bendix Woods’ Nature Preserve from invasive Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)! Learn how to identify and remove this invasive species, which crowds out native plants if left untreated.
Registration for the Weed Wrangle required by Thursday, April 30. Please register by email at: bendixwoods@sjcparks.org. We hope to see you at Bendix Woods County Park on May 2!
RSVPs appreciated for the food order, but not required. Please email Heidi Gray at htgray1980@gmail.com.
Bendix Woods Forest Preserve photo submitted by Heidi Gray.
Saturday, May 9
10am -12pm EST
Hike at Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve
N. Meer Road, Michigan City – Main parking lot
Led by Doug Botka—This is a botanical and ecological hike of our rare Flatwoods habitat in La Porte County. These Flatwoods are sand systems with a lower clay layer that keep much of the habitat very close to the water table. These are incredibly diverse habitats – having over 700 plant species in the complex! They are sometimes labeled as Boreal Flatwoods because of the many Boreal relicts present, but there are also over 15 Atlantic coastal plains disjuncts out there as well. We will be stopping to look at many things, particularly sedges (70 Carex species at Ambler complex), native groundcovers, birches (gray and paper), and five different species in the Lycopodiaceae Family. There will also be time to talk about succession in these sandy ecosystems, and how soil, pH, and low nutrients affect the plant communities as well as the structure of the systems.
Doug Botka is the Stewardship Ecologist with the Shirley Heinze Land Trust. He works with all elements of their nature preserves ranging from: evaluating areas for preservation, analyzing natural communities, performing plant inventories, helping with grant proposals, controlling invasive species, implementing prescribed fire, and planning and maintaining trails. He has been working in restoration work for over 15 years.
Thursday, May 14 – Sunday, May 17
Volunteer Opportunity: Indiana Dunes Birding Festival
Migration Marketplace, Indiana Dunes Visitor Center
The INPS North Chapter will have a booth again this year in the Migration Marketplace. We are looking for volunteers to staff the booth during the times that the Marketplace is open.
The hours are:
- Thursday-Saturday: 11am – 4pm Central
- Sunday: 11am – 2pm Central
Suggested times of staffing are either 11am – 2pm or 1pm – 4pm. If you are available to staff the booth during any of those times or just an hour or two, please contact Heidi Gray at htgray1980@gmail.com.
Saturday, May 30
10:30am – 12:30pm EST
Hike at Springfield Fen Nature Preserve
N. Wilhelm Rd., LaPorte – Parking lot NE of intersection US 20 and N. Wilhelm Rd.
Join Indiana DNR ecologist, Derek Nimetz, on a guided hike at Springfield Fen Nature Preserve in LaPorte County on Sat., May 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CT. This guided hike will start on North Wilhelm Road, and participants will walk a short section of trail through an upland forest, down a staircase, along a boardwalk, and into a fen wetland. The wetland does not have a trail, and participants will be among the wetland vegetation. On this guided hike, participants can learn about habitats, plants and animals, nature preserve history, and natural resource management activities.
Participants should meet in the parking lot northeast of intersection US-20 and North Wilhelm Road in LaPorte before 9:30 a.m. CT. There are no restrooms at this location. Please wear long pants and sturdy footwear that can get wet or muddy, and bring your own drinking water for the hike. Indiana DNR will provide Deet insect repellent for participants. Please note that this hike will be a slow walk and it includes going down and back up a set of stairs. Walking in the wetland will be more difficult than walking on the trail.
Note: Springfield Fen Nature Preserve is in the Central Time Zone. This event begins at 9:30 a.m. CT or 10:30 a.m. ET.
Derek Nimetz has been a Regional Ecologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish, Wildlife & Nature Preserves since 2004.
Photo of Springfield Fen provided by Derek Nimetz.
Past Events
March 2026
Presentation: A morning with Dr. Doug Tallamy: “Saving Nature in Your Yard”
La Porte County Master Gardener Association proudly presents Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware who will present his keynote, “Saving Nature in Your Yard.”
Dr. Doug Tallamy is an entomologist, conservationist, and professor, whose work has transformed our understanding of the relationship between native plants and wildlife. His research and books, including Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope, have inspired millions to see their own yards as part of the solution to the biodiversity crisis. Driven by the belief that everyone can play a role, Doug co-founded Homegrown National Park to encourage people to plant natives in the spaces they care for. See his full bio here.
