Tony Armstrong
Tony Armstrong
A Year Spent with Giants
Written By: Shawndra Miller
Date Published: May 6, 2021
Shawndra Miller
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.
Elisabeth Henn-Carlsen is an Indianapolis counselor with over 25 years of experience. She generally encourages clients to get outdoors every day. “I don’t believe therapy is a panacea,” she says. “Sometimes what people need is to walk in the forest more.”
Long doses of outdoor time have been shown to boost mental health, according to Certified Forest Therapy Guide Christy Thomson. But a long weekend getaway isn’t necessary. In just a few mindful hours, people can gain therapeutic benefits.
Forest bathing, as it’s known in Japan, “gets you out of your head in a quick way,” Thomson says.
Last year Tony Armstrong found this out firsthand in Meltzer Woods. He lives by this beloved nature preserve, and is son-in-law of the late Philip Meltzer. The project started with a simple goal—follow his doctor’s advice to get regular exercise. But it turned into something much more.
In August 2019, the 65-year-old started walking the trail of Meltzer Woods daily. His commitment earned unexpected dividends.
“In the beginning I walked mainly for the exercise,” he says, “but what’s happened over time is it’s become meditational. I actually walk more for meditation than exercise now.”
He goes out early in the morning, sometimes at the crack of dawn when he can see the sun come up through the trees. He’s seen pileated woodpeckers, a luna moth, deer, groundhogs, raccoons, and once, a wood duck with her ducklings. He’s encountered people of all ages exploring the woods, some from three counties away.
He walked through snow and rain, no matter what. Every day for a year, and then some.
“In the woods you can get a lot of good ideas,” he says. “I run a farm and other things, and I need time to think and plan. And we all have some kind of problem now and then, and we all need to think things through and make good decisions.”
He loves the woods for its pure oxygen, lack of distractions, and the huge old trees. “Walking and meditating in the woods seems to bring me peace,” he says. “I don’t really see stopping.”
There’s still plenty of time to start the Trek our Trails Challenge—and what better way to boost your wellbeing this month? Between now and Nov. 26, trek five of our most popular preserves to take part. Find all the details here.
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
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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.
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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?
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