Betley Woods at Glaciers End
Betley Woods at Glaciers End
New trails allow visitors to explore Betley Woods in southern Johnson County
Written By: Jen Schmits Thomas
Date Published: March 3, 2026
Jen Schmits Thomas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
With spring just around the corner, you’re probably itching to get outside. New trails at Betley Woods at Glacier’s End, a Johnson County nature preserve, can make your first outing of the year a memorable one.
The 300-acre preserve south of Trafalgar has more than 500 species of plants, a level of biodiversity that’s not just special for Indiana but unusual across the country. While there, you might also see such rare wildlife as cerulean warblers, Henslow’s sparrows, red-shouldered hawks, and Eastern box turtles. More elusive but just as present are endangered Northern long-eared bats and several new-to-science spider species. Early spring brings many of Indiana’s earliest native wildflowers – known as spring ephemerals – including the drooping trillium, harbinger of spring, and bloodroot.
The broad variety of species is the result of Ice Age glaciers, which stopped their southward march here and deposited a mix of soils, sculpting the ideal habitat.
Now visitors can see even more of this unique terrain. Three new trails allow you to explore the property that features a clear shale-bottom stream, steep bluffs, exposed bedrock, and chunks of granite strewn across the valley floors.
The Sparrow Trail is a gravel one-mile loop that’s accessible to all ages and abilities. The Warbler Trail takes hikers down ravines, across a bridge and stone crossings to the bottomlands. The Tanager Trail is a longer loop offering a deep forest immersion, far from road sounds.
“The trails are designed to give nature-lovers the chance to go really deep into the woods,” said Cliff Chapman, president and CEO of the Central Indiana Land Trust, which owns and protects the preserve. “This is the first full year that the trails will be open, and we’re excited to see visitors use them to experience springtime up close.”
A $1 million donation from Leonard and Kathryn Betley and their family helped preserve the landscape and support restoration, tree planting and land protection in the region.
The Sparrow Trail was funded through a grant from the Johnson County Community Foundation. Next Level Trails, a Department of Natural Resources grant program supporting trail development, provided additional funding for the trails as the land trust partnered with the Indiana Wildlife Federation, which secured nearly $250,000 for the project.
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
Board 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 Director
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 Manager
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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