Hello and welcome to Eco Report.

In today’s feature report, we are looking at a growing threat to one of Monroe County’s most important natural resources. Invasive species are spreading through Monroe Lake, threatening native plants, animals, and the lake’s overall ecosystem. WFHB Environmental correspondent, Amelia Bucher has the story. That’s coming up later in the program.

And now for your environmental reports:

October is Leave the Leaves Month and as Bloomington’s trees turn shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown, you might ask, “what role do these leaves play in health of local plants, insects, and animals?” The National Wildlife Federation (or NWF) is urging residents to support the butterflies, lightning bugs, and songbirds that depend on fallen leaves for survival by foregoing the raking process this year.

“Refraining from clearing leaves from your lawn can also reduce large-scale organic gas emissions, too. According to the NWF, Americans dispose of over 35 million tons of yard waste annually, and leaves account for more than 13% of the country’s solid waste. In landfills, this organic matter releases methane gas—25 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat.”

Meanwhile, the layer of leaves that accumulate in your lawn each fall offers critical habitat to many species who “overwinter” in the protection of fallen leaves. Many moth and butterfly species don’t migrate, making Bloomington a necessary home for recurring sightings of these winged beauties. Lightning bug (or firefly) larvae rely on leaves for up to two years and bumblebee queens are known to hibernate through winter in this habitat, too. The vast majority of backyard birds—96 %—rely on butterfly and moth caterpillars as primary food for their babies during nesting season.

While a National Wildlife Federation survey found that 72% of people know fallen leaves benefit wildlife, only 25% actually leave the leaves. Often home- or property-owners are concerned about the appearance, turfgrass survival, or pests. But wildlife experts emphasize you don’t need to smother your lawn. Birds, insects, and reptiles benefit from smaller plots of natural leaf litter. You can leave specific areas of your lawn undisturbed to provide smaller habitats, or rake leaves from sidewalks, driveways, and grass into garden beds where they act as natural mulch.

The NWF offers tips and answers to frequently asked questions on their website, making it simple for residents to engage in lawn care that directly supports biodiversity right here in Bloomington.
—Carrie Albright

A federal judge ordered the U.S. Forest Service to temporarily halt a massive logging project in the Hoosier National Forest last week, ruling that the agency failed to adequately explain potential environmental impacts. The USFS Houston South Vegetation Management and Restoration Project involves clear-cutting 400 acres, logging an additional 4,000 acres, enacting prescribed burns on 13,500 acres, and constructing several miles of roads.

Chief Judge Tanya Pratt found this project lacked proper environmental analysis, particularly regarding Lake Monroe’s water quality and soil erosion. The Forest Service claimed that “Best Management Practices” would mitigate any harm, but the court determined that the studies they cited were either 30 years old or used metrics that “carry little to no weight” for measuring logging impacts within the affected counties. Judge Pratt wrote that the agency offered “only generalized assurances,” failing to provide actual analysis to satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act.

This marks the third lawsuit attempting to stop the logging since 2020, supported by parties including the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, Indiana Forest Alliance, Hoosier Environmental Council, and Friends of Lake Monroe. The project remains halted until the Forest Service provides proper environmental findings and meets with the judge to determine an appropriate remedy and timeline. This ruling sets a critical precedent that federal agencies can’t just rubber-stamp major environmental projects with outdated science and vague promises—they must demonstrate that their actions won’t harm the water, air, soil, and ecosystems Hoosiers throughout the state are working to protect.

—Carrie Albright

A state grant program is helping Indiana students discover the outdoors, a welcome reprieve amidst the rising transportation costs for field trips. The “Discover The Outdoors Field Trip Grant”, run by the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation, provided grants to 68 schools across Indiana this year to visit state parks. Since the program launched in 2013, it’s awarded 345 grants totaling over $92,000. This funding means more than 30,000 Indiana kids have had the chance to experience outdoor education.

Westlane Middle School in Indianapolis has already taken 130 middle schoolers to Fort Harrison State Park. Because the state parks charge just one dollar per student for guided interpretive nature tours, schools can afford to bring more young people out into nature. Kevin Melrose, a seventh-grade teacher at Westlane, says getting kids outside is crucial for teaching Indiana history, ecology, and earth sciences—but without grant support, many schools simply can’t afford it.

During a recent Fort Harrison trip, students climbed over logs, waded through creeks, examined the mysteries of the tree canopy, and never stopped engaging with their natural surroundings. Park staff led guided hikes, teaching about different ecosystems and animals while incorporating lessons about the park’s history. The school’s parent-teacher association also helped fundraise to cover additional costs beyond the grant.

Applications for the 2026-2027 school year open in March at the DNR State Parks website. Teachers and parents interested in getting kids outdoors can find more information about the program and start planning now. Research confirms time and time again that exposure to nature has a positive impact on students. In fact, analysis by Stanford researchers verifies that environmental education promotes competence, confidence, and connection as well as knowledge gains across multiple subjects, including environmental issues, science, and mathematics. And as Melrose says, “The point of school is preparing them to be global learners, and the best way we can do that is to get them out on the globe.”

—Carrie Albright

On Monday, the Trump administration announced plans to eliminate over 2,000 positions at the Department of the Interior, targeting scientists who study water resources, endangered species, and toxic contamination like PFAS (pronounced P’-FAS). According to the court filing, the cuts will hit hardest at the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, and regional National Park Service offices. Meanwhile, EPA staff received another round of furlough notices as the agency’s funding dries up during the government shutdown.

Conservation groups identify this as the next stage of a broader campaign to eliminate environmental data collection. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has described this sequence of decisions as the largest rollback of environmental protections in U.S. history. President Trump recently stated the shutdown provides an opportunity to dismantle what he calls “Democrat programs” and “woke” environmental protections, despite the fact that major environmental laws and the EPA itself originated during Nixon’s presidency, a Republican administration.

The Interior Department manages national parks, wildlife refuges, and public lands while conducting critical environmental research. The EPA layoffs specifically target staff who enforce anti-pollution laws and protect drinking water. As these cuts move forward, communities will lose access to crucial scientific research on flooding, wildfires, water quality, and wildlife—data that has guided public safety decisions for decades. ​​Without scientists monitoring water contamination, tracking endangered species, and researching the impacts of climate change, we’re moving through global environmental crises without guidance—losing not just data, but the ability to protect public health and respond to natural disasters before they become catastrophes.

—Carrie Albright

Feature Report:

Now lets listen to Amelia Bucher talk about the growing invasive species threat to Monroe Lake.

And now for some upcoming events:

Take a “Creepy Crawly Night Hike” on Saturday, October 25th, from 7:30 to 9 pm at the Ferguson Dog Park. Explore the wild after dark and uncover the world of creepy crawlies. Sign up at bloomington.IN.gov/parks.

Fall-O-Ween will take place at McCormick’s Creek State Park on Saturday, October 25th, from 9:30 am to 10 pm. Events are scheduled all day. Start off with the “Buck’s Dead and Breakfast” from 9:30 am to Noon. There will also be hayrides, pumpkin carving and Owl Prowls.

Join a naturalist on a “Hoot Goes There?” guided hike to listen for sounds from our “owl-some” feathered friends. Learn how to identify Indiana owls by their sounds at Griffy Lake Nature Preserve on Saturday, November 1st, from 6 to 7:30 pm. Sign up at bloomington.IN.gov/parks.

Credits:
This week’s headlines were written by Carrie Albright,
Today’s news feature was produced by Amelia Bucher
Julianna Dailey assembled the script which was edited by the EcoReport team and produced the upcoming events.
Engineer is Kade Young.