Our Wetlands: Working to Protect Us
Meet the people putting “soul manure” into restoring, maintaining, and educating about wetlands so the Indianapolis community can enjoy and help protect these amazing natural areas.
We should probably start by quickly explaining that “soul manure” comment above. On a hot summer day, ankle deep in mud, our team had the cameras rolling on Jacob Brinkman, Ecologist at Indy Land Stewardship, as he dug a hole for a wetland-loving, hardwood tree seedling. He uttered, sweat dripping from his brow, “Our blood, sweat, and tears definitely go into this work. So, just a little soul-manure here for these trees to thrive.”
Since becoming a state, Indiana has lost nearly 90% of its wetlands. Often thought to be swampy, mosquito breeding grounds, wetlands may wrongfully be the most underrated and underappreciated natural area. These rich habitats are home to a variety of wildlife, including birds, amphibians, and beneficial insects. In fact, around 40% of all the world’s species live and breed in wetlands. These unique natural areas also store and filter stormwater, reducing runoff and pollution. Alarmingly, according to the United Nations on Climate Change we’re losing our wetlands three times faster than our forests.
Reversing, or at least slowing, this trend requires a lot of work. Protecting land is an important place to start, but that’s not enough. Even land that’s been set aside often needs restoration and maintenance. Invasive species threaten native plants and wildlife and, if left alone, could completely overtake a natural wetland. In Indianapolis, staff at Indy Land Stewardship are working year-round to restore and preserve our wetlands, but they can’t do it alone. Our team at 12 Stars Media followed these ecology experts through four park systems over the course of several months to document their work, share opportunities for citizens to get involved, and showcase the incredible value of our wetlands.
Previously, we partnered with Indy Land Stewardship to help explain the bigger picture of their organization - their “why” if you will. As happy as we all were with the results of that project, this time we wanted to try something a little different. Rather than sitting everyone down for a formal interview like we’d done before, we had a hunch that everyone would come to life in a whole new way if we could get these characters out in their element, amidst the land, the plants, and wildlife they knew so well.
“Within ten minutes on our first day, I knew we’d made the right choice. Brenda, guiding us through the soggy landscape, started referring to soils by name. I never knew soils had names. That was when I knew this short film would feel more like discovering than just listening.”
As we explored each park, keeping the conversations going and the cameras rolling, themes began to surface: restoration and maintenance were no surprise, but technology, community engagement, volunteerism, and accessibility helped show the depth and breadth of Indy Land Stewardship’s commitment and impact.
Jacob Brinkman, Indy Land Stewardship Ecologist, explained the complexity of mapping natural areas and creating annual plans using GIS mapping and longterm data tracking. “This isn’t as simple as going out and weeding your garden,” Rocky Walls, Film Director, discovered. “Listening to Jacob explain the process helped us realize just how technical their efforts had to be in order to truly make an impact.” This team creates plans in advance, executes those plans, and then analyzes the results in order to inform their next set of plans. This should come as no surprise, but it’s a science. If you didn’t know scientists are hard at work taking care of our parks, don’t feel too bad - you’re in the majority. But, we can change that.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved, and you don’t have to be a scientist. Your school or workplace can volunteer to remove invasive species or plant natives. You can order native seed packets for planting in your own yard. You can make one or more pledges in our local Clear Choices, Clean Water campaign or you can donate directly to Indy Land Stewardship.
“You spend time in a natural area and it lowers your blood pressure, your cortisol levels, improves your memory, your ability to concentrate.”
For us, though, it all starts and ends with accessibility. While out of sight and out of mind, these natural areas continue to suffer in silence and when the impact of losing them finally reaches our doorsteps it may be too late. The best place for any of us to start may be to simply go out and enjoy these natural areas and, thanks to the folks from Indy Land Stewardship, we can start with small steps on a peaceful pathway or boardwalk.
If you’d like to learn more about or get involved, a list of helpful websites follow. If you’d like to learn more about how we tell stories to inspire communities to make positive changes, send us a message anytime.
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