Black-throated green warbler
Black-throated green warbler
Nature Moments Bring Relief During Stay-at-Home Order
Written By: Curt DeVoe
Date Published: August 26, 2020
Curt DeVoe
Guest post by Curt DeVoe, Board President
A longer version of this story first appeared in the June issue of Urban Times.
On March 10, 2020, a day at work in my office was capped by a CILTI Board of Directors meeting a few doors down. The next day, as a friend of mine likes to say, the world changed, and it turned out to be the last time I went to the Old Northside of Indy for a long time. Most of that change has not been good, but I have really enjoyed one aspect of my new life in sequestration. And that’s nature.
My wife and I have a tradition of identifying a “nature moment” every day if we can – usually something we notice on the way to the mailbox to get the paper, or on a walk with our dogs, or, if we’re lucky, on a walk in one of CILTI’s fabulous nature preserves. These nature moments can be something really striking – like seeing a fox sunning on our neighbors’ roof, or sandhill cranes circling overhead as they gain altitude to take the next leg of their migration journey, or the hundreds of chimney swifts that erupted one afternoon from the chimney of a building as I was eating lunch outside. Other nature moments can be more subtle, like the frost pattern on a fall leaf, or a sunrise, or the sound of thunder from an approaching storm.
One of my literary heroes, Henry David Thoreau, often wrote about how focusing on nature, particularly paying close attention to little things that might otherwise be taken for granted, can lead to a deeper appreciation of those nonhuman things. That deeper appreciation provides some relief from the trials and tribulations of daily life. That has been my experience, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
While I have caught a few nature moments over the years from the windows of my office in the Old Northside, generally my gaze was directed to my computer screen. Over the months while I was stuck at home, however, I spent considerably more time looking out my windows, eating lunch outside, taking more frequent and longer walks – and I think I have been craving, consciously or subconsciously, some sign that the universe is OK, life as I know it is not coming to an end, normalcy will return.
I am not a “birder,” per se, but I do tend to notice birds. I have noticed more varieties of birds over the past months than ever before. While COVID-19 was wreaking its havoc in early spring, warblers were busy migrating – and the woods behind my house apparently are a major stop in their migrations. I have seen countless Yellow-rumped Warblers (aka “Butter-Butts”) and several species I have never or rarely seen before: Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Golden-crowned Kinglets (tiny little birds that never stop moving as they hop and flit from branch to branch eating insects), Yellow Warblers, Prothonotary Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Warbling Vireos and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.
These magnificent birds will be still be flitting, eating, migrating—and stopping in my woods—long after social distancing and face masks are a distant memory.
And in case I ever doubted it, one day I got the sign I was looking for. It happened when I was in our laundry room, decontaminating the groceries and laundering my mask and gloves from a harrowing early foray to the grocery store. In the midst of this anxious task, I happened to look out the window straight into the eyes of a Black-Throated Green Warbler.
That little guy, with his improbable yellow face outlined in an Andrew Luck beard, let loose a warble that only a warbler with all those crazy colors and patterns can pull off. The message was clear: stop worrying, pay attention to what matters, and take a nature moment to notice a tiny little bird with a funny face and a magnificent song to share.
There’s a lot we don’t know about what’s ahead, but one thing’s for certain: I’m not going to stop looking out my windows for nature moments, and I’m not going to take any of those moments for granted.
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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