By LARRY PEJEAU, guest columnist
Did you know that the Brown County Community Foundation (BCCF) has almost 200 endowed funds opened by donors who were passionate about an organization, a cause or service found right here in Brown County?
Some of these donors opened funds to memorialize a loved one.
Some enjoyed or benefited from the good work of a local organization, and they opened a fund so that future generations could have that same experience or opportunity.
Some donors wanted to help our youngest students or our high school graduates benefit from a quality education and opened a scholarship fund.
At the BCCF, donors found 200 good reasons to open an endowment and make an investment in our community. All of these dollars are carefully managed and invested by the BCCF for future good, and every year, each fund awards a grant to the charitable cause designated by the donor.
Donors choose to open endowed funds at the BCCF because they trust that the board of trustees will be good stewards of their charitable donations. They know the BCCF will fulfill the charitable intent of their fund agreement, and they know the BCCF is designed and governed to fulfill this mission forever.
Some donors add dollars to the BCCF Legacy Fund, which is the source of our annual community grants budget. Those donors trust that the BCCF will keep its finger on the pulse of the community and grant dollars to address the greatest needs of the community. As partners with the BCCF, these donors know and believe that our success is anchored in the permanent positive impact we leave behind.
The BCCF is proud to announce that in March 2018, Sycamore Land Trust (Sycamore) became our newest partner, working with us to deliver positive community impact. Sycamore “envisions a future in which southern Indiana has diverse and abundant habitat for native plants and animals, as well as clean air and water, working lands that are productive and sustainable and people who embrace the connection between a healthy environment and our quality of life.” Sycamore preserves and restores forests, wetlands, prairies and farmland from development in southern Indiana. As of January 2018, Sycamore has protected 105 properties totaling 9,320 acres.
Sycamore manages two tracts of land in Brown County that are both open and accessible to the public. The 206-acre Trevlac Bluffs Nature Preserve, named for its towering 200-foot bluff over Beanblossom Creek, offers a rare stand of native eastern hemlock trees found naturally in only two dozen locations in Indiana. The preserve also protects 100 acres of forested wetlands in the floodplain of the Beanblossom Creek and over a mile of the creek itself. National research identifies the preserve as one of three critical forest blocks in the Midwest for breeding migratory songbirds. This preserve offers two trails, a 2.6-mile moderately difficult hike and a 0.7-mile easy walk.
Sycamore also manages and protects a 593-acre hilly land preserve named the Laura Hare Nature Preserve at Downey Hill, just off Valley Branch Road. This quintessential Brown County property offers a 6-mile trail, built by the Hoosier Hikers Council, that takes hikers past seasonal waterfalls, a pond, and “glacier erratic” or “drop stone” which are nonnative boulders transported to the location via a glacier. This preserve is part of 18,000 acres of protected property in Brown County that offers a large enough tract of land for migratory songbirds such as the cerulean warbler or the pileated woodpecker to build their habitats. Find the link to learn more about either of these Brown County preserves or Sycamore Land Trust at browncountygives.org.
It is no secret that climate change affects all of us. Land trust organizations like Sycamore are sharing the success story of how land conservation can be an important part of protecting nature and ensuring a healthy climate. Sycamore does more than simply acquire land. Sycamore manages active restoration projects, monitors wildlife and plant health and build trails on certain preserves for public health and enjoyment. We are blessed to have two preserves in Brown County.
If your share Sycamore’s passion for land stewardship, you can now support their work by donating to the Sycamore Land Trust Land Stewardship Fund at the BCCF. Supporters can include Sycamore in their estate and other giving plans, or can donate land and protect it from development.
Sycamore Land Trust’s new endowed fund at the Brown County Community Foundation is a significant investment in the community. We appreciate their partnership and believe that together, we are making Brown County a better and more healthy place to live, to work and to hike.
Larry Pejeau is CEO of the Brown County Community Foundation. He can be reached at 812-988-4882 or [email protected].
