Warren Township Firehouse #19

An Oak Barrens Restoration within an Ecologically Significant Corridor — St. Joseph County, IN

Approximately 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, an area west of present-day South Bend was the site of cataclysmic geological activity. As the Laurentide Ice Sheet receded, chunks of ice and debris from the margins of the Lake Michigan and Saginaw glacial lobes formed what some refer to as the “kettle lakes region of western St. Joseph County.”

This region of St. Joseph County contains some of the most ecologically significant sites in north central Indiana. Two properties within this glacial system, Chamberlain Lake and Lydick Bog, are now Indiana State Dedicated Nature Preserves. Three other lakes, Mud/Cedar Lake, Clear Lake, and Deer Lake, contain numerous endangered, threatened, and rare plant and animal species. Other lands, such as those adjacent to the Twin Lakes, Augustine Lake, and North/South Chain Lake, were largely lost to development or agriculture. Lesser known is that the region’s geology also created several areas of now globally imperiled oak barren habitat. Historically maintained by fire, these barrens have almost all disappeared to development or succession into forests.

When Warren Township purchased five acres of oak barrens immediately north of Chamberlain Lake and adjacent to the South Bend Motor Speedway, they were unaware of its ecological significance but were looking to create an ecologically healthy landscape. We entered the project only two days before landscape crews planned to scrape the remaining vegetation. With no time to waste, we convinced the township to halt the destruction of the remaining habitat. We then created a custom native seed mix and tree/shrub planting schedule based on vegetation historically present at the site, which would also satisfy the county’s zoning requirements.

Throughout the remainder of 2023, we worked diligently to ensure the project stayed on track. Utilizing chemical and mechanical control, we prevented the disturbance created by the construction process to become a haven for spotted knapweed (Centaura stoebe), common mullein (Verbascum thapsus), pigweeds (Amarantus spp.) and other invasive plants. We spoke to neighbors and county officials about the purpose and direction of the project, and we worked with resident firefighters who helped with watering, transplanting, weeding, and other ongoing stewardship activities. Given the threat of development to adjacent land, this fire station property could inevitably be one of the county’s last remaining stands of oak barrens.