"The Dunes are to the Midwest what the Grand Canyon is to Arizona and Yosemite is to California. They constitute a signature of time and eternity. Once lost, the loss would be irrevocable." - Carl Sandburg (Cockrell v)

The Indiana Dunes are a crucial landmark in Northwest Indiana. They serve as both a tourist attraction and a source of recreation. They also provide a lush historical background full of controversy and struggles. The Indiana Dunes contain the geological history of the past 14,000 years, and serve as a botanical melting pot (Hill 9). Here the Coniferous trees of Canada meet the temperate hardwood forests of the Northern and Eastern United States and the tall grass prairies of the Midwest.

The Indiana Dunes are often taken for granted by the denizens of the area. The Dunes encompass a vast amount of rare beauty to the surrounding communities. The Dunes are quite...