SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – St. Joseph County residents were welcomed back to Portage Manor for a tour of the property Tuesday.

Commissioner Derek Dieter and Steve Sass of Indiana Nature toured the south side grounds during the afternoon.

Sass has identified 250 different types of trees, shrubs, flowers and more than 50 species of birds.

This was a way for residents to see the 135 acres of nature surrounding the mansion and share ideas about what their future could look like.

The Portage mansion was officially closed last summer after serving as St. Joseph County’s home for people with mental illness and disabilities for more than 100 years.

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