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.
Our spring newsmagazine honors the late Len Betley, our friend and benefactor. We’ve been sharing tributes from people who knew, loved, and respected Len. Here our longtime supporter Priscilla Johnson, who serves on our board, offers her reflections. Continue reading →
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.
Third in a series memorializing our friend and benefactor, Len Betley
Our spring newsmagazine features a tribute to the late Len Betley, who left a tremendous land protection legacy. Bill Weeks, who has a long history of service in the conservation field, worked with Len in the 1980s. We asked him to share some highlights of their collaboration.
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.
Citizen science is when members of the general public help conduct scientific research. It involves real people reporting observations and collecting real data that matters to them.
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.
Alex Stewart measuring slope grade using clinometer
Coming soon to a preserve near you: an incredible hiking experience. Yes, Betley Woods at Glacier’s End is getting topnotch trails! Our partners at the Indiana Wildlife Federation (IWF) received Next Level Trails funding from the state to build sustainable trails through this gorgeous preserve.
Our team helped plot out trail routes, working with IWF staff and premiere trail designer Alex Stewart. Continue reading →
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.
First in a series memorializing our friend and benefactor, Len Betley
Our spring newsmagazine features a tribute to the late Len Betley, whose support of conservation in general and our work in particular had an enormous impact. Here, we talk with Len’s son Tom Betley. Tom is the Associate Vice Chair for Budget and Finance at the IU Department of Medicine. He serves on our board as Vice Chair of Programs, generously volunteering his time and expertise to our mission. He offered these reflections on his father’s legacy.
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 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.
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. Continue reading →
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.
We recently received a $12,000 grant from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) program to be used for nature preserve improvements. We plan to use the funds for Burnett Woods, an 80-acre wooded nature preserve in Avon. This state-dedicated nature preserve is well-loved for its seasonal wildflowers and fall colors, with one of our most highly visited trails.
The Hendricks County Community Foundation (HCCF) partnered with the Hendricks County Commissioners and Council to develop a grant program to distribute up to $6.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to nonprofits working in Hendricks County.
ARPA is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill enacted to speed up the country’s recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession. The funding Hendricks County received is part of the $350 billion to help state, local, and tribal governments bridge budget shortfalls and mitigate the fiscal shock of the pandemic.
William A. Rhodehamel, President & CEO of Hendricks County Community Foundation, notes that COVID-19’s impacts go far beyond the immediate concerns of infection rates and job loss. “With the pandemic, we see more and more community members getting out in nature to support their mental and physical health. Increasing the accessibility and awareness of this preserve will have a positive public health impact. HCCF has long supported CILTI and Burnett Woods. The preserve is a lovely place to visit and a wonderful resource for our whole community, and we are happy to support this project, which will bring even more visitors to the preserve.”
Look for improved signage and infrastructure such as additional boardwalks, bike racks, and a kiosk in 2023, thanks to this grant award.
This funding recognized the role our organization played in serving the needs of our community during the COVID outbreak. We are grateful for the efforts of the Hendricks County Commissioners, Council, and Community Foundation to make this funding possible.
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.
Part 2 of a series for Native American Heritage Month
Archeological records reveal the presence of very early residents on what is now Oliver’s Woods. Thanks to the Indiana Historical Society, we know that around 1060 AD, Late Woodland people lived at the site. (“Woodland” is the name archeologists use to classify a period of North American pre-Columbian cultures from roughly 1000 BCE to European contact in eastern North America.)
This discovery predates the land trust’s involvement with the property. In 1959, according to the Indiana Historical Society, American Aggregates Corporation was contracted to remove gravel at the site. The site had been on the radar of Indiana archaeologists since the 1930s. So the IHS requested to salvage artifacts before the gravel was mined.
Amazingly, the contractors halted operations and did not resume until 1965, allowing over half a decade for the archeological exploration.
Indiana Historical Society report on the Bowen site
The Bowen site, as it was known then, lay on the north bank of the White River’s west fork. The dig revealed evidence of a settlement about 100 yards away from the river’s edge. Pottery analysis indicated that the site was occupied by people with mixed cultural characteristics of Late Woodland and other late prehistoric peoples. Most likely they were seasonal occupants of the land, feeding themselves by growing maize, fishing, musseling, hunting, and foraging.
While the site was disturbed by 100 years of plowing, the archeologists salvaged tools made of bone, stone, and antler. Artifacts made of mussel shell, burned clay, and copper also provided hints of what life was like here in the 11th century.
Tree species that predominated mirrored those of today’s floodplain forest: silver maple, sycamore, American elm, cottonwood, hackberry, cork elm, box elder, black willow, white ash, and red elm. The understory featured small trees like hawthorn and hop hornbeam, as well as shrubs like elderberry, spicebush, wahoo, and pawpaw.
Animal remains found on the site included species one might expect: an abundance of deer and turkey, as well as many raccoons, squirrels, mice, and woodchucks. A small number of box turtles and snapping turtles were present. Intriguingly, 32 dogs were among the remains.
The site also revealed evidence of mammals no longer found in the region—17 elks, six black bears, four gray wolves, and even one mountain lion—and of birds that have gone extinct (three passenger pigeons).
The researchers suspect that the site was the seasonal home for 50 people for three to five years, or perhaps 100 over a generation, around the year 1060 AD.
There was no evidence of house structures, but the dig revealed refuse pits, burned areas, and several burials. In fact, the archeological team discovered and studied nearly 40 human remains.
It can be disturbing to look at the past through the lens of the present, knowing that academic researchers were unearthing and analyzing human bones from the land that is now Oliver’s Woods. This is also part of the history of the property, and Native American Heritage Month prompts us to honor and recognize these early dwellers.
We hope to keep broadening our understanding of the original people whose lives were bound up in these places, and to honor them along the way.
More about the Bowen site can be found here, including a photograph of reconstructed pottery.
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.
