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Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 402 W Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN (2026)

09/05/2026

SEPTEMBER IS INDIANA ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH: This week’s posts from the Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA) highlight Archaeology Month, and Vincennes and its rich multicultural heritage as a frontier capital.

If you’ve enjoyed the archaeology content this week, visit the DHPA’s archaeology publications page at on.IN.gov/archaeo-pubs where you can read Early Peoples of Indiana, Indiana Archaeology journal volumes, and more. Be sure to also check out the Storymap highlighting Hoosier Archaeological Sites: Examples from 92 Counties (on.IN.gov/archaeology/) where the DHPA is in the process of featuring at least one archaeological site from each of Indiana’s 92 counties and highlights various archaeology case studies.

09/05/2026

SEPTEMBER IS INDIANA ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH: This week’s posts from the Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA) highlight Archaeology Month, and Vincennes and its rich multicultural heritage as a frontier capital.

Want to make a direct contribution to Indiana archaeology? Consider the Archeology Preservation Trust Fund. Artifacts, burial objects, and other items of archaeological significance are still buried in Indiana soil. Often times, homeowners stumble upon them when making improvements to their property. The Fund was created to help preserve these archaeological finds.

After discovery of an item, Indiana law requires that work in the immediate area be stopped to comply with Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology-approved plans to excavate or secure the site from more disturbance. Sometimes, the work takes time and involves costs to the homeowner. Donations to the Archeology Preservation Trust Fund helps owners to carry out those plans and ensure that discoveries are properly secured. Find out more about donating at dnr.IN.gov/historic-preservation/about-us/.

09/04/2026

UPDATE Indiana DNR Rewards: Please meet Roberta (right) and her daughter Tammy (left). Roberta and Tammy are leading everyone in the state with 164 check-ins for Roberta and 187 check-ins for Tammy. The two spend most weekends exploring different state properties. Roberta started collecting pins and patches, which she plans to sew on to her denim jacket to show all the places she’s visited.

Roberta and Tammy buy their park passes in January and Roberta said, “It’s been super cool. I’ve made a lot of friends and talked to so many nice people (while exploring).” Roberta and Tammy enjoy camping and taking pictures from their adventures. When asked how she likes the Indiana DNR Rewards pass, Roberta said, “It’s been so much fun!”

Way to go Roberta and Tammy!

Are you interested in earning points for doing the things you already love to do? Check out the Indiana DNR Rewards pass via the Indiana DNR app. It’s free to sign up and if you’re like Roberta and Tammy, you too will earn a $25 gift card towards your next adventure. More: on.IN.gov/dnrrewards.

09/04/2026

Treat yourself to a relaxing retreat where you can savor great meals, explore fall trails, and settle into a comfortable room surrounded by Indiana’s natural beauty. From now through October 1, 2026, enjoy 15% off the best available rate when you stay any night from Sunday-Thursday. Restrictions may apply.

Reserve your stay online at IndianaInns.com or call 877.LODGES.1 to book your getaway.

09/04/2026

SEPTEMBER IS INDIANA ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH: This week’s posts from the Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA) highlight Archaeology Month, and Vincennes and its rich multicultural heritage as a frontier capital.

Some artifacts offer the archaeologist the opportunity to understand the material culture associated with soldiers and their uniforms. The medallion featuring an 1812 era U.S. soldier with a flag and tents in the background was recovered at Grouseland, the mansion William Henry Harrison had built in Vincennes between 1802-1804. Harrison became Governor of the Indiana Territory beginning in 1801 and led the offensive force in the Battle of Tippecanoe between American forces and warriors of Shawnee Chief Tecumseh’s multi-tribal Native American confederation. Harrison was later the ninth president of the United States, and Grouseland is a National Historic Landmark.

The pewter cockade eagle was likely pinned to a cockade (a decorative knot or rosette) on a military hat and was discovered in 2006 during archaeological investigations by the Indiana State Museum at Fort Knox II. That fort was used by the U.S. Army as a military installation from 1803-1813.

Learn more about archaeology in Indiana at on.IN.gov/archaeology.

