Yellow Rumped Warbler – Redbud Tree – East Indy cropped resized FB Inst May 2020
Yellow-rumped warbler
Celebrating the Forever Promise
Written By: Ben Miller
Date Published: April 16, 2021
Ben Miller
Second in a series on the Trek our Trails Challenge by guest blogger Ben Valentine
It’s finally spring and I feel the need to get away from the city and cornfields to celebrate winter’s end. The Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow—brimming with wildflowers and more red-headed woodpeckers than I’ve ever seen in one day—seems like the perfect spot to do so.
On our hike, we spot our first warbler of the season—a yellow rumped—as well as red-headed woodpeckers and several golden-crowned kinglets. The birds are all flitting about the trees, twitterpated in spring’s delights, and so are we.
I’m no botanist, so reading Michael Homoya’s recent post, What Nature Does in Spring, was a great way to prepare for our little trip. Homoya helped me to better understand the amazing “riot” of spring ephemerals underway. Beautiful flowers cover this preserve’s forest floor, and I feel all the more appreciative for it. But what of the birds?
Reading more about the red-headed woodpeckers, I learn that they are the most skillful hunters and catholic eaters of all woodpeckers, catching bugs midair and even eating mice or other birds. John James Audubon—considered birding’s godfather—reported in 1840 that, due to the abundance of these woodpeckers in orchards, over 100 were shot from one cherry tree in a single day. Today, due to habitat loss, their numbers have “declined by over 2% per year from 1966 to 2014, resulting in a cumulative decline of 70%.” Such precipitous loss of this beautiful species is pervasive throughout our region. The species is now listed as “Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List, all of which makes me that much more thankful for nature preserves like these, and the good work of Central Indiana Land Trust.
Blossom Hollow lies between Glacier’s End, which is not yet open to the public, and a private conservation easement held by the land trust. Central Indiana Land Trust calls this land the Hills of Gold Conservation Area. But the birds, insects and turtles that frequent this unbroken hardwood forest block only know it as safe sanctuary.
Ben at Blossom Hollow
As our little hike comes to an end, it strikes me as simultaneously astounding that conservation easements are such a new invention, but also that they even exist at all. A conservation easement is a legal mechanism between a private landowner and a local land trust or government to protect the land. These agreements last in perpetuity—putting our ecosystems ahead of rapid development—and they are an increasingly useful tool for conservation.
Conservation easements are such a profound tool to make forever promises to lands shaped over epochs, while we humans flit about in much shorter timeframes. The Hills of Gold Conservation Area—still largely defined by the southern edge of glaciers that receded millennia ago—seems like as great a place as any to celebrate protections that last in perpetuity.
The ephemerals will quickly bloom, go to seed, and disappear behind the leafing trees of summer’s heat. The woodpeckers still fly. And I rest assured knowing this land will continue on, long after I’m gone.
Ben Valentine
Guest Blogger
Ben Valentine is a founding member of the Friends of Marott Woods Nature Preserve and is active in several other conservation organizations. He leads a series of NUVO interviews with Indiana's environmental leaders, and he cherishes showing his son all the wonders of nature he grew up loving.
DJ Connors
Guest Blogger
DJ Connors, a Central Indiana native and late-to-life hunter, combines a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors with a deep passion for exploring the natural beauty of the area he has called home for most of his life. As a husband and father of three, he is committed to ensuring his children have the same opportunities to connect with nature and appreciate the outdoors in their community. DJ’s unique journey into hunting emphasizes sustainability, responsible stewardship, and the importance of preserving these experiences for future generations.
Bridget Walls
Guest Blogger
Bridget is our first ever Communications and Outreach Intern. She is a graduate of Marian University, where she combined English, studio art, and environmental sciences in her degree studies. As treasurer for Just Earth, the university's environmental club, she helped plan events encouraging a responsible relationship between people, nature, and animals.
Jordan England
Guest Blogger
Jordan England is a lifelong Shelby County resident who graduated from Waldron Jr. Sr. High School (just a few miles from Meltzer Woods!). After earning her B.S. degree in Retail Management from Purdue University, she returned to Waldron to start a family with her husband, Brian. Together they have 3 young children and enjoy sharing with them their love of the community. Jordan is the Grants and Nonprofit Relations Director at Blue River Community Foundation, managing BRCF’s grant program, providing support to local nonprofits, and promoting catalytic philanthropy in Shelby County.
Cliff Chapman
President and CEO
As CILTI’s President and CEO, Cliff keeps CILTI’s focus on good science and stewardship. He’s mindful that the natural places you love took thousands of years to evolve and could be destroyed in a single day, and that knowledge drives his dedication to their protection.
Stacy Cachules
Chief Operating Officer
Among her many key duties as Assistant Director, Stacy has the critical task of tracking our budget, making sure we channel donations for maximum efficiency. When her workday’s done, Stacy loves to spend time with her two young boys—and when not traveling, she’s likely planning the next travel adventure.
Ryan Fuhrmann
Vice Chair
Ryan C. Fuhrmann, CFA, is President and founder of Fuhrmann Capital LLC, an Indiana-based investment management firm focused on portfolio management. Ryan’s interest in land conservation centers around a desire to help preserve natural habitats for wildlife and the subsequent benefits it brings to people and the environment.
Joanna Nixon
Board Member
Joanna Nixon is the owner of Nixon Consulting, an Indianapolis-based strategy and project management firm focused on the nonprofit sector. She currently serves as the Philanthropic Advisor for the Efroymson Family Fund. Prior to opening her consulting practice in 2000, Joanna was vice-president for grantmaking at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). Joanna has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and arts and culture sector. She is passionate about the environment and loves bringing big ideas to life and creating high-quality arts and culture programs and experiences. Joanna enjoys outdoor adventures, including competing in fitness obstacle course races and hiking with her high energy Australian Cattle Dog, Jackson.
Karen Wade
Board Member
Before retiring, CILTI board member Karen Wade worked for Eli Lilly & Co. In retirement she volunteers for a number of organizations, including the Indiana Master Naturalist program, Johnson County Native Plant Partnership CISMA, Meadowstone Therapeutic Riding Center, and Leadership Johnson County.
David Barickman
Development Systems Manager
Born and raised in Central Illinois, David spent many days as a child wandering around the river, forest and lakes there. He works behind the scenes as a key member of our fundraising team. When not working, David loves to be outdoors hiking, fly fishing, kayaking or woodworking.
Jamison Hutchins
Stewardship Director
Jamison leads our stewardship team in caring for the land that is so important to you. He comes to our team after eight years as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Indianapolis, where his work had a positive impact from both health and environmental perspectives.
Jen Schmits Thomas
Media Relations
An award-winning communicator and recognized leader in Central Indiana’s public relations community, Jen helps us tell our story in the media. She is the founder of JTPR, which she and her husband John Thomas own together. She is accredited in public relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, and loves to camp and hike in perfect weather conditions.
Shawndra Miller
Communications Director
Shawndra’s earliest writing projects centered around the natural world, starting when a bird inspired her to write her first “book” in elementary school. Now she is in charge of sharing our story and connecting you to our work. Through our print and online materials, she hopes to inspire your participation in protecting special places for future generations.
Phillip Weldy
Stewardship Specialist
Phillip enjoys nature’s wonders from an up-close-and-personal perspective as he works to restore the natural places you love. As an AmeriCorps member in Asheville, NC, he had his first full immersion in relatively undisturbed land while reconstructing wilderness trails in National Parks and National Forests.
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