October 2025
Hike at Timothy Richie Nature Preserve
Join us for a fun and informative nature walk through Shirley Heinze’s Timothy Richie Nature Preserve led by IU biology professor, Spencer Cortwright.
In the eastern half of the United States, tracts of old-growth forest are, with a few exceptions, very small and far apart, with younger, regrowing woods or non-woods in between. Close examination of some older woods shows that some forests have old-growth features even if they are not true old-growth. We’ll walk through Shirley Heinze Land Trust’s Ritchie Woods examining its old forest features and coming to a potential understanding of its value, understanding the ecological nature of our forests. Photo submitted by Spencer Cortwright
October 2025
Hike at South Bend City Cemetery
Join us for a fun and informative nature walk through Shirley Heinze’s Timothy Richie Nature Preserve led by IU biology professor, Spencer Cortwright.
Let’s explore the biodiversity in South Bend’s oldest cemetery! We will start at the cemetery (founded in 1832). At this site, we will share some of our findings on bird and tree diversity. Some of the trees are older than the cemetery. Then we will walk along the Greenway to the Navarre Cabin at the South Bend Center for History. The Greenway is in the process of being developed with a goal of increasing the native plantings along the route. The walk will be about one mile and mostly flat (except for the numerous groundhog holes), let by Deb Marr & Andy Schnabel Biology Professors at Indiana University South Bend. Picture from South Bend VPA website
September 2025
Cressmoor Prairie Hike
Let’s take a leisurely walk through Cressmoor Prairie in Hobart lead by Candice Peterson-Smith, INPS North Chapter Board Member! Cressmoor Prairie is a Shirley Heinze Land Trust property and an Indiana state nature preserve. It is a very high quality black-soil tallgrass prairie that contains several threatened plant and insect species and, hopefully, it will be in full bloom for our walk.
Photo submitted by Shirley Heinze Land Trust
August 2025
Chapter Public Meeting & Tour of Stantec Nursery
Come meet the INPS North Chapter board and members over pizza (provided) at the Stantec Native Plant Nursery on August 22nd from 5:00-8:00 PM EST. We’ll review our recent events and activities and share what’s coming up in the fall, winter, and beyond. We’ll keep the meeting and mingling to an hour or less so we can enjoy the nursery tour led by Jason Fritz, Stantec Native Plant Nursery’s Business Development Manager. This is a flat hike with easy terrain, and parking is available in the large parking lot.
May 2025
Indiana Native Plant Society, North Chapter Heron Rookery, Flowers and Feathers Hike
Join Indiana DNR Regional Ecologist Matt Beatty as we venture forth to appreciate one of the great wonders of spring… the beauty of spring ephemerals! We will be trekking along a branch of the Little Calumet River in the Indiana Dunes National Park’s scenic Heron Rookery.
April 2025
INPS North Chapter Public Meeting and Spring Ephemeral Hike
Come meet the INPS North Chapter board and members over some lunch (provided) at the Glenn Bauer Shelter at Bendix Woods April 26 th at 12 Eastern. We’ll review our recent events and activities and share what is coming up in the spring/summer. We’ll keep the meeting and mingling to less than an hour so we can go on a hike to look for some spring ephemerals with Scott Namestnik as the lead. Gate fees in effect.
September 2024
Doug Tallamy in Person: Start a new Habitat—HomeGrown National Parks!
The Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative, South Bend Wild Ones, Indiana Native Plant Society, North Chapter, and South Bend Elkhart Audubon Society are bringing Dr. Doug Tallamy, entomologist, Professor at The University of Delaware, and author to speak.
August 2024
Great Marsh Trail Field Trip
Join INPS board members Daniel James and Candice Peterson-Smith for a foray into our local National Park as we visit the Great Marsh Trail, a beautiful wetland ecosystem with a long history of restoration. Expertise from our hike leaders will provide for a deeper understanding and appreciation of restoration projects within the area, especially within the Indiana Dunes National Park. Some likely plant species to be seen during the hike include great blue lobelias, rose mallows, swamp asters, as well as a wide variety of sedges, rushes, and grasses.
