Aggie Sweeney is an avid birder. After a career working with nonprofits, she now serves on three — The Watershed Foundation, Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Board and Tippecanoe Audubon Society — to ensure there are outdoor spaces for everyone in the community to enjoy. Photo provided by Aggie Sweeney.

By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

WARSAW  — Pull into Aggie Sweeney’s driveway and it’s easy to understand why she’s an active board member of environmental nonprofits.

Sweeney lives on Pike Lake, Warsaw. On one side of the house, an egret hangs out in the water hunting fish while mallard ducks chill out on the shore.

On the other side, a Great Blue Heron stands statute still, waiting to snag dinner. As we sit down to chat, a kingfisher takes off from a nearby tree to hunt for fish.

Both she and her husband, Chick, are Hoosier natives, but not Kosciusko County. The two retired to Pike Lake in spring of 2020.

When they moved into their home, Sweeney learned about The Watershed Foundation and Pike Lake is filling in faster than other lakes in the area. She explained this is due to Deeds Creek, which feeds into Pike Lake, bringing in a lot of sediment.

Both the city of Warsaw and The Watershed Foundation, along with the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams, have done a lot to address the issues.

In her professional career, Sweeney worked with nonprofits and consulted with nonprofits, but she never had the opportunity to serve on a board of directors, which is something she’s wanted to do.

She moving to Warsaw and learning about the organization, she joined The Watershed Foundation’s board of directors. Now in her third year on the board, she is currently serving as vice president.

Her professional background was assisting nonprofits with fundraising and engaging new donors.

“The Watershed Foundation has done a very good job maintaining donors,” she said.

She explained in its first two decades, the organization focused on Lake Tippecanoe and northward. Recently, it has increased its focus to include Chapman Lake in Warsaw and Winona Lake.

She’s been busy looking at how to engage others, like her, who are concerned about the environment who may also be new to the community.

“We’re doing better at engaging this portion of the watershed,” she said. “We’re trying to expand our base of the watershed.”

Many of the projects The Watershed Foundation undertake are funded through government grants. The planning, education and community support of those projects, however, are funded through local philanthropic support.

“Staff time for educating homeowners on issues is supported through funds raised privately,” she explained.

She serves on the committee which plans The Watershed Foundation’s fundraisers. This summer, the organization hosted two cottage tours: one on Lake Tippecanoe in July and one held recently on Winona Lake.

Along with the cottage tours, there was an online art auction featuring artwork from local artists and art collectors with the theme, “Lake Life.”

Many of the local artists chose to do work highlighting their favorite lake spots.

Sweeney said she enjoys partnering with other committed community members learning how to ensure area lakes and streams remain healthy.

“I’m not out there doing it alone,” she said. “Through Lyn (Crighton, executive director of The Watershed Foundation) and other allies, we have good information. It’s not uninformed or uneducated opinion as to what should be done. Thinking of the lakes as an asset to the communities they are in, it’s up to us to be the stewards.”

Along with The Watershed Foundation, Sweeney also serves on the Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation board; this is a five-member board appointed by the Kosciusko County Commissioners and Council.

“I’ve enjoyed that work and learned a lot,” she said.

The park board is currently working on a trails’ plan and is getting close to getting contractors bids on a trail that will run from the Chinworth Historical Bridge to the Creighton Brothers Crazy Egg Cafe.

An avid bird lover, she also serves on the Tippecanoe Audubon Society, a chapter of the National Audubon Society that serves eight counties with Warsaw being the largest municipality.

From her sunroom, she’s identified over 100 different species of birds. The chapter oversees three nature sancutaries.

“I’ve been really impressed with the work that’s been done over the decades,’ Sweeney said.

One area was originally a marsh, which was drained for agriculture and was recently returned to marshland.

“I’m really proud of the group and the work it’s done,” she said.

She and Chic have two children and one grandchild.