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Worm-eating Warbler

The Misnamed Bird: Worm-Eating Warbler

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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@circlecitybicycles.com
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

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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.
Meltzer Woods photo by Jordan England

Road Trip: Meltzer Woods and Beyond

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We asked Jordan England of Blue River Community Foundation to recommend some attractions near Meltzer Woods. The foundation has provided funding for Meltzer Woods stewardship for many years. Jordan serves as Grants and Nonprofit Relations Director at the foundation. She offered this guest post.

This fall, when you plan to visit Meltzer Woods, don’t miss exploring what else Shelby County has to offer!

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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.
Tennessee Warbler

Tennessee Warbler Visits in Spring and Fall

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

The Tennessee warbler appears in Indiana only as a transient. It breeds in Canada and in the northern portions of some states along the U.S.-Canada border. During the winter, it inhabits southern Mexico, Central America and the northernmost part of South America. In Indiana, you are most likely to see this bird during April/May and September/October.

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Ed Pope

Guest Blogger

ed@circlecitybicycles.com
Ed Pope is a retired engineer from Rolls-Royce and a CILTI member since 2002.
Fall hike at Blossom Hollow

With your Help, We Met our Match!

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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.
Photo by Greg Hess

The Wonder of the Monarch

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(This piece was originally published in the September issue of Urban Times)

That monarch butterfly winging through your neighborhood has a whole story to tell. It’s a story of habitat loss and endangerment, but also wonder. Weighing less than a gram, this iconic species will take an incredible journey this fall. 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.
Northern parula warbler

Northern Parula Builds Nests of Moss

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

The northern parula is a small warbler, roughly half the weight of a goldfinch. Its body looks slightly chubby, and its bill is thin and tail is short. White crescents line the eyes, and the plumage is bright yellow on the throat and chest. Males have a brown patch between the throat and chest. Most of the remainder of their feathers are a bluish-gray.

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Ed Pope

Guest Blogger

ed@circlecitybicycles.com
Ed Pope is a retired engineer from Rolls-Royce and a CILTI member since 2002.
Jamison Hutchins

Behind the Scenes with Stewardship Manager Jamison Hutchins

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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 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.
Black-eyed susan

Take Part in Citizen Science through this Scavenger Hunt

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Do you love spending time outdoors and looking at the plants around you? Your observations could help add to scientific knowledge of Indiana’s native flora!

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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.
Tree planting in Parke County

An Antidote to Bad News

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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

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.