The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) approved Lucas Hollow Nature Preserve in Brown County as a new nature preserve during its regularly scheduled meeting on Nov. 14 at Fort Harrison State Park. The move increases to 282 the number of state-designated sites protected by the Nature Preserves Act, which is 50 years old this year.

The new nature preserve is located in the southwest portion of Brown County, southeast of the town of Belmont. It is located within the Brown County Hills Section of the Highland Rim Natural Region. The site contains one of the best examples of relatively undisturbed mesic upland forest in the particular region of the state, characterized by Northern red oak, white ash, American beech, and sugar maple.

The site’s diverse understory contains wildflowers and ferns. Special-concern worm-eating warblers occur at this site, as do broad-winged hawk, hooded warbler, and black-and-white warbler.

The nature preserve is located within the buffer of a research core area of the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE). It will continue to be studied by HEE scientists during the course of the 100-year study.

Additionally, the NRC approved adding four petitions for rule changes to the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s 2018 biennial rule change process. Instead of evaluating each one individually this year, the changes would be incorporated into the rule review process starting in 2018 with other rule changes. One would allow crossbows propelling an arrow by means of compressed air to be used for hunting. The second would change the spring wild turkey season to start earlier in April. The third would remove the minimum size requirement for Eastern snapping turtles or exempt the size limit from snapping turtles taken on private land. The fourth would increase the minimum size limit of muskellunge at Bass Lake in Sullivan County from 36 inches to 44 inches, with a maximum limit of one fish per day.

Regarding the NRC’s non-rule policy titled, “Roster of Indiana Animals, Insects, and Plants that are Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened, or Rare (also described as Special Concern),” the NRC approved amendments to add black bear, Northern bobwhite, American woodcock and American eel to the list of special concern species and remove the red-shouldered hawk and five fish species from the list of special concern species: longnose sucker, Ohio River muskellunge, lake whitefish, cypress darter and Tippecanoe darter.

Dates for the 2018 NRC meetings were set for January 16, March 20, May 15, July 17, September 18 and November 13. All are tentatively set to be held at the Garrison at Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis.

Hunting guide in Spanish

Spanish speakers can now learn about the state’s hunting and trapping regulations in their primary language. The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife has released a six-page hunting and trapping guide in Spanish called Caza y Captura Reglamento.

A recent national survey by D.J. Case and Associates for the Nature of Americans found 17 percent of Spanish-speaking adults are interested in hunting. The study also concluded Spanish-speaking adults have the highest level of support for nature-related programming and funding.

The survey results are at www.natureofamericans.org

The guide is an effort to better communicate hunting and trapping guidelines to the Spanish- speaking community. The goal of the new, condensed guide is to help Spanish speakers overcome barriers such as lack of information and experience.

Caza y Captura Regulamento can be found at wildlife.IN.gov/files/fw-2017_Indiana_Hunting_Guide_Spanish.pdf

Birding class at Brown County

If you appreciate birds, you can get a crash course on birding during a workshop with the Indiana Audubon Society (IAS) at Brown County State Park on December 9. The Indiana Birding: Crash Course workshop runs from 2-5 p.m. with indoor and outdoor activities. IAS executive director Brad Bumgardner will teach the workshop at the Nature Center Auditorium.

The workshop will introduce nature enthusiasts to bird watching. It will review common birds of Indiana and birding opportunities around the state, examine the history of birding, and talk about purchasing and using binoculars.

Registration costs $15, with discounts available to IAS members. Register at indianaaudubon.org/events

For more information, call Bumgardner at 219-928-6905. Brown County State Park (stateparks.IN.gov/2988.htm) is located at 1450 SR46 E in Nashville.

Deer hunt at Olin Lake

Olin Lake Nature Preserve will be closed to public access between Nov. 25 and Dec. 3 for a deer reduction. Olin Lake Nature Preserve is about six miles south of LaGrange in LaGrange County. It is owned and managed by the DNR Division of Nature Preserves.

Ten hunters were selected by drawing. All regulations of the firearms season will apply.

Deer numbers are high at the nature preserve and excessive browsing by deer threaten the long-term health of the property. Deer feeding has been especially damaging to white trilliums and other spring wildflowers.

Deer hunters should note – the preserve isn’t being opened to hunting in general.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by email at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.