A Responsibility to Protect What’s Left

Visibly, there’d most likely be less trees. The breathtaking oaks and poplars populating Indiana forests might nearly be obsolete.

But under the surface, so much more would be threatened. Several species would likely go extinct without the conservation efforts of the IFA, a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving the state’s old growth forests. An array of bats, birds, salamanders, butterflies, flora and fungi, many of which are native to certain Indiana forests, wouldn’t survive if their homes weren’t so passionately protected.

And even though the homes of humans aren’t being obliterated by deforestation, humans have a tremendous amount to lose. Logging of forests leads to an influx of invasive species, a decline in oxygen production and acceleration of climate change.

“With all of our state forests, we all are public land owners,” says Elizabeth Tollefson, Director of Development at the IFA. “Everybody should have a stake in what’s happening in those forests. There’s multiple ways the forests help us, and we want them to be around for future generations.”

According to Tollefson, preserving wildlife is directly related to preserving human life as we know it. We rely on spending time outside in nature for exercise, maintaining mental health and feeling a connection to the earth. Children especially are missing out on how valuable time spent in nature can be for their health, curiosity and imagination.

“Children aren’t getting the same connection with nature,” says Tollefson. “If they’re lucky, they get a half an hour outdoors or a 20 minute recess at school. We have a responsibility to protect these areas for our kids and our grandkids.”

One way the IFA educates the public on their mission is through their Annual Forest-Foraged Feast. This year, the event will take place September 17th at the Biltwell Event Center in Indianapolis, where local urban farm owner and chef, Jason Michael Thomas will prepare a foraged dinner made from local ingredients found in the wild. Tickets are open to the public, and include live music, cocktails and a silent auction along with a one-of-a-kind dinner.

The feast proceeds will go to any one of IFA’s many projects: conserving forests with programs like Forests for Indy, surveying the plants and animals in different areas for research in their Eco Blitz project or frontlining legal battles against organizations trying to wrongfully log a forest.

Tollefson says the latter is one of the most important objectives of the IFA. By lobbying and getting involved in lawsuits and petitions, they bring people together and give them more agency in their communities.

“We get involved legally as much as we need to to protect these areas,” says Tollefson. “Especially when people don’t have a voice, or don’t know how to voice their frustration about an area being destroyed.”

Executive Director Jeff Stant remembers one instance that was particularly meaningful to everyone involved. When Crown Hill Cemetery sold 60 acres of forest land to be bulldozed and converted into a veterans’ cemetery, the IFA was told there was nothing they could do to prevent the destruction of thousands of old growth trees.

“This was a done deal, we were told,” says Stand. “There’s nothing you can do to stop it, they said.”

The builders had all the legal documentation they needed to get their project off the ground, but that didn’t stop the IFA from fighting back. For months, they rallied members of the community, many of whom were veterans themselves, to call their public representatives, protest outside their offices and raise media awareness.

It didn’t work for months. In fact, it wasn’t until the very morning that construction was supposed to begin when the U.S. Department of Veterans issued an order to scrap the project, saving countless trees and wildlife.

Working so diligently for so long to do the impossible might seem counterintuitive, but not for the people at the IFA. Stant says the most important lesson he’s learned in his career is to, above everything else, never give up.

“It’s about saying no, we’re the masters of our own fate,” says Stant. “That takes sacrifice, but people do it.”

The IFA’s mission, though dedicated to protecting forests from logging, has nothing to do with blocking construction altogether. Tollefson says urban progress can be possible in a responsible way, without damaging the state’s forests and species.

“We’re not against all logging, we just want it to be done reasonably and we want the public to have input,” says Tollefson. “We want to make sure there’s a balance.”

Without the teamwork between IFA administrators, scientists and volunteers, none of their work would be possible. People wanting to get involved can check out the website for information on volunteering to work at festivals, do office work, collect data on animals, plants and trees for research, and raise awareness for petitions against deforestation.

“What Indiana looks like right now is not what it used to look like at all,” says Tollefson. “We all need to work together to help protect what’s left.”

Learn more about IFA’s mission and the Forest-Foraged feast on the Indiana Forest Alliance website.