Evolution in Natural Area Monitoring at Indianapolis Parks

The Indianapolis Land Stewardship (ILS) team’s first restoration was in 1992 with high school students planting acorns in a 13-acre field. Since then, managed acreage has increased to nearly 1,900 acres across 37 parks. ILS’ monitoring has evolved to meet the challenges of an expanding program. This is accomplished through improved GIS tracking and mapping techniques. Additionally, scientific survey work has broadened from initially a few vegetation surveys to now include longer-duration studies and other taxa for a more balanced and complete assessment