Demonstration Forests

Let the Sun Shine In – Indiana and its partners are developing Demonstration Forests across Southern Indiana. They feature easily replicated management practices that a landowner can utilize on their property. They are implemented to improve the forest ecosystem.

Our Demonstration Forests showcase various silvicultural treatments used to regenerate oaks and native biodiversity. Visitors will walk through the Oak-Hickory Ecosystem in these areas, and see that active management is required for ecosystem restoration and maintenance. Forest stands in various stages of treatment will be contrasted with untreated control areas. Our goal for the Demonstration Forests is to communicate the importance of our Oak-Hickory Ecosystem. We encourage all landowners to manage the ecosystem across property lines, across the landscape. This creates large areas of managed oak forests and woodlands. Private lands participating in these management efforts also results in larger blocks of habitat for priority songbirds.