Porter County residents will soon have a space to gather and connect outdoors if this crowdfunding campaign reaches its goal of raising $50,000 by August 23, 2024. If successful, the project led by the Shirley Heinze Land Trust will receive a matching grant as part of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s (IHCDA) CreatINg Places program.
"We are excited at the prospect of broadening Porter County's natural legacy through the installation of a new amphitheater at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve," said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana's Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. "This campaign is yet another example of Hoosiers coming together to uplift their community and create a lasting impact."
Funds from this campaign will be used to design and install an amphitheater, bandshell, concrete benches and improve roadway access to the amphitheater.
"We are thrilled to install this amphitheater at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve and we value the opportunity to partner with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s CreatINg Places program to bring another community resource to Meadowbrook for all to enjoy,” said Kristopher Krouse, Shirley Heinze Land Trust Executive Director.
Since the CreatINg Places program began in 2016, projects have raised more than $10.8 million in public funds and an additional $8.9 million in matching IHCDA funds. The program is available to projects located in Indiana communities. Non-profit entities (with 501c3 or 501c4 status) and local units of government are eligible to apply. Eligible projects must have a minimum total development cost of $10,000, where the recipient will receive $5,000 in IHCDA matching funds should it successfully raise $5,000 through Patronicity. IHCDA will provide matching grant funds up to $50,000 per project.
Since 1981, Shirley Heinze Land Trust has preserved and restored natural lands and waters in northwestern Indiana, including some of the rarest landscapes in the state. More than 3,300 acres in Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Starke, and Marshall Counties have been protected. The organization also strives to build connections between communities and nature by engaging people of all ages in its work.
For more information on the work and nature preserves of Shirley Heinze Land Trust, visit www.heinzetrust.org, call (219) 242-8558, or access its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/heinzetrust.
Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on tall coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris).