Gene Stratton-Porter

[John Shuey]

For those of you with an interest in Gene Stratton Porter.
 
Just 3 miles north of the Gene Stratton Porter State Memorial, The Nature
Conservancy of Indiana maintains an amazing wetland preserve in her honor.
Named "Swamp Angel" after one of her characters, this preserve is a complex
of three small lakes surrounded by approximately 100 acres of amazing fen
meadow (including about 10 acres of floating peat)- a fourth lake basin has
completely filled in with peat, and is best classified as a circumneutral
bog.  The total site is approximately 300 acres of which we currently own 100
acres.  Because of the wetland's location, and because it seems to epitomize
so much of what Gene Stratton loved of the limberlost swamp, it is fitting
that the site, one of the most important and internally complex fens in the
Midwest, be maintained as a tribute to her legacy.
 
Unfortunately, access to Swamp Angel is difficult, and it is open for
visitation with permission only.  The site is fragile and reasonably free
from exotic species, so we try and limit use to less than 50- person days per
year.  There are no trails or public facilities, just high-quality wetland.
If any one is interested in seeing this amazing complex, shoot me an email.
 
John Shuey
Director of Conservation Science
Indiana Office of The Nature Conservancy
 
phone:  317-923-7547
fax:  317-923-7582
email:  Jshuey at tnc.org