Frogapalooza Fundraiser to Honor Ian Rolland

On the evening of Friday, September 10, frogs won't be the only ones jumping with excitement-there may be a few eager bidders, too. You'll spot them at Frogapalooza, LRWP's fundraising dinner with a wild wetland theme that celebrates our 20th anniversary of restoring and protecting wetlands.

This evening of froggy fun, to be held at Sweetwater Sound, will feature silent and live auctions with Chief Meteorologist Curtis Smith of Indiana News Center as auctioneer. High bidders can go home with exclusive Toronto and Chicago getaways, hand-made quilts, hand-crafted sculpture, luxury golf packages, and even a chance to spend Halloween night in Eagle Marsh's haunted barn.

Frogapalooza begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails and silent auction. Dinner catered by Splendid Fare will be followed by our exciting live auction. To round out the evening, we'll honor philanthropist Ian Rolland for his many contributions to conservation in Indiana and to LRWP. Historian Tom Castaldi will introduce Mr. Rolland with his trademark blend of wit and fascinating local lore.

Tickets to Frogapalooza are $100 per person or $800 for a table of eight. For more information please visit www.lrwp.org/frog or call us at 260-478-2515.

LRWP thanks Brooks Construction Company for its generous support as event sponsor for Frogapalooza.

Mayor Attends Steamy July 24th Open House

Several hundred people, including Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry, came out for LRWP's July 24th Open House at Eagle Marsh in spite of temperatures near the double digits. Most walked the self-guided trail through beautiful native wildflowers and enjoyed learning about the plants and wildlife from naturalists along the way. Mark Booth of Take Flight was full of interesting information about all the live raptors he had on display, and children enjoyed a number of activities just for them. At the event, we also honored four LRWP founders who have stayed involved over time--Ron James, Paul McAfee, Dick Poor, and Sam Schwartz-as well as our first Executive Director Mary Berghoff.

LRWP thanks all the wonderful volunteers who helped at the Open House and all the guests who braved the heat to join us for several hours of nature fun.

LRWP Consortium Brings $1.4 Million to the Little River Valley

LRWP, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy of Indiana and Loblolly Marsh, has secured a Mississippi River Basin Initiative grant that will bring $2.8 million to farmers in the Upper Wabash watershed who want to place land into the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service's Wetlands Reserve Program. This program pays willing landowners to place wet agricultural land under conservation easements and then restores the land back to wetlands to be protected in perpetuity. Many more farmers normally apply to place land in the Wetlands Reserve Program than there is funding available, and the MRBI grant will allow the WRP to accept 700 more acres than would have been possible otherwise over the next four years.

Half of the award ($1.4 million) will allow the NRCS to enroll up to 350 additional acres in the Little River valley into the Wetlands Reserve Program over the same time period. LRWP will receive none of the money; instead, all three sponsoring groups will contribute matching funds as part of the grant requirements. In addition to our $7,000 financial commitment, LRWP will provide staff time to assist local farmers with accessing the Wetlands Reserve Program.  We consider these costs very much in accord with our mission to facilitate wetlands restoration and protection in the Little River valley, and we are very pleased to have helped win this award.

LRWP to Reorganize Staffing

With our properties expanding and our programs drawing more participants than ever, LRWP has grown to the point that we need to address our staffing capabilities for the next few years. Thanks to our members, volunteers and other supporters, our work has grown substantially in the last five years--a good problem to have!

The board has reviewed our organization's needs and determined that we need to shift some of our staff's key functions to keep us on track and fulfill our mission. After careful consideration, and in consultation with Executive Director Betsy Yankowiak, the following changes will be made:

• Betsy Yankowiak will become Director of Preserves and Programs, responsible for restoration and stewardship activities at our preserves and for our nature education and volunteer programs. Her job will continue to be full-time, but will allow her the more flexible hours she has requested to meet her family's needs.
• We will hire a new Executive Director who will carry primarily leadership, administrative, and development responsibilities. This fulltime position will require significant experience in development/fundraising and administration, as well as a deep commitment to LRWP's mission.
• Community Relations Coodinator Rachel Rossiter Smith, who recently finished her B.A. degree, plans to leave to take a full-time job within the next few months, and the CRC position will not be filled. We know that Rachel will make a great contribution to any job she chooses, as she has at LRWP.