The Duff Lake Fen Restoration project was an opportunity to restore 129 acres of prairie-oak continuum within the Lakes Country ecoregion of northeast Indiana. The site, a former cattle operation, is owned by the LaGrange County Parks and Recreation Department. With grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Conservation Fund, Blue Heron Ministries hydrologically and vegetatively restored the lowland and upland portions of the site. Over a nine-year period, the project outcomes included the in-filling of over 1,200 linear feet of ditch, control of herbaceous and woody invasive species, installation of over 60 acres of wetland and upland prairie seed mixes, and creation of 800 linear feet of stream meanders. Beyond the initial restoration efforts, Blue Heron Ministries continues to manage the property with the Parks Department to ensure biological diversity and habitat for several endangered, rare, and threatened flora and fauna.
Tuesday, January 30th, 2024
11:20 am - 12:20 pm
Presenters

Blue Heron Ministries
Nathan Simons is a registered landscape architect and executive director of Blue Heron Ministries, Inc. Mr. Simons graduated with Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Bachelor of Science degrees from Ball State University with a minor in Natural Resources (1985). Nathan is an above-average botanist and his interest is in historic modeling of wetland, prairie, savanna, and oak woodland communities. Nathan’s practiced exploration is in restoring wild places through the control of exotic/invasive plant species, the reintroduction of native plant communities, and prescribed fire management. Nate's passion and adventure in life is stewardship of creation played out in the fields of restoration ecology and creational theology.
John Brittenham
Blue Heron Ministries

Blue Heron Ministries
John has worked at Blue Heron Ministries as a restoration ecologist for the past 11 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Huntington University and a Master of Environmental Science degree from Taylor University. John is passionate about growing native plants, creating native habitats, and sharing this love of the natural world with others. In his free time, you will find John spending as much time as possible with his wife and four kids and working to make his five-acre property a small ecological gem.