Highland Heron Rookery

Rarely a day goes by without Madison Owens having an up-close-and-personal interaction with a great blue heron at Highland’s Heron Rookery. The magnificent birds along with snowy white egrets, great horned owls, bald eagles, belted kingfishers and all manner of waterfowl have developed a familiarity with the 2016 Highland High grad that has resulted in photos that wow. Attention for her photos have resulted in new fandom for Owens and a growing interest by casual and serious birders at the rookery. “I saw my first Heron about six years ago at Turkey Creek – and I fell in love with the beautiful birds,” she said. “I was always riding my bike along the Little Cal, but didn’t know about the birds at the Cline Avenue Marsh until the last year or so.” When she’s not working at the Fitness Center at Lincoln Community Center, friends and family know they can most likely find Owens on the lookout for photo opportunities with her new feathered friends.”

Decades after majestic Great Blue Herons returned to the wetlands just south of the Little Calumet River in Highland, their numbers in recent years have declined. In response, a handful of local and national organizations have stepped in to restore the wetland in hopes of rebuilding the local numbers of nesting birds.

Audubon Great Lakes' project partners include Lake County Parks & Recreation, The Nature Conservancy of Indiana, The Wetlands Initiative, Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Restoration - which includes new pathways for water to enter and leave the Highland wetland - is planned along 10 miles of the Little Calumet River, from Hammond to Gary beginning with four sites:

Highland’s Heron Rookery
MLK North Wetland
MLK South Wetland
Colorado Street.

In the meantime, visitors are invited to continue to enjoy the herons, owls, snowy egrets and all manner of waterfowl that call the wetland home.

The Highland trails and rookery are open year-round to all schools, Girl and Boy Scout troops, bird watchers and nature lovers.
Benches and fixed binoculars are available for your viewing pleasure.
Parking is available along Liable Road north of Highway Avenue.

Community - Highland Heron Rookery