Nestled in rural Daviess County, Glendale Fish & Wildlife Area encompasses nearly 10,000 sprawling acres of forests, fields, lakes, and reservoirs, all teeming with wildlife. But hidden beneath the natural beauty lies a growing threat—invasive plant species.
“A lot of people see all the green and the understory and think everything’s blooming. It looks good when it’s not,” said Rob Sullender, property manager.
This spring, students in Senior Lecturer Brian Forist’s Applications in Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Human Ecology capstone course in the School of Public Health-Bloomington joined forces with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to combat the issue head-on.
Unlike a state park, which mainly focuses on recreational activities for visitors, a fish and wildlife center manages the state's fish and wildlife through professional research, regulation, and restoration efforts, while also providing opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, and habitat development.
Sullender and his small team work continuously to manage invasive plant species across the area, but it’s an uphill battle.
“It takes a lot of manpower, and we don't have that,” he said.
When Sustaining Hoosier Communities (SHC) partnered with Daviess County, he jumped at the opportunity to bring student support into the effort. Through the IU Center for Rural Engagement, SHC connects rural communities across Indiana with IU faculty, students, and staff to advance community-identified projects.
The goal of this partnership was twofold: educate the public about the harm invasive plants cause and engage students in active removal efforts to help restore ecological balance.
Jeni Waters/Indiana University
On a warm April day, students hiked into the forest at Glendale Fish & Wildlife Area equipped with plant removal tools, bug spray, and determination. They worked in teams to cut, pull, and spray invasive plants, including bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, and winter creeper.
Among those students was Paolo Castillo, a lifelong outdoor enthusiast who grew up camping with his family and exploring Indiana Dunes National Park.
“I think the biggest thing with this class has been the practical use of our knowledge,” Castillo said. “We’ve had to think through real-time ecological issues. It’s a really interesting and hands-on way of making our communities better.”
For many students, the project also served as professional preparation.
“Brian’s put a big emphasis on helping us figure out what we need after graduation,” said student Lucy Backs. “A lot of people in our major want to go into ecosystem management, and that’s a big part of what we’re doing here. I think the biggest takeaway is learning to work with people. It’s a small major, but we learn a lot from each other.”
I think the biggest thing with this class has been the practical use of our knowledge. We’ve had to think through real-time ecological issues. It’s a really interesting and hands-on way of making our communities better.
Paolo Castillo, IU student
Though nature enthusiasts might recoil at the destruction of lush greens, Forist explained that it's a necessary part of ecological stewardship.
"Invasive plant species is a really significant problem in Indiana natural areas,” Forist said. “And the reason is, it prevents other things from growing. You end up with more of a monoculture than a diverse understory. When you lose that diversity, you lose resilience, and the ecosystem is harder pressed to recover after any kind of a disturbance."
As part of the course, students also developed educational materials for Glendale’s visitor center bulletin boards. These will help visitors understand the impact of invasive plants and what they can do to help.
While the educational materials aim to inform the public, the experience gave students a chance to get their hands dirty, literally.
“This is probably the most hands-on work we've done in the field,” Forist said. “We've done other field experiences where we’re out on the ground with partners that we're working with to orient us to the area, and then we work on something that we deliver. It's mostly been content. This one is the most hands-on. I think it really resonates with the students, very, very well.”
To learn more about invasive plant species in Indiana and how to identify them in your own backyard, visit the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
