Merrillville, Ind. — NIPSCO recently announced the recipients of its 2021 Environmental Action Grant program, awarded to 18 local organizations that applied for the funding earlier this year. Wellfield Botanic Gardens is a grateful recipient of a recent grant award supporting wetland conservation on our property! Written by Lead Horticulturist Cody Hoff, the grant funds will support collection and display of rare, threatened, and endangered aquatic plant species of Indiana. It is a major next step in our plant collections program that furthers our mission in the community and beyond!
In its sixth year, NIPSCO’s Environmental Grant has donated $370,000 to date, helping 92 projects come to fruition across Northern Indiana. This year’s projects include multiple wetland restoration projects, launch of Conservation Buddies at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana, continued support of pollinator habitats and corresponding education programs, a restoration project at Fulton County’s Richland Restoration Nature Park and support of a Smithsonian exhibit about water/ways in Kosciusko County. Additionally, support includes several projects at the Indiana Dunes, Indiana’s National Park.
The 2021 NIPSCO Environmental Action Grant winners include:
-Beverly Shores Environmental Restoration Group, Teaching, learning and digging in the Dunes, $2,000
-Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana, Conservation Buddies, $5,000
-Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy, Wetland restoration, $4,000
-Friends of the Fulton County Parks and Recreation Dept., Richland Restoration Nature Park, $5,000
-Indiana Audubon, 2021 Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, $3,000
-Jasper County Soil and Water Conservation District, Soil testing and waterway improvement, $1,700
-Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Council, Rain Barrel Brigade, $3,000
-Michiana Area Council of Governments, Crossway Trails Month, $2,900
-Miller Garden Club, Rain garden restoration, $4,100
-The Montessori School at WPC, Forest school gear, $3,500
-Northview Elementary School in Valparaiso, Girl Scout garden, $1,500
-Oak Farm Montessori School, Prairie and oak woodland restoration project, $4,000
-Save the Dunes Conservation Fund, Pollinator Week, $5,000
-The Student Conservation Association, Calumet Tree Conservation Corps, $5,000
-Town of Hebron Parks and Recreation Dept., Trail and property improvements, $5000
-The Watershed Foundation, Smithsonian Water/Ways exhibit
-Wellfield Botanic Gardens, Wellfield wetland conservation, $5,000
-The Wetlands Initiative, Habitat restoration and community engagement on Little Calumet River, $5,000
“NIPSCO’s Environmental Action Grant is an integral part of our commitment to strengthen and support partnerships with organizations improving the quality of the environment and this program helps fund those projects that might not happen otherwise,” said Rick Calinski, NIPSCO director of public affairs and economic development. “Working together with the communities and conservation groups in our territory, we’re working to be a leader in the preservation, protection and restoration of critical habitats and to help make a positive difference in the places we call home.”
Using innovative conservation initiatives, NIPSCO is committed to maintaining its infrastructure while protecting the environment. In addition to Environmental Action Grant funding, NIPSCO works to establish early successional pollinator habitat on rights of way, forges partnerships with community organizations for restoration efforts and supports the planting of thousands of trees in Northern Indiana each year.
To learn more about what NIPSCO is doing to support the environment, visit NIPSCO.com/Environment.
About NIPSCO:
Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO), with headquarters in Merrillville, Indiana, has proudly served the energy needs of northern Indiana for more than 100 years. As Indiana’s largest natural gas distribution company and the second-largest electric distribution company, NIPSCO serves approximately 820,000 natural gas and 470,000 electric customers across 32 counties. NIPSCO is part of NiSource’s (NYSE: NI) six regulated utility companies. NiSource is one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.7 million natural gas and electric customers through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. More information about NIPSCO and NiSource is available at NIPSCO.com and NiSource.com.
