Oliver's Woods photo by Kate Huston

Protecting Forests for Clean Water

Water Quality Month spurs us to take a look at the health of our most precious resource. We often focus on the importance of wetlands in filtering drinking water. But here’s a surprising partner in protecting a clean water supply: Forests. Continue reading

Shawndra Miller

Communications Director

Shawndra 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.
Mossy Point, by Emily Persic

Help secure a historic match!

Exciting news: Our generous partners at Efroymson Family Fund have presented us with our biggest ever year-end challenge. Every gift up to $250,000 will be generously matched by the family! Donations must be made by December 31, 2023 to count toward this match. Continue reading

Shawndra Miller

Communications Director

Shawndra 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.
Betley Woods at Glacier's End

Gov. Holcomb Proposes Large Land Protection Investment

Gov. Eric Holcomb gave his 2023 State of the State address this week. In his remarks, he proposed $25 million for land protection, a significant investment. If enacted, this investment will spark the conservation of thousands of acres. The governor specifically named Central Indiana Land Trust as a partner in this work.
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Shawndra Miller

Communications Director

Shawndra 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.
Blue-headed vireo

Make Your Gift Work Double-time!

We are so fortunate to have a matching challenge grant from a generous donor this spring! Thanks to board member and friend, Stephen H. Simon, all contributions will be matched during our spring and summer membership campaign, up to $50,000.

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Shawndra Miller

Communications Director

Shawndra 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.
Betley Woods at Glacier's End

 $1 Million Gift from the Betley Family will Enhance Protected Lands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dec. 21, 2021

Newly renamed preserve now called Betley Woods at Glacier’s End

The Central Indiana Land Trust Inc. (CILTI) has received a $1 million gift from Leonard and Kathryn Betley and their family to support reforestation and land protection, as well as to establish an endowment for the Hills of Gold Conservation Area.

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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.
Worm-eating Warbler

The Misnamed Bird: Worm-Eating Warbler

Our spring newsmagazine featured Cliff’s top ten hidden gems of birding. Here is the final post in a blog series on these birds, by guest blogger Ed Pope.

Despite its name, the worm-eating warbler prefer insects, spiders, other arthropods and especially caterpillars over earthworms. It is a small songbird, approximately the size of a goldfinch. The upper plumage is brown, while the underside is lighter. It has black stripes on its head, including two that appear to go through its eyes.

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Ed Pope

Guest Blogger

Ed Pope is a retired engineer from Rolls-Royce and a CILTI member since 2002.
Blossom Hollow, by Karen Wade

Road Trip: Southern Johnson County

We asked Karen Wade, one of our board members who lives in Johnson County, to recommend some attractions near the Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow. She offered this guest post.

Did you know that Johnson County is known as Festival Country Indiana? And you bet we’ve got festivals and events aplenty; just take a peek here. There’s literally something happening all year long, from craft fairs to car shows to fundraising galas. We have theater, movies, and comedy shows, wine and beer tastings, yoga (with and without goats), and the list goes on. Continue reading

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.
Fall hike at Blossom Hollow

With your Help, We Met our Match!

Our match goal, that is!

Thanks to your generous contributions over the summer months, we were able to receive a $50,000 matching challenge grant from the Herbert Simon Family Foundation. This effectively doubled the amount of acreage we are able to protect and restore. Continue reading

Shawndra Miller

Communications Director

Shawndra 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.
Jamison Hutchins

Behind the Scenes with Stewardship Manager Jamison Hutchins

Our stewardship manager, Jamison Hutchins, recently took a walk through Nonie Werbe Krauss Nature Preserve while speaking with Freya Berntson. Freya’s podcast, Midwestoration, profiles people working in the conservation field.

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Shawndra Miller

Communications Director

Shawndra 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.
Planting trees in Parke County

Monitoring Land Protection with “Kermit” the Drone

If you are a CILTI member and received this summer’s newsletter, you probably noticed the unique vantage point of our cover photo. Seen from the sky, our cover shot showed the stewardship team hard at work, planting young trees on the edge of a lush forest in Parke County. To capture this photo, we used a relatively new tool (or some might say toy): a drone. Continue reading

Grace van Kan

White River Steward

Grace grew up roaming the woods, creeks and wetlands around the Chesapeake Bay watershed. From an early trout-raising project to a “gap year” spent restoring coral reefs in Thailand, her interest in aquatic conservation has only grown. Now she cares for several riverine nature preserves as CILTI’s White River Steward.