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PROJECT BACKGROUND
McVey Memorial Forest, located near Albany, Indiana, is a nearly 250-acre nature preserve established by the will of Edna McVey. Local non-profit, Red-tail Land Conservancy, serves as the official trustee of this preserve, managing and caring for the land according to the objectives outlined by the will. Key elements of the preserve include maintaining the site’s scenic beauty, forest habitat, and serving as a wildlife refuge.
The far-reaching and generous gift of Edna McVey to protect land adjacent to the Mississinewa River is precious in a region of Indiana that is lacking large public green spaces. The site, at a regional scale, has been identified in numerous studies as being a central piece to one of the largest growing wildlife corridors in East Central Indiana.
Serving as a regional catalyst in the past decade, the preservation of McVey has resulted in other Red-Tail acquisitions, the creation of Purdue University’s Davis Farm Education Center, and many surrounding lands being marked for protection by the DNR. The site consists partially of medium-growth upland and lowland forest habitats, but was originally a majority agricultural land that Red-tail has stewarded to strengthen the succession from ag to woods.
Notable site conditions at McVey include former settlement foundations, road corridors, bridge remains, and a historic cemetery. Despite efforts to build trail connections and make the space accessible as desired by Edna, the preserve was broken into three loosely connected natural areas with trails that have continuous problems with washouts and closures.
Flatland Resources has worked with Red-Tail for several years on various projects, from site design to construction, maintenance, and a variety of native plant installations. Due to previous work at McVey with installations and invasive management, Flatland was in a unique position through understanding the site’s history and management to help create a master plan for the site that remained true to Edna’s will.
The planning process was grounded in a thorough site inventory that included trail exploration, photography, geospatial documentation, and habitat identification. The comprehensive inventory process enabled Flatland to identify optimal locations for master plan design elements, avoid unsafe trail conditions, and minimize impacts to sensitive or specialized habitats. These elements were implemented by strategically routing new paths through areas of historical or aesthetic significance and identifying locations requiring invasive species removal.
The resulting plan emphasizes strategic trail realignment, selective trail removal, and intentional connections to historic features, allowing visitors to experience the site’s natural and cultural layers while minimizing environmental disturbance.
This project provides a long-term framework that both strengthens public engagement with conservation lands and ensures McVey Memorial Forest remains ecologically resilient and accessible for generations to come.
PROJECT PERSONNEL
PHIL
project lead
+project manager
+project designer
Red-tail Land Conservancy has hired FlatLand Resources to improve many or our properties over the last 20-years. They approach our sites with a concise foundational understanding of our mission. The Master Plan they created for us at McVey Woods will change how people interact with this property for years to come. The Plan truly protects the habitat of this unique property.
- Julie Borgman, Red-tail Land Conservancy, Executive Director
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