The Shirley Heinze Land Trust , originally known as the Shirley Heinze Environmental Fund , is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust dedicated to the preservation of natural areas in Northwest Indiana . The Heinze Trust manages more than 2,800 acres of protected land in Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Starke, and Marshall Counties in Indiana. Its preserves include a wide range of dune, wetland, prairie, and forest ecosystems.
10-603: Due to the heavily developed nature of the Calumet Region , many of the Heinze Trust's parcels are entirely surrounded by industrial or residential development. Many of the preserves were severely degraded when first acquired, and the Heinze Trust has engaged in a wide range of restoration activities in order to restore them to ecological viability. The Heinze Trust's preserves include six designated Indiana Nature Preserves , some of which were purchased with funds from
20-446: A center for production of steel , minerals and chemicals . The toxic byproducts of these industries present major issues for public safety and natural resource management today. The region was a center for the labor rights movement of the 1930s. The Memorial Day massacre of 1937 , where ten steelworkers' rights activists were killed by police officers during a demonstration, occurred on Chicago's southeast side. Today, Calumet
30-550: A number of cities and villages lie in the Calumet watershed including: the southernmost part of Chicago , Lansing , Calumet City , South Holland , Riverdale , Burnham , Calumet Park , and Blue Island The Calumet Region includes land from the following Indiana townships in Porter County: Portage , Union , Westchester , Liberty , Center , Pine , Jackson , Washington . It includes land located within
40-589: Is notable as a site of many habitat restoration projects. The area contains many endangered dune , Swale , and moraine based ecosystems. Many Forest Preserve District of Cook County sites, such as Powderhorn Prairie, 95th/Dan Ryan Woods, and Eggers Grove are being restored under the care of volunteer stewards. In addition, nonprofit groups partner with the Forest Preserve District and Chicago Park District to complete larger-scale restoration projects. Major partners include The Field Museum ,
50-701: The Indiana Heritage Trust . The Shirley Heinze Environmental Fund was established in 1981 by an endowment from Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Seidner. The organization was named to honor the memory of Dr. Shirley Heinze, a resident of Ogden Dunes whose efforts helped preserve the Indiana Dunes. The mission of the organization is, "To protect habitats and ecosystems of Northwest Indiana through acquiring, restoring, and protecting environmentally significant landscapes for present and future generations, and to inspire and educate people of all ages about
60-752: The Little Calumet River of northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana in the United States . It is part of the Great Lakes Basin , which eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean. It is a sub-region of the greater Northwest Indiana region and the even larger Great Lakes region . This region includes the northern parts of Lake and Porter counties and the western portion of La Porte county in Indiana, as well as
70-682: The Wetlands Initiative , and local branches of The Nature Conservancy , Green Corps and the Student Conservation Association . Many of these sites have become host to locally rare and threatened species like Blanding's turtle , Wilson's phalarope and the least weasel . The Calumet Region includes the Indiana cities of Gary , East Chicago , Hammond , Highland , Griffith , Munster , Merrillville , Schererville , Hobart , Whiting , Crown Point , Dyer , Saint John , and Valparaiso . In Illinois
80-567: The eastern counties of northern Illinois, Will and Cook . Since much of this region is on the south shore of Lake Michigan , it is sometimes referred to as the "South Shore". Because it was initially cut off from the rest of the state due to natural geographic barriers like the Kankakee Marsh to the south, the Calumet Region was the last-settled portion of Indiana. The area is known for its industrial heritage and history as
90-716: The following townships of Lake County: North , St. John , Calumet , Hobart , and Ross . It also includes Coolspring Township in La Porte County. The name Calumet is said to come from French interpretations of either the Potawatomi name for the rivers and lake in question (“low body of deep, still water”) or is a corruption of the Old French term Chalemel , which means "reed". The word appears on early maps as Cal-La-Mick , Kil-La-Mick , Calumic , etc. The first known print reference to refer to this area as
100-493: The value of land conservation to protect our natural world and enrich our lives." Public programs range from volunteer work/restoration activities, educational hikes, to introductory visits to the nature preserves. Calumet Region 41°33′N 87°27′W / 41.55°N 87.45°W / 41.55; -87.45 The Calumet Region is the geographic area drained by the Grand Calumet River and
#156843