09/03/2026

Discover dragonflies and damselflies, head out on a nature hike or or try your hand at throwing an ancient spear, the atlatl, Aug. 29–30. Aug. 29-30. Find more Indiana DNR activities at events.IN.gov/dnr.
Sat., Aug. 29
• Aerial Acrobats: Dragons and Damsels, Clifty Falls State Park, 2p ET, https://ow.ly/B57P50ZGb1F
• Trail 4 Nature Hike, Raccoon SRA (Cecil M. Harden Lake), 9:30a ET, https://ow.ly/unRc50ZGb1B
Sun., Aug. 30
• Atlatl Throwing, Mounds State Park, 1p ET, https://ow.ly/7omf50ZGb1E
• Walking Stick program, Tippecanoe River State Park, 3p ET, https://ow.ly/oxrn50ZGb1C

09/03/2026

SEPTEMBER IS INDIANA ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH: This week’s posts from the Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA) highlight Archaeology Month, and Vincennes and its rich multicultural heritage as a frontier capital.

In the background of the Archaeology Month poster is a portion of an 1880 map which includes some of the areas having the classic lines of colonial long-lot land divisions of French/French Canadian inhabitants in Vincennes. A long lot is a narrow, rectangular land parcel with a slim frontage on, for example, a river, that stretches back from that frontage.

In 1993, a study of French/French Canadian settlement patterns in the Wabash Valley during the 1800s was funded in part using Historic Preservation Fund monies from the National Park Service and administered by DHPA. The study helped us learn more about the long-lot settlement pattern, the French Canadian inhabitants of the Vincennes area, their artifacts and adaptations (Mann 1994:195). Maps such as these often provide valuable clues for archaeologists about the historical features in an area.

Learn more about the DHPA at dnr.IN.gov/historic-preservation/.

References:
Lake, D.J. & Co.
1880 An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Knox County, Indiana. D.J. Lake & Co., Philadelphia.

Mann, Rob
1994 French/French Canadian Settlement Patterns in the Wabash Valley. Archeology and Forensics Laboratory, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis.

09/02/2026

Earn a little extra cash this fall. Jasper-Pulaski Nursery (Pulaski County) and Vallonia State Tree Nursery (Jackson County, IN) and are purchasing live seed for select tree species beginning Oct. 1. Price per seed varies by species. For example, white oak acorns will be collected from Sept. 23 until Nov. 10 for $0.04 per live seed until 4,118 pounds are collected.

Be sure to call ahead to ensure that the seeds you are collecting are still needed. Collect only seeds and fruit and keep species separate. Minimum number of seeds accepted is 10 pounds. For more details, see on.IN.gov/seedlings.

09/02/2026

SEPTEMBER IS INDIANA ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH: This week’s posts from the Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology highlight Archaeology Month, and Vincennes and its rich multicultural heritage as a frontier capital.

Sugarloaf Mound is a natural loess hill overlooking the Wabash River at Vincennes. Once believed to be a human built mound, archaeological and geological studies show it formed naturally from wind deposited silt. Indigenous peoples used the hill for burials and likely ceremonial activities, giving it lasting cultural significance. Early accounts and 19th century excavations fueled myths about its origins, but later research—especially in the 1990s—confirmed its natural formation. Today, Sugarloaf is part of the Vincennes State Historic Sites, valued not for being man made but for its long Indigenous history and meaning.

Learn more about Indiana mounds and earthworks at dnr.IN.gov/historic-preservation/archaeology/mounds-and-earthworks.

09/01/2026

Congratulations to Forest Ecologist and Botanist Megan Crecelius, who is receiving the Natural Areas Association's 2026 Rising Leader Award this October. This award celebrates professionals who make meaningful contributions early in their careers.

Since her start in 2016 with the Indiana DNR Division of Forestry, Megan has demonstrated an exceptional drive to learn, contribute, and strengthen conservation practices while creating opportunities that support others in the field.

She has enhanced ecological monitoring and assessment methods, developed Indiana’s High Conservation Value Forest guidelines, and collaborated to monitor and protect some of the state’s rarest plant species.

Thank you, Megan, for your commitment to conserving Indiana’s forest lands for present and future generations.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

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Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm