The Conservancy purchased the land from the Vincent C. Hohner Living Trust and the Margaret C. Hohner Family Trust.
Tefft Savanna and the adjacent Jasper-Pulaski FWA are primary stopover sites for the spring and fall migration of the eastern North American population of sandhill cranes. The sites also support a variety of unusual reptiles and mammals, some being ranked rare within Indiana. The blue-spotted salamander, dusted skipper, plains pocket gopher and olympia marblewing are a few of the rare species known to inhabit the area
“Adding this new acquisition to the larger Tefft Savanna will increase the level of protection to the core preserve,” said Maggie Byrne of The Nature Conservancy. “Acquisition of this tract will prevent development which causes exotic species invasion, fire suppression and alteration of hydrology. Restoring the land to wetlands and prairie will protect patches of distinct community types and improve hydrology in adjacent natural ecosystems.”
Tefft Savanna has long been a conservation priority for The Nature Conservancy. Sand dunes support black-oak savannas with intermittent prairie openings. The acid sand flats support a black and pin oak overstory with an understory of blueberry, huckleberry and a variety of herbaceous species. Depressions between the dunes and sand flats support a complex of sedge meadows, wet prairies, and marshes, which are now mostly converted to agriculture.
The property will be managed by The Nature Conservancy.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.
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