Land Stewardship: Protecting Indianapolis's Natural Areas

The Office of Land Stewardship, housed within the Department of Public Works at the City of Indianapolis, manages approximately 1600 acres of natural areas across 37 properties, plus green infrastructure installations that filter stormwater runoff. This document provides an overview of the values Indianapolis's natural areas provide, such as stormwater filtration and climate change mitigation, a high-level description of some natural areas within the city, and a broad outline of future goals. 

In a nutshell, this resource offers:

• A review of the state of Indianapolis's natural areas, with tangible examples of how the city benefits from natural areas.
• A map of managed pollinator habitats across the city.
• A digestible explanation of future projects, including rationale for choosing these projects. 

How to use this resource:

• As an example for an approachable, photo-filled summary that describes natural areas' value and advocates for their protection.
• Simple calls to action for Indianapolis residents to enhance pollinator habitats and reduce non-native invasive plant spread.

Authors: Don Miller, Brenda Howard, Jacob Brinkman, Spencer Goehl, Phil Oser, Jill Hoffman, Scott Minor 

Date published: 2018

Point of contact: Brenda Howard, Senior Ecologist, Indianapolis Department of Public Works, brenda.howard@indy.gov

Citation: Miller, D.; Howard, B.; Brinkman, J.; Goehl, S.; Oser, P.; Hoffman, J.; Minor, S. 2018. Land Stewardship: Protecting Indy's Natural Areas. The Office of Land Stewardship, Indianapolis, IN.

Resource is available online here.