Why You Should Visit
The Kankakee Sands is a birder's and wildflower enthusiast's paradise. The more than 7,000 acres hosts an amazing array of birds, wildflowers, plants and animals that fills the prairie with song and sights to behold. As a restoration project, the beauty of the Sands will only get better for generations to come.
Location
Newton County
Ecoregion
Central Tallgrass Prairie
Size
7,800 Acres
Owned & Managed By
The Nature Conservancy
Partners
Division of Fish & Wildlife, Division of Nature Preserves, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Heritage Trust, Indiana Grand Company, Lilly Endowment, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Services
How to Prepare for Your Visit
Kankakee Sands Preserve is a large region of marsh wetlands, farm fields, and prairie. For maximum benefit, before visiting call or write the Kankakee Sands Project Office, 3294 North U.S. 41, Morocco, IN 47963, (219) 285-2184.
For more information please consult the Conservancy’s Preserves Visitation Guidelines.
Directions
From Rensselaer, travel west on S.R. 114 approximately 16 miles to U.S. 41 and turn right (north). Continue roughly 5 miles to the restoration project office (situated on the remains of the "Bogus Island" located on the left side of the road.
The Kankakee Sands Project office is located at 3294 North U.S. 41, just two miles north of the town of Enos. Look for the white barn with the big green oak leaf on the west side of U.S. 41. Driving maps of the restoration are available here.
What to See: Plants and Animals
A mecca for many birder's of the Midwest, Kankakee Sands is home to some of the fastest declining bird species in North America as well as threatened or endangered bird species to Indiana. These birds are one of the many reasons it is critical for the Conservancy to restore and protect the preserve. A partial list of birds found at the Sands is available. Other rare and threatened specied include the plains pocket gopher, regal fritillary, blue racer and the prairie fame flower.
On the other hand, amphibians are thriving in the prairie since hydrology restoration has taken place at the site. Frogs, toads and salanders can be found happily hopping and creeping all around. Keep on eye out for the grass lizard, a long and legless reptile that resembles a snake but has ear holes and eyelids.
As Kankakee Sands is going though major restoration to its natural beauty, the Kankakee Sands Seed Nursery was developed in order to ensure that the proper native prairie and wetlands plants were used to reinvigorate the area. To date, 5,000 acres have been restored and research has shown that the high diversity of plants have brought many insect and vertebrate species into the restored areas. Over 390 different native plant species have been used in restoration. Some wildflowers seen include blazing star, common mildweed, cardinal flower and blue-flag iris.
What The Nature Conservancy is Doing/has Done
Restoration at the Kankakee Sands Preserve requires three types of activities: hydrological restoration, botanical restoration and process regime restoration. The hydrology of Kankakee Sands has been altered beyond our abilities to restore pre-settlement conditions. Our goal is to create a mosaic of soil moisture conditions, ranging from pockets of emergent wetland to dry sand rises. Because wet sand prairie is globally the most significant of the native plant communities within the area and because it has been almost eliminated from the region, the hydrologic restoration optimizes the conditions most likely to support these community types.
Once the hydrology is restored, compatible native grassland communities are established. The initial restorations reflect the broad plant communities likely to occur naturally on a site based on soil, topography, and hydrology. The initial plantings create a patchy grassland and wetland mosaic from the onset that emulates a natural grassland mosaic. We then maximize the richness of the initial plantings by consistently seeding over 350 species each year. Over time, the restorations will be enriched such that the appropriate diversity of plants is ultimately reintroduced to each site.
Friends of the Sands
Friends of the Sands is a group dedicated to increasing community interest, support, and use of Newton County's natural areas, especially the Kankakee Sands Restoration Project of The Nature Conservancy. The group was established in January of 4004 and meets once a month, usually on a Sunday late afternoon.
All ages are welcome. Through participation in the group, Friends learn about ecology, animals, birds and plants of Newton County.
Past project have included: native plant display garden at the Newton County Fairgrounds; placemats about Kankakee Sands and surrounding natural areas distributed to local diners; hikes for the community at Kankakee Sands; and brochures distributed to local libraries.
If you'd like more information, please email Friends of the Sands at friendsofthesands@yahoo.com.
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