Private landowners can help declining bird populations through a new initiative.
The Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife announced that more than $1 million will help species like quail, pheasants, and sparrows.
Josh Griffin, the private lands program manager with the Division of Fish and Wildlife, says the loss of grassland habitats is one of the biggest threats to wildlife in Indiana.
"That loss of habitat is due to changes in farming practices, urban sprawl, land management differences over time, that have essentially eliminated where those grassland birds live," Griffin says.
The habitat development funding will go toward hiring three full-time grassland biologists, who will assist with financial assistance and outreach.
The goal is to help landowners implement practices including tree planting, invasive species control and pollinators. Those efforts can help create healthy habitats for birds.