Students at 72 Indiana schools will experience the outdoors during the 2026-27 school year thanks in part to a grant program supporting field trips to Indiana State Parks and other state park-managed properties. 

The Discover the Outdoors Field Trip Grant Program is for all K-12 schools and is administered through the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (INRF), the supporting nonprofit of the DNR. 

Grants of up to $500 are awarded to fund transportation costs, program fees, and classroom supplies related to the field trips. Generous donations to the program have also allowed the program to increase the total dollars distributed. 

The program is expected to distribute $30,154 through 72 grants this year, the largest amount in its existence. An estimated 5,019 K-12 students will benefit.

Since the program’s start in 2013, a total of 415 field trip grants have been awarded, giving an estimated 35,900 students the opportunity to visit state parks at a reduced cost to schools and students. With this year’s awards, more than $108,500 in overall funding has been distributed to allow students to visit an Indiana state park for a guided hike or talk with an interpretive naturalist.

The fund was established in memory of Tom Huck, a longtime DNR employee who was an ardent supporter of outdoor experiences for children in parks. In addition to generous individuals, periodic support for the program is provided by the Indiana Master Naturalist Advisory Council, the Indiana Parks Alliance, and the INRF.

“We appreciate the generosity of those who contribute to Indiana’s youth,” INRF executive director Jody Kress said. “We hope to see this program grow so we can educate more students across the state about our natural and cultural legacy.”

Expansion To Austin Bottoms Conservation Area 

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced the acquisition of 15 acres of land to become the newest addition to Austin Bottoms Conservation Area in Scott County.

The acquired land is undeveloped and completely forested. It adds to the more than 26,000 acres Austin Bottoms already covers, which is permanently protected for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation.

The Central Indiana Land Trust (CILTI) purchased the property in February 2024 and then conveyed it to DNR at a discount in May 2026. DNR used President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust (PBHCT) funds to acquire the property from CILTI.

The PBHCT is primarily funded through the sale of the blue Environmental license plate and works to ensure Indiana’s rich natural heritage is preserved for future generations. Since 1992, DNR has used proceeds from the Environmental Plate to purchase and protect more than 74,000 acres of land on behalf of all Hoosiers.

Austin Bottoms Conservation Area stretches along the Muscatatuck River and through Scott, Jackson, and Washington counties. It comprises a variety of habitat types, dominated by bottomland forests and wetlands. The bottomland forest is host to maples, oaks, sweetgum, river birch, sycamore and beech. Many birds use bottomland hardwood forests such as wild turkey, yellow- and black-crowned night herons, wood ducks, red-headed woodpeckers, and many others. The bottomland hardwoods also provide excellent habitat for many mammals such as white-tailed deer, bobcat, raccoon, skunk, fox, beaver, otter, mink, opossum, gray fox, flying squirrel, and fox squirrel.

“Indiana is home to a rich variety of landscapes, and protecting ecosystems like those at the Austin Bottoms Conservation Area is essential to preserving that diversity,” DNR Director Alan Morrison said. “One of the simplest ways Hoosiers can support future conservation efforts is by choosing the blue environmental license plate, which directly helps fund land protection across the state.”

Fall Licenses & GoOutdoorsIN Mobile App 

Licenses are now on sale for fall turkey, deer, bobcat, and trapping seasons. The licenses can now be purchased at GoOutdoorsIN.com, by mail, or through in-person retailers listed at on.IN.gov/HuntFishLicenseRetailers.

An additional way to purchase a license is DNR’s new smartphone app, GoOutdoorsIN. The app is free and available for download for Android and iOS. Hunters and anglers can use the app to view their licenses, buy a new license, and check in their harvest from their smartphones.

‘till next time, 

Jack

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com  Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.