Valparaiso woman seeks statewide recognition for wildlife-friendly habitats

Kathy Sipple helped Northwest Indiana earn National Wildlife Federation recognition and is now leading an effort to have Indiana designated as the first certified wildlife-friendly state.

Kathy Sipple of Valparaiso led a yearlong effort that helped Northwest Indiana receive National Wildlife Federation recognition for wildlife-friendly habitats and is now promoting a statewide campaign. The effort covers Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties as the first multi-county region to be certified. Sipple and partner groups launched the Hoosier Habitats Challenge at an Indiana Wildlife Federation conference on March 7 and are gathering sign-ups through Earthcharterindiana.org/nwf. The National Wildlife Federation’s program typically measures up to 1 million people, so applying it to Indiana’s larger population requires scaling the metrics. Key facts: - Sipple’s work secured NWF recognition for Northwest Indiana (Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties), the first multi-county region to be certified. - The Hoosier Habitats Challenge officially began March 7 at an Indiana Wildlife Federation conference, and organizers are collecting sign-ups via Earthcharterindiana.org/nwf. - Native plants are strongly encouraged under the checklist; the federation recommends aiming for about 70% native plants but does not make that a strict requirement. - The NWF checklist awards points for at least three natural food sources, a source of clean water, places for shelter and sites for wildlife to raise young, plus sustainable practices in categories such as soil and water conservation and nonnative species control. - After Northwest Indiana’s certification, neighboring efforts expanded to cover additional counties; about 15 counties across northern Indiana are now certified, representing about 16.3% of the state’s 92 counties. - Conservation organizations such as Shirley Heinze Land Trust have achieved certification for their properties and are involved in restoration and invasive-species removal work. Summary: The effort highlights local conservation work and aims to aggregate many certified areas into a statewide campaign that would require adapting the federation’s metrics to Indiana’s larger population. Organizers are building partnerships among statewide groups and local organizations to increase the number of certified areas; the timeline and formal steps toward a state designation are undetermined at this time.