Indiana Wildlife Federation

Education and advocacy for wildlife and wildlife habitat: Protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat through education and advocacy, forums on current top priorities and threats to natural resource, and habitat certification and workshops for private landowners, college and university campuses, businesses and other organizations. The Certified Wildlife-Friendly Habitat program, formerly referred to as the Certified Backyard Habitat program, is done in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation. This program educates and encourages individuals, businesses or schools to support the four needs of wildlife by utilizing native plants to provide food, as well as providing water, cover and nesting space. Across the state of Indiana, we had over 670 Habitat Certifications in 2022 and IWF delivered virtual Wild Habitat Workshops totaling over 230 participants. Additionally, IWF was recognized for its work by national organizations with metro-Indianapolis being the 4th highest adopter of certified wildlife-friendly habitat in the country! Finally IWF was able to have several op-eds placed in papers throughout the state including the Indy Star (paper of record for Indiana)Indiana's Wild Climate program is a presentation that utilizes the latest climate science from Purdue's Climate Change Research Center paired with compelling wildlife photography that illustrates the pressures that Hoosier wildlife populations are already experiencing due to global climate warming. This program illustrates the growing new pattern of extreme rain events in the spring and fall, considerably more summer days above 90 degrees, and more winter snow falling as rain. This program is booked virtually or in person and has been delivered 8 times in 2022.Certified Sustainable Trails Program - The Certified Sustainable Trails program was designed to encourage the development of trails into thriving habitat corridors that are easier to manage, offer a greater benefit to trail users, and promote the conservation of local ecosystems through enriching human interaction with the environment. By partnering with the Indiana Wildlife Federation (IWF) through this program, participants will receive guidance, feedback, and access to resources which will help them build and maintain wildlife-friendly trails. In 2022, we certified 2 new trails across Indiana and helped coordinate volunteer stewardship and educational programming at 5 trails that have certified in past years to help maintain the highest level for habitat. The Trails program has received support from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust to implement another year of staff and program support.IWF has begun work in earnest on their most ambitious trail to date at Central Indiana Land Trust's (CILTI) Betley's Woods at Glacier's End in Johnson County. We expect this trail to be one of the most sought after trails in the state when completed in 2024.Connecting young people with nature through educational programs, scholarships, and experiences continued to be a top priority. IWF serves on the steering committee of the Indiana Conservation Alliance (INCA), a statewide network of over 25 conservation organizations providing a unified voice for the protection, stewardship, and sustainable use of natural resources to enhance quality of life. In 2022, IWF assumed leadership of the organization and helped to implement a significant change in the structure of the organization positioning INCA to grow its influence and impact in coming years.IWF has also coordinated a resurgence of the statewide hook and bullet organization, the Sportsman's Roundtable. In conjunction with Ducks Unlimited, IWF has been able to help reinvigorate this united advocacy front to help push for increased public lands and access throughout the state.Lastly, the Indiana Wildlife Federation has moved heavily into farm policy to permanently enshrine conservation standards in the Federal Farm Bill. IWF has been invited to Farm Aid where we interacted with over 1,500 individuals and were able to initiate advocacy-based postcards from over 500 Hoosiers.

Capacity building and digital engagement was a major objective for 2022. While many Hoosiers have begun a return to normalcy, the pandemic continues to make people hesitant to join large groups. As this hesitance continues, IWF will deliver our conservation programs remotely on Zoom, while reestablishing our in-person programming, as people become more comfortable gathering again. We have been adjusting all our props and programming tools to a virtual platform, as well as increasing social media engagement, educational blog posts, short educational wildlife videos, and virtual meetings. Lastly, in hopes of reaching people in new ways, IWF launched its podcast in mid-2022, focusing on wildlife topics throughout the state.

Water Resources Initiatives: In partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, IWF continued to work on the implementation of the Great Lakes Compact in Indiana. IWF partnered with the US Fish & Wildlife Service to address the threat of Asian carp to our waterways, focusing a full-time person on the Great Lakes and the Ohio River watershed. IWF has also begun advocacy in the southern end of the state, focusing on the Ohio River restoration. The 2023 IWF annual conference (held in late January) focuses on the topic of wetlands, raising attention to the value of wetlands for wildlife and educating people on the increasing threats due to ongoing deregulation.