The Schererville Park Board has approved and adopted the master plan for the Teibel Nature Preserve. You may view the master plan by clicking here: “Teibel Nature Preserve Master Plan”. For more information you can email John at JNovacich@schererville.org or call the Park Office at (219) 865-5530.

It is an exciting time for the Town of Schererville, the Schererville Parks and Recreation Department and the numerous stakeholders involved on this project! It is clear that community leaders are committed to protecting and enhancing the natural environment of the Teibel Nature Preserve while developing an open space which will provide an opportunity for passive recreation and outdoor education that will be a unique asset to the community. This master plan describes the results of the planning process and later, presents a series of opportunities for capital and environmental management improvements of the Teibel Nature Preserve Site.

The Teibel Nature Preserve site is used as wetland mitigation for the surrounding residential and commercial developments. In 2008, Richard Teibel donated the property to the Schererville Parks and Recreation Department through the Schererville Parks Foundation. The Schererville 2008-2012 Parks and Recreation Master Plan identified the Teibel Nature Preserve as a future natural area because the northwest quadrant of the Town of Schererville is significantly deficient in the amount of recommended open space per resident. This area of Schererville is densely developed, and the Teibel Nature Preserve offers a unique opportunity to provide open space for the neighborhood and be the first public natural area provided for the Schererville residents by the Parks and Recreation Department.

The site is regionally located between the Plum Creek Forest Preserve, Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve, Oak Ridge Prairie County Park, and the Pennsy Greenway. These offer high quality natural environments and allow Teibel Nature Preserve to become an extension of the green corridor that serves as habitat for wildlife and migratory birds.

In order to fund the Teibel Nature Preserve Master Plan, the Schererville Parks and Recreation Department applied for and secured an Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Coastal Grant to develop the master plan for the site. After being awarded the grant, the Schererville Parks and Recreation Department engaged Hitchcock Design Group
to lead a team including DLZ and Cardno JFNew, recognized leaders in the fields of landscape architecture, land planning, stormwater engineering and ecological assessments to undertake the master plan.