Muckerheides
Brian's niece, Wakenda Gillenwater (15), with Sarah Muckerheide (5) at a 2006 volunteer work day
From Forest Trails to Lake Michigan Shipwrecks: Brian Muckerheide’s Family Legacy of Conservation
Written By: Olivia O'Neal
Date Published: August 11, 2025
Olivia O'Neal
Seventh in a series about CILTI’s early supporters, in honor of our 35th anniversary
You can’t be a diver without having an appreciation for nature and a concern for wildlife. Brian Muckerheide knows this firsthand. His daughter, Sarah Muckerheide, is studying underwater archaeology with Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science. A recent dive was at the J.D. Marshall Nature Preserve—the site of a shipwreck in Lake Michigan.
Some years back, Brian’s involvement with CILTI and appreciation for the outdoors prompted his kids to volunteer. This helped foster Sarah’s love for nature—even if it turned into loving it underwater.
“We would always be outside on our vacations touring the national parks, whether it be sometimes on beaches, sometimes the mountains, sometimes locally, sometimes across the country. But we would always spend a good significant portion of our vacation time outdoors, just appreciating nature and experiencing it,” Brian said.
Brian Muckerheide
A certified public accountant by training, he first got involved with CILTI through their finance committee. For a year or two, his involvement only consisted of volunteering in the field during work days before he finally joined the board. There, he served as treasurer, vice president, and eventually president.
But the days he worked outside were among his favorites.
With his wife also having an appreciation for the outdoors, they turned CILTI volunteer days into Muckerheide family outings. Together, they would pick up trash, pull garlic mustard, or participate in planting days.
Brian joked that the family have contributed to a variety of what he called “good stock photos.”
“I do think they enjoyed it,” Brian said about his kids participating on volunteer days. “It’s important to help protect and take care of nature.”
Even years later, Brian still appreciates what he likes to call “the old guard”—people like Reta Rutledge, who took on leadership roles when he first started volunteering.
“To see them put in all the work that they did, I always just appreciated that. I want to do what I can to continue the goals of the organization as well,” he said.
Being outdoors has always been a major part of his life. Brian grew up on a small farm. Long days of his youth were spent walking through the woods, playing in the creek, gardening, or doing work around the house.
“I’ve always been outside, and just always took a keen interest in noticing things about nature. And so I guess that’s what got me started,” he said.
In middle and high school, he participated in forestry judging contests where he learned to identify leaves, seeds, and wood. Continuing this exploration of nature knowledge, he and his wife have picked up birding. They were inspired after Sarah took an ornithology class.
Brian’s favorite CILTI nature preserve is Meltzer Woods because of its gigantic trees and the lesson that it exemplifies when it comes to forest management.
“That was a great example of a woods that hadn’t been touched and was allowed to grow, but yet it was full of purple winter creeper and other invasive species that had to be managed,” he said.
Although he’s seen several national parks and his daughter has experienced nature beneath the waves, they both find appreciation in the wild spaces of their home state—and especially the conservation work that they can accomplish.
“You know, it’s easy to look at Central Indiana and think: ‘Oh, well, there’s nothing exciting to protect here compared to maybe the Amazon’… but I think it’s also very important to focus on the local,” he said. “I support some of the international organizations, but I can’t go out to the Amazon and remove invasive species… But locally, I can do that. So I can be very involved with local people and help protect the community around me that I grew up in and currently live in.
“I think that’s what’s important about the local land trusts, is it connects us directly to where we live.”
While Brian walks through woods and Sarah dives through kelp forests, this connection continues to run deep—from land to water.
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.
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