Our Land, Our Literature: Region

coal burning plant. In addition to the state park, northwest Indiana is home to many steel mills and oil refineries. These industrial areas help give “The Region,” as it is often known, the distinction of being one of the most polluted areas in the state.

Ironically, though, this region used to be Indiana’s most diverse natural area. Most prominent were the wetlands, including treacherous bogs that could swallow up a man on horseback, and the Kankakee Marsh, one of the largest marshes in the country; the dunes, which seemed barren but actually hosted a diverse ecosystem; and the Grand Prairie, which covered half of this region, extending on into Illinois. While nearly all of the prairie is gone and most of the wetlands have been destroyed, thanks to settlement efforts that began in great numbers in the 1830s, some reminders of this area’s former glory remain. The Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area is one such reminder. Each year, tens of thousands of sandhill cranes make the wildlife area a stopping point in their fall and spring migration, using the marsh as a feeding and nesting area.

Pertinent ecosystems
Lakes
Sand dunes
Prairies
Wetlands

Relevant environmental terms/issues
Air pollution
Endangered species
Urban sprawl
Water pollution
Wetland destruction