A Year in Nature
In 2021, we offered a variety of ways to get out in nature throughout the year. From guided hikes to volunteer days to special events, it was a great year to get outdoors. […]
White River Docent Program Seeks Volunteers
Have you ever attended one of CILTI’s guided hikes and thought that you might enjoy leading a hike yourself? Have you been inspired by a guided hike or program that you’ve participated in? Consider becoming a White River Docent! […]
The Wonder of the Monarch
(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 [...]
Monitoring Land Protection with “Kermit” the Drone
If you are a CILTI member and received this summer’s newsletter, you probably noticed the unique vantage point of our cover photo. Seen from the sky, our cover shot showed the stewardship team hard at work, planting young trees on the edge of a lush forest in Parke County. [...]
Brood X is coming (but please don’t believe it’s an “invasion”).
by Traci Willis, Outreach Specialist Many headlines have begun to default to negative metaphors such as “invasion” or “infestation” when reporting about the upcoming periodical cicada emergence called Brood X. It’s true that at their highest concentration, there may be 1.5 million cicadas per acre in some areas. While [...]
Serving Science through her Art: Gillian Harris
Bloomington resident Gillian Harris, illustrator of the award-winning children’s book Wake Up, Woods, will be part of our Wake Up to Spring event at Oliver’s Woods this Sunday, along with Michael Homoya. Gillian’s stunning watercolors are a feast for the eyes. We asked her to share more about her [...]
Celebrating the Forever Promise
Second in a series on the Trek our Trails Challenge by guest blogger Ben Valentine It’s finally spring and I feel the need to get away from the city and cornfields to celebrate winter’s end. The Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow—brimming with wildflowers and more red-headed woodpeckers than I’ve [...]
Finding Home in Meltzer Woods
First in a series on the Trek our Trails Challenge by guest blogger Ben Valentine “The word ecology is derived from the Greek oikos, the word for home.” ― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants “Nature is not a place to [...]
What Nature Does in Spring
By Michael Homoya, former state botanist, coauthor of Wake Up, Woods Even though the early signs of winter’s waning may seem unimpressive to us, to the wild things they provide notice that the big dance is about to begin. Soon birds will pour forth song, salamanders and frogs will [...]
Announcing the Trek Our Trails Challenge
Are you ready for a nature fix? There’s still plenty of time to participate in a yearlong challenge that you can enjoy on your own. Make your way to a nature preserve to get started in the Trek Our Trails challenge! […]
