Founded in 1996, Indiana Forest Alliance (IFA) is a non-profit, statewide organization of individuals dedicated to the long-term health and well-being of Indiana’s native forests. Communications Director, Angela Herrmann, says it was the concern over excessive logging in Indiana’s state forests that prompted the creation of the organization.
Today, the statewide organization is comprised of individuals who are dedicated to the long-term health and well-being of Indiana’s native forests.
“As the Indiana Forest Alliance, all of our work is local,” Herrmann said. “When we hold special events, we want to be able to reach out to local businesses as much as possible.”
One thing some people may not know about the Indiana Forest Alliance is their responsibility for organizing the Ecoblitz, which is a survey life within a specific section of a forest. “Through the Ecoblitz, we have uncovered new species previously unknown and we’ve found endangered species within forests,” she explained.
And the one thing Herrmann finds to be the greatest challenge in their industry? A general lack of public knowledge. “People across the state don’t fully understand the issues affecting Indiana’s forests, and that Indiana’s State Forests are not the same as Indiana’s State Parks — and are among the few places people can go for a true wilderness experience,” she said.
New and upcoming events to look out for in the near future include the launch of their Forest Flights & Pints events around the state. “We are expanding our Wild and Scenic Film Festival to two cities (Bloomington and Fort Wayne), and we have begun planning our 2020 Forest Foraged Feast where the meal is prepared from forest-sourced ingredients.”
Aside from that, not only does their work include wild forests, they also recently launched their Forests for Indy initiative to highlight the importance of maintaining their urban tree canopy.
To learn more about the Indiana Forest Alliance, visit https://indianaforestalliance.org/
