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.
This presentation has been approved by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division for recertification credits in the following category(s): 2, 5, 6