The Vanderburgh County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) partnered their efforts together with the Four Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D), The Nature Conservancy, Wesselman Woods Nature Society, and other local organizations, in the acquisition of 127 acres. This land will be used to educate and promote conservation.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources was interested in selling two tracts of land consisting of 73.9 acres at the intersection of Highway 41 and Waterworks Road. Traylor Brothers, Inc., a business located in the Evansville area, was the owner of a 52.99 acre tract of land that separated the two tracts, and expressed their desire to donate this tract to the Vanderburgh SWCD.
Almost four years ago, the three newly acquired tracts totaling 127 acres, was named "Eagle Slough Natural Area (ESNA)."
A steering committee was developed to organize and complete this project. Committee members are Dave Elgin, Darrell Rice, Bonnie Bittner, Davie Sue Litov, Maurice Berendes, Susan Haislip, Greg Meyer, Harold Allison, Kemper Lease, Cassie Hauswald, Steve Gifford and Allen Pursell.
We had two volunteer cleanup days. Twelve tons of debris was hauled from ESNA. Three eagle scouts have completed projects; a visitor kiosk, road sign frame, six duck boxes, and a new 1.3 miles trail. Thanks to a volunteer and funds from the American Nature Photographers Association, we have a photo blind at ESNA Teal Wetlands. Pictures may be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/groups/eagle-slough/. Alcoa and Toyota have generously supplied grants and employees to help with the cleanup days. We are currently building an observation deck with a grant from Alcoa.
ESNA is used for education and getting children in tune with nature from local schools. The red carpet rolled out at Culver Elementary School for the world premiere of a short documentary entitled "Where Waters Wed: Southwestern Indiana" available online at: vimeo.com/4893859. It chronicles the value and abundance of bottomland forests and wetlands in our area. One of the forests/wetland areas chosen for the documentary was Eagle Slough Natural Area. Several Culver students starred in the portion of the movie filmed at the natural area. Culver Elementary School students also made a special trip to the Eagle Slough Natural Area to produce an artistic rendering of the landscape.