Welcome to LC Nature Park!  It has been a privilege to help create a unique educational and experiential venue for Allen County and northeast Indiana.  It is our pleasure and honor to share the beauty and benefits of the land’s restoration.  On a visit, you can see the beauty, diversity and wonder of Indiana’s environment as it might have existed pre-settlement, prior to its being deforested and drained.   

The genesis of the Park was inspired by my wife of 38 years, and mother of my children, Carol Brooks.  One of our shared passions was the unique property that has been our home and farm for over twenty years.  When we first toured the property, we loved the beauty of the woods and open areas but never did we know of the surprising hidden treasures of the land.  However, as we experienced and learned more about our homesite and farm, the property’s treasures began to reveal themselves.  

Carol and I restored former cropland to native prairie grasses and wildflowers in addition to creating acres of wetland.  We added native Indiana wildlife – elk and bison – to further promote grassland diversity and, honestly, because we loved observing them.  There is something very inspiring and visceral in seeing the frosty breath of the bison on a cold fall morning while listening to the elk bugle. 

Our family shared one significant concern, however.  Whenever we were inevitably to relinquish our stewardship through death or sale, we wanted the property protected from development and for it to remain as one united parcel of land.  We were able to protect it from further development through a conservation easement but we were uncertain how to protect it from being split among many owners. The creation of LC Nature Park ensured its continued existence as a consolidated parcel of property.

Carol succumbed to a long struggle with breast cancer and died in 2017.  For our first year of mourning, my children and I sought ways to honor her.  We donated to breast cancer care and research but knew that she was much, much more than a cancer victim.  Through conversations together, we came to realize that we should promote her passions – exceptional life experiences, deep appreciation of nature and the science of nature, the joy of camaraderie typically experienced with food and fire, and love for friends and family.  

The genesis of the Park was our love and honor of Carol, but its purpose is to bring her joy and passions to many others.  We welcome you to schedule a tour with family, friends and interest groups to experience the wonders of our native flora and fauna. We strive to bring nature and people together for education and lively camaraderie, and the guests leaving with an appreciation of life within our native landscape and an understanding of its value to our own lives - and a smile.

— John R. Brooks, Founder, LC Nature Park