Since 1982, the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund has supported rare and endangered species conservation projects in Indiana. Species like the bald eagle and river otter, once extirpated from the state, now light up our landscape with abundant populations thanks to conservation projects of the past. The work to conserve these species is paid for in part through generous donations to the Nongame Wildlife Fund, which allows the DNR to apply for federal match dollars.
Today’s most vulnerable wildlife, like the crawfish frog, snuffbox mussel, Franklin’s ground squirrel, and least tern – are vital parts of Indiana’s native landscape. Diverse and healthy wildlife populations improve the health of the overall ecosystem and our own quality of life. In order to sustain Indiana’s most vulnerable species, conservation efforts are needed and DNR biologists are on the job!
A few 2025 highlights include:
- The herpetology and wildlife health teams reared and released over 900 crawfish frogs, with the hopes of growing their populations even more.
- DNR nongame aquatics biologists and the National Parks Service helped restore freshwater mussel populations in the East Branch Little Calumet River drainage, supporting not only species diversity but also water quality in the region.
- DNR mammalogists released Franklin’s ground squirrels onto Indiana’s landscape. And biologists think that there’s a good chance the squirrels are reproducing naturally at the site!
- The ornithology team discovered that the mating pairs of loggerhead shrikes doubled this year.
To keep up with conservation efforts in Indiana, email mmason1@dnr.IN.gov to subscribe to our Nongame Wildlife Fund quarterly newsletter or follow our Instagram account @infishwildlife.
If you are looking for a way to contribute to conservation during this season of giving or throughout the year, please consider the Nongame Wildlife Fund. For every $50 donated, Indiana receives an additional $93 in conservation funding through a federal matching program.
When it comes to keeping rare wildlife populations stable in our state, every dollar, subscriber, conversation, or social media share counts.
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