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Karen Wade in Betley Woods at Glacier's End
“Just imagine the vastness of our state’s natural heritage”
Written By: Karen Wade
Date Published: November 28, 2024
Karen Wade
Guest post by Karen Wade
As a mostly-native plant gardener, I can often be found in my backyard on hands and knees tending pots of pawpaw seedlings, tucking soil around newly planted native spicebushes, or just hanging out on the back step marveling at how the bumblebees manage to squirm their oversize wiggle bottoms inside the white turtlehead blossoms. My suburban yard in town won’t win any garden club prizes, but I hope it provides my friends and neighbors with a glimpse of what native gardening can look like, and the ecosystem benefits it bestows.
As much as I love my native garden, I know, however, that my yard won’t ever sustain significant populations of state-endangered weft ferns, huge oak trees 150 years in the growing, or a breeding pair of cerulean warblers just returned from their wintering habitat in South America. It’s just not possible.
Our suburban yards are but minuscule fragments of what once was a continuous unbroken forest of trees from east to west across the state. It was these vast forests that nurtured Indiana’s native species, including filmy weft ferns that grow in moist caves and rock crevices, sturdy oak saplings that would one day become regal old growth giants, and dense undisturbed canopy habitat required by nesting cerulean warblers that, as their name implies, are as blue as the sky.
Can you even imagine the complex interwoven ecosystems these Indiana forests sustained? And what about the native prairies? And the marshes and wetlands? Just imagine the vastness of our state’s natural heritage back then.
Although I can’t return to that pristine past, I can and do actively support CILTI in the present. I choose to do this because, as a CILTI supporter, I can help to preserve the remaining important and irreplaceable places like these in Indiana, places large enough to support and maintain populations of delicate ferns, majestic oaks, cerulean warblers, and the myriads of other interconnected native flora and fauna that depend on these places to live and thrive.
Over ten years ago I became a CILTI supporter, volunteer, and donor, and for the last five years I have had the privilege to serve on CILTI’s board. My volunteer experiences, both in the field and at events, have evidenced over and over again the CILTI staff’s enthusiasm, credibility, and desire to teach and share the beauty of our preserves and the natural history of the creatures that call these places home. My years on the board have resulted in a deep appreciation for the passion, science, strategy, partner spirit, and dogged determination the staff and my fellow board members bring to each and every land protection opportunity.
This Thanksgiving I am grateful to be part of CILTI’s corps of conservation crusaders dedicated to protecting and faithfully stewarding as many natural areas in the state we can. Our hearts and minds are absolutely in this for the long haul. And while I can’t realistically expect forests to ever again stretch continuous and uninterrupted across the state, thanks to CILTI’s commitment and our donors’ support, I do envision continuing to protect them, building interconnected vibrant ecosystems that are vital for our native species to flourish and for us to enjoy.
Just imagine! Won’t you join me in this vision and consider supporting CILTI?
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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