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Callery pear flowering in a field bordering a nature preserve

White blossoms mask the new ‘silent spring’ threat

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by Cliff Chapman
President, Central Indiana Land Trust

Those white-flowering trees you see along the highways and in neighborhoods throughout Central Indiana might seem like a welcome harbinger of spring, but they actually represent a threat similar to one recognized more than 60 years ago in the landmark book Silent Spring. Continue reading →

Cliff Chapman

President and CEO

cchapman@conservingindiana.org
317.525.3329
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.
Controlled burn at Nonie Werbe Krauss Nature Preserve

Supporting a Prairie Preserve with Fire

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With a high plant diversity and stable plant populations, a prairie can provide habitat for a plethora of insects and birds. That’s one thing that makes our Nonie Werbe Krauss Nature Preserve so special. Almost 90 species of birds have been found on CILTI’s only prairie habitat nature preserve. Continue reading →

Phillip Weldy

Stewardship Specialist

pweldy@conservingindiana.org
574.286.9344
Phillip enjoys nature’s wonders from an up-close-and-personal perspective as he works to restore the natural places you love. He came to his stewardship role at CILTI after undertaking invasive species control and trail maintenance for Little Traverse Conservancy in Harbor Springs, MI.
Burnett Woods photo by Dick Miller

Founder Shares Early Origins of Central Indiana Land Trust

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Ellen Jacquart was CILTI’s founder and first president. Now a board member, she contributed these thoughts on what it was like to pioneer starting a land trust in 1990.

After grad school, I moved to Indiana in 1987 to work as an intern at the Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves. That job transformed my life.

Continue reading →

Ellen Jacquart

Board Member

Ellen Jacquart was one of our organization’s founders. She spent her career managing natural areas in Indiana, working for the Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy of Indiana before retiring in 2016.
Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve, DNR Photo – Division of Nature Preserves

Savannas, Prairies, and their “Cousins”

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Final in a series by board member John Bacone

Note: A version of this series appeared in the Indiana Parks Alliance newsletter and the Indiana Native Plant Society Journal.

Savannas, which are natural communities comprised of widely spaced oak trees in a matrix of prairie forbs, once were common in Indiana, especially in the northwest part of the state. Excellent examples of these fire-dependent communities have been protected at Stoutsburg Savanna and Tefft Savanna Nature Preserves in Jasper County and Conrad Station Nature Preserve in Newton County. Continue reading →

John Bacone

Secretary

Board member John Bacone retired in 2019 after 40 years as the Director of the Division of Nature Preserves with Indiana DNR. 
Sandhill cranes in Pokagon Fen, DNR Photo – Division of Nature Preserves

A Look at Indiana’s Wetland Preserves

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Fourth in a series by board member John Bacone

Note: A version of this series appeared in the Indiana Parks Alliance newsletter and the Indiana Native Plant Society Journal.

Indiana has been blessed with numerous types of wetlands, and excellent examples of many of them are included within nature preserves.

Continue reading →

John Bacone

Secretary

Board member John Bacone retired in 2019 after 40 years as the Director of the Division of Nature Preserves with Indiana DNR. 
Pine Hills Nature Preserve, DNR Photo – Division of Nature Preserves

Explore Indiana’s Geologic Wonders and Majestic Forests

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Third in a series by board member John Bacone

Note: A version of this series appeared in the Indiana Parks Alliance newsletter and the Indiana Native Plant Society Journal.

Indiana is a place of varied terrain and stunning geologic wonders. Many of our most popular nature preserves are beloved for their geologic features, including Pine Hills (incised meanders), Portland Arch (natural bridge), and Jug Rock (mushroom cap).
Continue reading →

John Bacone

Secretary

Board member John Bacone retired in 2019 after 40 years as the Director of the Division of Nature Preserves with Indiana DNR. 
Rocky Hollow-Falls at Turkey Run State Park

Indiana’s Nature Preserves Offer Glimpses of the Past

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Second in a series by board member John Bacone

Note: A version of this series appeared in the Indiana Parks Alliance newsletter and the Indiana Native Plant Society Journal.

Indiana’s state-dedicated nature preserves are not only places of natural beauty. They also showcase what our state looked like in a bygone era. Continue reading →

John Bacone

Secretary

Board member John Bacone retired in 2019 after 40 years as the Director of the Division of Nature Preserves with Indiana DNR. 
Toothwort Woods Nature Preserve, DNR Photo – Division of Nature Preserves

With 300th Nature Preserve, We Celebrate Indiana’s Conservation History

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First of a series by board member John Bacone

Note: A version of this series appeared in the Indiana Parks Alliance newsletter and the Indiana Native Plant Society Journal.

A major conservation milestone was reached this past October. The Natural Resources Commission dedicated Toothwort Woods as Indiana’s 300th nature preserve. Continue reading →

John Bacone

Secretary

Board member John Bacone retired in 2019 after 40 years as the Director of the Division of Nature Preserves with Indiana DNR. 
Swamp white oak sample collected at Bacon Swamp. Photo courtesy of Butler University Friesner Herbarium.

Swamps and the Underground Railroad

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Two former wetlands (also known as swamps, bogs, or sloughs) had a significant part in Indianapolis history—serving as key stops on the Underground Railroad.

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.
Photo by Paul Rothrock

The Little Things That Run the World

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By Lee Casebere

The well-known scientist E.O. Wilson wrote in 2006, “More respect is due the little things that run the world.” I want to further explore why it matters that many species of plants and animals around the world are disappearing due to human actions.  Continue reading →

Lee Casebere

Guest Blogger

Lee Casebere, a longtime CILTI supporter, is a naturalist, ecologist, and nature photographer. He is the retired assistant director of Indiana DNR’s Division of Nature Preserves.