Home > A Million Trees > Homepage > Newsroom > Stewardship

Category: Homepage

Bundles of saplings ready to be planted

Indiana trees and the world’s climate challenge

Posted on | Leave a Comment on Indiana trees and the world’s climate challenge

By Cliff Chapman
Executive Director, Central Indiana Land Trust

As world leaders gather in Glasgow for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (Oct. 31-Nov. 12), it can feel as though the Earth’s fate rests in the hands of a few politicians. At the same time, it might seem like the areas where meaningful change can happen are far from home: rainforests, massive urban areas, the oceans, and so on. Continue reading →

Cliff Chapman

Executive Director

cchapman@conservingindiana.org
317.525.3329
As CILTI’s Executive Director, 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.
Blossom Hollow, by Karen Wade

Road Trip: Southern Johnson County

Posted on | Leave a Comment on 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 in 2017, CILTI board member Karen Wade worked for Eli Lilly & Co. In retirement she volunteers for a number of environmental and equine pursuits including Indiana Master Naturalist Certification and Meadowstone Therapeutic Riding Center.
Fall hike at Blossom Hollow

With your Help, We Met our Match!

Posted on | Leave a Comment on 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 Manager

smiller@conservingindiana.org
317.370.2464
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.
Tree planting in Parke County

An Antidote to Bad News

Posted on | Leave a Comment on An Antidote to Bad News

Your actions make a difference!

A letter from our executive director

Everywhere we turn these days, we hear bad news about the state of the world. When it comes to the environment, things seem particularly dire. Habitat loss. Species extinction. The climate crisis. When you care about the natural world, the news can feel overwhelming. Continue reading →

Cliff Chapman

Executive Director

cchapman@conservingindiana.org
317.525.3329
As CILTI’s Executive Director, 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.
Glacier's End, by Dick Miller

Nature as Therapy

Posted on | Leave a Comment on Nature as Therapy

It’s mysterious and profound, accessible to all. Nature heals, whether through a tree outside a hospital window or through full-on forest bathing.

The growing field of forest therapy brings structure and support to this experience through the support of certified guides. Christy Thomson is one such guide. The Huntington resident has taken countless people into the woods since becoming a Certified Forest Therapy Guide. Continue reading →

Shawndra Miller

Communications Manager

smiller@conservingindiana.org
317.370.2464
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.
Tony Armstrong

A Year Spent with Giants

Posted on | Leave a Comment on A Year Spent with Giants

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—the perfect time to celebrate the power of nature to boost mood and mental acuity. It’s no secret that nature—and forests in particular—can heal us. Physicians and mental health professionals are starting to recognize this. Many have begun to prescribe nature walks to their patients. Continue reading →

Shawndra Miller

Communications Manager

smiller@conservingindiana.org
317.370.2464
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.
Dutchman's Breeches watercolor by Gillian Harris

Serving Science through her Art: Gillian Harris

Posted on | Leave a Comment on Serving Science through her Art: Gillian Harris

Bloomington resident Gillian Harris, illustrator of the award-winning children’s book Wake Up, Woods, will be part of our Wake Up to Spring event at Oliver’s Woods this Sunday, along with Michael Homoya. Gillian’s stunning watercolors are a feast for the eyes. We asked her to share more about her work in this blog post.

How did you get your start illustrating the natural world?

I’m really interested in native plants, and I’ve been drawing all my life. I put the two together logically. I started out drawing more animals and then got more into botanical illustrations, which I enjoy. Continue reading →

Shawndra Miller

Communications Manager

smiller@conservingindiana.org
317.370.2464
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.
Harriet Tubman Memorial, Cambridge, MD, via Creative Commons

“We Have Always Been Present”

Posted on | Leave a Comment on “We Have Always Been Present”

For Women’s History Month, we have been seeking the “sheroes” of American conservation, particularly among marginalized communities. Realizing many of their names have been lost to time, we honor the BIPOC* women who have long been deeply connected to the land, as well as advocating and caring for the earth. Continue reading →

Shawndra Miller

Communications Manager

smiller@conservingindiana.org
317.370.2464
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.
Illustration by Sarah Josepha Hale, public domain

Saluting the Women Who Drew Plants

Posted on | Leave a Comment on Saluting the Women Who Drew Plants

Did you know that women historically played a key role in advancing the botany field? In fact, in 19th century US, botany was considered a feminine affair. Many upper-class women collected, drew, and wrote about plants. They pursued this course of study both out of interest and because it was a socially acceptable ladies’ pastime. Continue reading →

Shawndra Miller

Communications Manager

smiller@conservingindiana.org
317.370.2464
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.
Grace completing the pack test.

Fired Up and Ready to Go

Posted on | Leave a Comment on Fired Up and Ready to Go

They came, they saw, they carried.

Members of our stewardship team completed a “pack test” recently as part of fire training. Their task? Carry a 50-pound backpack for 3 miles in less than 45 minutes.

Everyone passed, taking the team one step closer to being able to lead controlled burns on our properties. Continue reading →

Shawndra Miller

Communications Manager

smiller@conservingindiana.org
317.370.2464
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.