Doak Property
The Doak Property is located in Lake County in the Indiana and Illinois Prairie natural region. After acquiring this property from the State of Indiana in October 2010, a major management component of the property was to develop tree plantings and warm season grass plantings that would be native to the area historically. Natural forested land, tree plantings, and native warm season grass plantings now cover this property. These plantings have served a purpose of demonstrating to private landowners nearby the importance of habitat diversity for wildlife.
Property Statistics
- Acreage: 160
- Acquired: 2010
More About Doak Property
- HTIRC tree plantings to study the genomics, physiology, protection, and utilization of hardwoods in the region
- Native woodlands and native wetlands with planted warm season grasses on site
- Converted row crop acres to natural resource habitat (26 acres tree plantings, 14 acres NWSG)
- Case study for managing severe populations of non-native oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus).
- Tree planting demonstrations focused on intermixing nurse trees and shrubs to benefit wildlife habitat while improving tree growth and quality
- Native warm season grass demonstration to emphasize the effects of species selection and seeding rates during establishment and management impacts on long-term habitat quality
Please contact the property manager for a copy of this property's management plan.
Property Manager:
Don Carlson
Southeast-Purdue Agricultural Center (SEPAC)
4425 East 350 North
Butlerville, IN 47223
Cell: 812.798.2764
Email:carlsode@purdue.edu
A 2007 photo of a NWGS planting. Photo by Don Carlson. 
The same NWGS planting, just captured in 2021. Photo by Don Carlson. 
A 2014 tree planting utilizing deer protection fence with many deer tracks all around the planting. Photo by Don Carlson. 
Utilizing large spraying equipment to prevent invasive species from outcompeting the native NWGS plants in the field. Picture taken in 2015 by Don Carlson. 