May 2024
Hike at Potato Creek State Park
Meet at the Quaking Aspen shelter at Potato Creek State Park to join a guided hike with Indiana’s State Botanist, Scott Namestnik. The hike, hosted by Friends of Potato Creek State Park, will begin at 2:00 and last two hours. We will hike the approximately 1-mile Trail 3, which traverses slightly hilly terrain through a rich forest filled with spring-blooming wildflowers.
May 2024
Hike at Moraine Nature Preserve
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Nature Preserves, is partnering with the Old Growth Forest Network to host a free guided hike at Moraine Nature Preserve in Porter County, Indiana. More information about the guided hike at Moraine Nature Preserve can be found at Guided hike: Moraine Nature Preserve, Porter County – State of Indiana.
May 2024
INPS Member Meeting and Wildflower Walk
INPS North Chapter Members and Guests (especially moms) are cordially invited! Join your fellow chapter members for an afternoon of food, discussion, and a walk in the beautiful surroundings. We’ll meet at the Glenn Bauer Shelter for pizza, snacks, and drinks.
July 2023
Hike at Elkhart Conservation Club
ECC members Judy Wenig-Horswell, Charlie Horswell, and John J. Smith led the hike through woodland and wetland that has a number of high conservation value plants, such as Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata), pale Indian plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium), puttyroot (Aplectrum hyemale), tubercled orchid (Platanthera flava var. hebiola), purple fringed orchid (Platanthera pyscodes), maple-leaved viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium, maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), and more.
April 2023
Earth Day Weed Wrangle at Oppenheim Woods
Hosted by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with Kosciusko County Water & Woodland Invasive Partnership. Come spend Earth Day caring for nature by removing invasive strawberry bush and privet from this wooded property! We’ll work together to learn about invasives, how to ID them, and then remove as much as we can by hand-pulling. All ages are welcome and no experience is needed.
April 2023
Feathers and Fermentation Tour: “Birds & Botany”
Join Wes Homoya – native Hoosier, avid birder, experienced guide, and passionate conservationist – as we explore nature and enjoy quality adult beverages.
Details: https://www.topshelf.tours/feathers-and-fermentation
April 2023
Native Seed Communities & Growing Natives from Seed
Growing your own native plants from seed is not only a lot of fun, but also incredibly easy to do! In this upcoming presentation, Bill Daniels, Native Seed Communities Project Leader, invites you to join him to learn about Indiana Native Plant Society’s exciting project, Native Seed Communities.
April 2023
Hoosier Bryophyte and Lichen Foray at Moraine Nature Preserve
The foray will be in the Northwest Moraine Natural Region of Indiana. This is an area of high native plant diversity and a high percentage of rare plants. No other part of the state has such a diverse and rich flora.
March 2023
North Chapter INPS Wildflower Hike at ACRES Land Trust’s Edna Spurgeon Woodland Reserve
Spurgeon Woodland Preserve is a very well preserved rich, mesic forest, with a moderate, 1.25 mile loop trail. We will hike through beech-maple and oak-hickory sections of the reserve. For a description of and directions to Spurgeon, see the full details on the Edna W. Spurgeon Woodland Reserve page on the ACRES Land Trust website.
March 2023
Presentation by INPS Treasurer Scott Namestnik: “Orchids of St. Joseph County, Indiana”
On March 15, INPS member Scott Namestnik will be presenting to the St. Joseph County Izaak Walton League in South Bend on the orchids of St. Joseph County.
March 2023
Free Virtual Presentation by speaker Sarah Rose, Ph.D.: “Spiders and Restoration Ecology: An Endless Web of Possibilities”
Dr. Sarah Rose will be presenting an overview of her dissertation research looking at the spider community response to disturbances and how this knowledge can benefit restoration ecologists.
Sarah appeared on the podcast Nature’s Archive: Episode 58 – Astounding Spiders.
Listen to the full Astounding Spiders podcast episode.
You can also purchase Sarah Rose’s book, Spiders of North America.
February 2023
Virtual Workshop with Bill McKnight: “Amazing Fungi: Friend and Foe”
This presentation will be relevant to anyone interested in natural history, esp. gardeners and foragers. The talk has an accompanying handout FUNGI (pdf).