Despite being surrounded by urban and industrial development, Miller Woods and Tolleston Dunes contain some of the last remaining portions of the historic Tolleston Strand Plain, a once 30,000-acre savanna-wetland ecosystem. This rare landscape supports 551 native plant species, including 73 state-listed and one federally listed species, as well as diverse bird populations and critical habitat for pollinators.
The area’s interconnected grassland, woodland, and wetland habitats provide essential food, shelter, and breeding grounds for fish and wildlife. More than 127 nectar plant species support native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while the diverse vegetation provides habitat for birds, waterfowl, and other wildlife.
Over the past two decades, NPS has made significant progress restoring these habitats through invasive plant control, canopy and shrub thinning, native plant augmentation, and prescribed fire. Previous grant-funded projects supported invasive species treatments across hundreds of acres in Miller Woods and Tolleston Dunes, reducing invasive plants to maintenance levels throughout much of the area.
However, restoration is an ongoing process. Without continued treatment, persistent invasive plants can spread back into restored areas, outcompeting native vegetation and reducing the quality of habitat available to wildlife. This new funding will help ensure that previous restoration investments continue to deliver long-term ecological benefits.
A Timely Opportunity Following the Derecho
The importance of this work has taken on new urgency following the August 11, 2026, derecho that swept through Northwest Indiana. The storm brought destructive winds, uprooting trees, snapping trunks, and causing extensive canopy loss across the region. While natural disturbances are an important part of healthy ecosystems, widespread tree damage can create new challenges for habitat restoration. Uprooted trees and exposed soil can create opportunities for invasive plants to establish and spread. Disturbance can also expose dormant seeds in the soil, potentially triggering new growth, including from invasive species.
With this in mind, the timing of this project is especially valuable. Continued invasive species monitoring and treatment will help address new infestations as they emerge, reduce the spread of invasive plants, and protect native vegetation as these habitats recover from the storm. Maintaining healthy native plant communities is essential to ensuring that recovering landscapes continue to provide food, shelter, and breeding habitat for wildlife.
Investing in Long-Term Conservation
This project represents the continued partnership between Save the Dunes and the Indiana Dunes National Park to protect the region’s unique natural resources. By supporting NPS-led restoration and pairing this work with community education and outreach, we hope to extend the impact beyond the immediate treatment areas and encourage greater public understanding of the importance of native habitats.
As work gets underway in early 2027, this funding will help protect decades of restoration progress while responding to emerging ecological challenges. Together, we can strengthen the resilience of these rare ecosystems and help ensure that they continue to support the diverse fish, wildlife, and native plant communities that make the Indiana Dunes so special.
