President's Message - Clare Oskay
CILTI To Benefit From Major Grants
Woodland Wildflowers Open CILTI's Annual Meeting
Ruth Burnett - 1902-2001 - Mary Wollitz-Dooley
McCloud Nature Park
Land Trust Alliance Midwest Conference
Whitewater Valley Land Trust
We determined that, to best achieve our mission, CILTI needed to open an office and hire an executive director who could devote full time to protecting land in Central Indiana. Since then, we have been busily building our organization, increasing membership, enlarging the size and diversity of the Board, implementing Board development programs, adopting a fundraising plan and projecting financial needs. Last fall, we began quietly raising the $157,000 we calculated would pay for the first two years of staff and office costs.
In March, we received full funding of our $70,000 request to the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. A few weeks later, we were awarded $25,000 from the Efroymson Fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation. Obviously, we were thrilled to receive these grants. Not only do these awards contribute much-needed dollars to our capital campaign coffers, but they also demonstrate that these foundations, two of the largest foundations in Indiana, share our concern for the protection of natural areas in Central Indiana and are confident in CILTI's ability to do the job.
When added to the other generous contributions received over the past few months, these grants have placed us within $20,000 of our original goal. Many, many thanks go to our hard-working and talented Development Chair, Nonie Krauss, for her long hours and diligent efforts toward this objective.
The Board expects to reach our fundraising goal for this original capital campaign very soon and is proceeding with plans to open an office for CILTI. A search committee will be formed shortly and we will begin looking for appropriate space to rent, as well as shopping for the necessary furnishings and equipment. This will be an extremely busy and exciting year for CILTI as we make the transition from an all-volunteer organization to one with a permanent address and permanent staff. We look forward to the challenge and will be sure to keep you posted on our progress!
The CILTI Board has been taking steady steps to assure that it can fulfill its mission over the long haul by building a firm foundation for carrying out its responsibilities. Organization development may not be "flashy", but it is essential for effective operations and making CILTI a permanent viable presence for conservation. As part of that effort, the land trust has been moving toward employing a full time Executive Director and opening an office in Indianapolis.
Central Indiana Land Trust Incorporated was bolstered toward accomplishing that goal when it received a gift of $30,000.00 from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust in March. This is the first installment of a $70,000.00 grant awarded to CILTI as support over a two year period for hiring its first Executive Director and opening an office. The second portion of the award will be contingent upon raising matching funds in the amount of $40,000.00 from other sources.
Nonie Krauss, chair of CILTI's Development Committee noted that the grant is a strong message of shared commitment and confidence from the second largest private foundation in Indiana. Nina Mason Pulliam was a journalist, business leader, humanitarian, and lover of all creatures. Carol Peden Schatt, Trustee and niece of Mrs. Pulliam remarked: "The Trust's funding interests center around Nina's passions, continuing to support the things she loved and adding to the quality of life for all Hoosiers."
Harriet M. Ivey, president and CEO of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, officiated along with Michael R. Twyman, director of grants programs for Indiana at the check presentation ceremony Mar. 19 at the Benedict Inn Retreat and Conference Center. "Today's grant recipients share a common thread of excellence in fulfilling their commitments to this community and state", said Ivey.
We are also most pleased and grateful to have been awarded $25,000 from the Efroymson Fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation for startup support for the Executive Director position. Conservationists in Indiana have been familiar with the outstanding leadership exercised by Dan Efroymson as an Indiana Trustee (1982-1999) as well as on the Board of Governors of the Nature Conservancy (since 1989). Before his death in 1999, he and his family developed a means to carry on his commitment to nature through the Efroymson Fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, where the principal focus is on preservation of biological diversity, principally through habitat preservation. Three generations of the Efroymson family have demonstrated remarkable philanthropy benefiting central Indiana. We are honored to be assisted with these funds for conservation work that is similar to that of the Nature Conservancy, but filling a different niche.
Burnett Woods, the State Nature Preserve in Hendricks County held by CILTI, is lavishly carpeted with wildflowers in spring. Though a late snow had hastened the petal-drop of some species, numerous others were still showing, including Prairie Trillium, Spring Beauty, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Blue Phlox, Star Chickweed. There were both purple and yellow Violets, Jacob's Ladder, Mayapples, Ginger and Belwort. A few of the hundreds of Trout Lilies, both Yellow and White varieties, still had blossoms although most had gone to fruit.
Tom Swinford, CILTI Board Member and Regional Ecologist for the DNR, led the walk. He pointed out also the stands of native trees and shrubs protected here, large hardwoods plus native Paw-Paw that were in bloom, and Spicebush in early foliage.
Returning indoors, participants enjoyed pizza and interacted with one another. In attendance were Dr. Irving & Mrs. Jane Cohen, the donors of Shalom Woods. Elections were finalized and new Board Members Mary Bergerson, Sandy Bowen-Lehnen, and Roberta Donahue were welcomed. We are glad for the enthusiasm and expertise they bring to the Board.
Bill Harrington of the Hendricks County Parks and Recreation board provided a slide presentation regarding the history and plans for McCloud Nature Park. This project encompasses 233 acres of beautiful riparian habitat. It offers life support to a variety of native plants and wildlife, and is home to some 100-year-old Cottonwoods as well as a stand of Eastern Hemlock. Wildlife is diverse and abundant here, where even bobcat and wild turkey live. CILTI supports this project, which was recommended as worthy of Indiana Heritage Trust grant funds.
Several Board Members had spoken with her son, Jesse, when he stopped by the Annual Meeting, Apr. 20. Ruth herself would have come if she had not been in the hospital fighting an infection. We'd learned that she had wanted to see her beloved woods again, and we spoke of ways to bring her to see the wildflowers, even if in a wheelchair. Regrettably, we were not able to do that. Ruth Burnett died peacefully on Apr. 24, just two years short of a century on our Earth.
Mrs. Burnett was a woman of letters. She had been a teacher, had written 14 novels, and published a short story. She also co-authored 7 books in the Childhood of Famous Americans series with Hortense Myers, and was a member of the Woman's Press Club of Indiana. Her love of literature and learning was a treasure shared with family, friends, and beyond. This was obvious in her delight that poems were read at the dedication of the 69 acres she was able to see become a state designated nature preserve. It was evident in her granddaughter's thoughtful and expressive words at her funeral. She was a woman of faith who celebrated and supported community and creation.
Her most generous "bargain sale" to CILTI of the magnificent woods we walked in prior to the annual meeting was a way she passed on her love and appreciation for nature. Burnett Woods is a lasting legacy which CILTI is honored to protect and care for in her name. She has shared a treasure with her children, her children's children, and well beyond. May the trees and trillium, the warblers and wood thrushes, and all the creatures of this woodland give expression to her thanks and ours for the beauty and bounty of life.
Now a project valued at over a million dollars is underway on this land located both north and south of Big Walnut Creek. The very recently formed Hendricks County Parks and Recreation Board is in the process of acquiring a significant set of properties that will total over 230 acres of prime wildlife habitat.
The site is along the Hendricks/Putnam County line, several miles upstream from the Big Walnut Preserve owned and stewarded by The Nature Conservancy. Conserving it would extend protection of the Big Walnut watershed. Large trees there would require several people to hug. It is a haven for over 100 bird species, including the Bald Eagle. It is also home to the rare Cerulean Warbler as well as the endangered Indiana Bat. A good mix of mature hardwood trees and other native plants and animals make this a most valuable site to protect.
This project is within CILTI's service area, and is the type of property CILTI would consider for acquisition. Thus, the Board has elected to contribute $2500 to help see the project become a reality.