By KEVIN NEVERS

For 40 years John Beckman didn’t know that Hawthorne Park was home to a wetland. Then, last year, after removing several dozen bushes of the invasive multi-flora rose from the north side of Ackerman Drive, he created a “window” and made a discovery: hidden by the exotic overgrowth was a wetland which, though a regular visitor of Hawthorne Park since the 1960s, Beckman hadn’t known existed.

Once upon a time government agriculture officials had touted multi-flora rose as a good fencing plant for cows, Beckman told the Chesterton Tribune on Tuesday. Farmers took their word and then watched as the species ran amuck. Along Ackerman Drive, the multi-flora rose had grown so extensively that it “had taken up most of the middle story view” of the wetland.

Now Beckman, representing the Lake County Fish and Game Protective Association—the oldest not-for-profit conservation organization in the state, established in 1920—is spearheading an effort to repair the damage done by the multi-flora rose, replace it with native species, and preserve the “window” on the wetland.

With a $5,000 NIPSCO Environmental Challenge Fund grant—administered by the Porter County Community Foundation—Beckman has purchased 3,000 native plants from JF New, 40 species in all, calculated to thrive along the riverbank. Another $6,000 or so—including in-kind labor—has been raised for tools and other equipment and food for volunteers.

Now all Beckman needs is the volunteers. On Saturday, April 19, he had the Boy Scouts helping him. On Saturday, April 26, he’ll have the Girl Scouts on site. But Beckman said that he can use as much help as he can get. “Other youth groups are certainly welcome. Anyone can volunteer.”

He’ll be planting after 2 p.m. today through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, and from 12 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Just show up and plan to get your hands dirty.

Beckman emphasized that it will take some time to remove all of the multi-flora rose. “We’ll continue ripping it out,” he said. “Over the years the project will wind east toward the Little Calumet River and west.”

“I see this project as a lead-in to the next great project on the Great Lakes,” Beckman added, “which is cleaning our riverbanks and ditches, because that water becomes our drinking water. We need to work on the rivers throughout the Great Lakes.”

For her part Lorelei Weimer, executive director of the Porter County Convention, Recreation, and Visitor Commission (PCCRVC), praised Beckman’s project and said it would be a natural component of the Ecology Heritage Trail which the PCCRVC is currently planning. “This type of development they’re doing here is going to fit perfectly with the Ecology Trail, which is why we’re excited to be involved with this.”

The Ecology Heritage Trail will begin with an inventory of Porter County’s natural assets, like its wetlands, its vital birding areas, its wildflowers. Then it will map them and use the maps as marketing tools. For example, Weimer noted, a “themed” birding map would likely include Indiana Dunes State Park, Hawthorne Park, Tall Tree Arboretum, and other habits.

Posted 4/23/2008