Sycamore Land Trust Adds 102 acres of Forested Hills to Beanblossom Corridor
by Tom Swinford, Land Preservation Director
Sycamore Land Trust recently closed on the purchase of the Bill and Janice Young Woods, adding a high-quality upland forest to the Beanblossom landscape in northeast Monroe County. This property has been a Sycamore protection priority for years due to its connectivity, frontage on Beanblossom Creek, and dense woodlands. This new preserve will contribute to clean water, habitat for plants and animals, and quality of life for us all.
Bill and Janice Young Woods
Beanblossom valley is an important focus area for Sycamore Land Trust due to its high concentration of wetlands, abundant forested hills, and healthy waters. This ecological mosaic contributes to the high diversity of plants and wildlife found across this classic Hoosier landscape. Many of the animals found here are of conservation concern, including declining migrant songbirds, amphibians and reptiles, bats, and insects such as the cypress firefly.
The property boasts 0.3 miles of frontage on Beanblossom Creek that quickly rises 200 feet in elevation to rugged hills of oak and hickory-mixed forests.
We applaud our partner The Conservation Fund who provided major funding for the acquisition through the Range-Wide Indiana Bat and Northern Long-Eared Bat In-Lieu Fee Program, which allows developers to pay fees to protect, restore, and manage high‑priority habitat for endangered bats under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversight, when bat habitat is impacted by construction elsewhere.
Bill and Janice Young
We thank Bill and Janice Young as well as Sycamore members for their generous support. Landowners Bill and Janice Young sold their land to Sycamore for a significantly reduced price to see their dream of preservation come true. Their love for the land inspired them to reach out to Sycamore Land Trust for help in protecting their family property. The Youngs had found inspiration and calm among the tall trees while creating a lifetime of memories at places they named as “Picnic Point,” “Butt Slide Ravine” and “Geode Gully.”
Bill relates that “We bought the property with the intention of building a home and moving to the property when we retired. Time passed and we aged. We decided to stay in our home. “Sycamore Land Trust had been in contact with us for years about acquiring our land. We were impressed with Sycamore’s work in preserving land and discussed selling our property to them. The property is now preserved as a legacy for future generations to enjoy.”
Thank you, Bill and Janice for your generosity and profound gift to future generations of woodpeckers, squirrels, box turtles, and people.
In the Beanblossom valley, Sycamore continues its work to restore wetlands that filter and store floodwaters, protect vital wildlife habitat and migration corridors, and work with neighbors and landowners in supporting conservation on their land.
This article is from the Summer 2025 issue of The Twig, “The Volunteer Issue.” Read the issue at sycamorelandtrust.org/twig.
