glaciers betley woods
Betley Woods at Glacier's End
$1 Million Gift from the Betley Family will Enhance Protected Lands
Written By: Jen Schmits Thomas
Date Published: December 21, 2021
Jen Schmits Thomas
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.
CILTI currently protects 700 acres in this area in southwest Johnson County, with plans to increase the acreage under protection. In recognition of the contribution, Glacier’s End Nature Preserve near Trafalgar will be renamed Betley Woods at Glacier’s End.
“CILTI is honored to receive this gift from the Betley family,” said Cliff Chapman, executive director of the Central Indiana Land Trust. “Their generosity and civic engagement have long been a guiding light to people who care about Central Indiana, and this gift ensures that their legacy will, literally, grow.”
Kathryn and Leonard Betley
Leonard Betley is a retired managing partner of the law firm Ice Miller, as well as the retired CEO of The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, the Walter Cancer Foundation and the Regenstrief Institute and Foundation. He has served as board chairman of Newfields, Park Tudor and the Indiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Katie has spent 50 years serving as a leader on boards of organizations including Newfields, the Indianapolis Zoo, the Indiana chapter of The Nature Conservancy, the United Way of Central Indiana, Community Health Network, National Bank of Indianapolis and more. She served as a trustee of Indiana Energy.
Located just north of the Brown County border, Betley Woods at Glacier’s End sits where a line of glaciers stopped their southward march thousands of years ago. The resulting mix of both glaciated and unglaciated land supports a surprising diversity of flora and fauna.
Like the publicly accessible Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow, Betley Woods is part of the Hills of Gold Conservation Area, one of the most biodiverse forested areas in Indiana. The region is a haven for rare species, including state-endangered timid sedge, federally endangered Indiana and Northern long-eared bats, red-shouldered hawk, hooded warbler and worm-eating warbler. Several new-to-science spider species also have been found on the land, which features steep bluffs, exposed bedrock, shale-bottom streams and chunks of granite strewn across the valley floors.
Katie Betley grew up next door to Priscilla Lamb (now Johnson), who, along with her brother Randy Lamb and husband Tom Johnson, helped CILTI purchase the land that is now Betley Woods by selling it to the organization at a bargain price back in 2015. At that time, neither the Johnsons nor the Betleys could have anticipated how this piece of Johnson County’s natural beauty would connect them forever.
“The generosity of these two families will ensure that Indiana’s natural heritage remains accessible for generations into the future,” said Chapman.
Ben Valentine
Guest Blogger
Ben Valentine is a founding member of the Friends of Marott Woods Nature Preserve and is active in several other conservation organizations. He leads a series of NUVO interviews with Indiana's environmental leaders, and he cherishes showing his son all the wonders of nature he grew up loving.
DJ Connors
Guest Blogger
DJ Connors, a Central Indiana native and late-to-life hunter, combines a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors with a deep passion for exploring the natural beauty of the area he has called home for most of his life. As a husband and father of three, he is committed to ensuring his children have the same opportunities to connect with nature and appreciate the outdoors in their community. DJ’s unique journey into hunting emphasizes sustainability, responsible stewardship, and the importance of preserving these experiences for future generations.
Bridget Walls
Guest Blogger
Bridget is our first ever Communications and Outreach Intern. She is a graduate of Marian University, where she combined English, studio art, and environmental sciences in her degree studies. As treasurer for Just Earth, the university's environmental club, she helped plan events encouraging a responsible relationship between people, nature, and animals.
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.
Cliff Chapman
President and CEO
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.
Stacy Cachules
Chief Operating Officer
Among her many key duties as Assistant Director, Stacy has the critical task of tracking our budget, making sure we channel donations for maximum efficiency. When her workday’s done, Stacy loves to spend time with her two young boys—and when not traveling, she’s likely planning the next travel adventure.
Ryan Fuhrmann
Vice Chair
Ryan C. Fuhrmann, CFA, is President and founder of Fuhrmann Capital LLC, an Indiana-based investment management firm focused on portfolio management. Ryan’s interest in land conservation centers around a desire to help preserve natural habitats for wildlife and the subsequent benefits it brings to people and the environment.
Joanna Nixon
Board Member
Joanna Nixon is the owner of Nixon Consulting, an Indianapolis-based strategy and project management firm focused on the nonprofit sector. She currently serves as the Philanthropic Advisor for the Efroymson Family Fund. Prior to opening her consulting practice in 2000, Joanna was vice-president for grantmaking at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). Joanna has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and arts and culture sector. She is passionate about the environment and loves bringing big ideas to life and creating high-quality arts and culture programs and experiences. Joanna enjoys outdoor adventures, including competing in fitness obstacle course races and hiking with her high energy Australian Cattle Dog, Jackson.
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.
David Barickman
Development Systems Manager
Born and raised in Central Illinois, David spent many days as a child wandering around the river, forest and lakes there. He works behind the scenes as a key member of our fundraising team. When not working, David loves to be outdoors hiking, fly fishing, kayaking or woodworking.
Jamison Hutchins
Stewardship Director
Jamison leads our stewardship team in caring for the land that is so important to you. He comes to our team after eight years as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Indianapolis, where his work had a positive impact from both health and environmental perspectives.
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. She is accredited in public relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, and loves to camp and hike in perfect weather conditions.
Shawndra Miller
Communications Director
Shawndra’s earliest writing projects centered around the natural world, starting when a bird inspired her to write her first “book” in elementary school. Now she 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.
Phillip Weldy
Stewardship Specialist
Phillip enjoys nature’s wonders from an up-close-and-personal perspective as he works to restore the natural places you love. As an AmeriCorps member in Asheville, NC, he had his first full immersion in relatively undisturbed land while reconstructing wilderness trails in National Parks and National Forests.
June 11, 2025
First in a series about CILTI’s early supporters, in honor of our 35th anniversary John Bacone has been a supporter of CILTI since the beginning. He was involved in the first conversations of CILTI’s creation, after the idea was sparked by available land harboring a rare species of phlox. [...]
Fern Station,Meltzer Woods,Newsroom
May 15, 2025
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the importance of mental wellbeing and the many ways we can nurture it. One powerful yet often overlooked source of healing is nature.
Mossy Point,Newsroom,Properties
May 8, 2025
You may have seen a one-room schoolhouse building on your way to Meltzer Woods. But did you know that it houses a Little Free Library?
Meltzer Woods,Newsroom,Properties
