BurnettWoods-42
Burnett Woods in early spring, by Daniel Woody
Ted Harris’ Chapters on Land Conservation
Written By: Olivia O'Neal
Date Published: July 14, 2025
Olivia O'Neal
Fourth in a series about CILTI’s early supporters, in honor of our 35th anniversary
For Ted Harris, the world of stories has served as a connection between himself and land conservation. It was while reading the IndyStar that Ted first discovered CILTI. He may not have known it at the time, but this was not the last he would see of it. Not long after, picking up a brochure while attending a Natural Areas Conference in Bloomington in 1992, he was again reminded of CILTI.
At this time, the Hoosier state had few land trusts. For Ted, CILTI was close to his home town of Crawfordsville. He was working at a print company, but was ready for a new story in his life.
“As I neared retirement, I wanted to find some way to engage and I found that there was no option any more relevant and hands-on than to actually work with land trusts,” he said. “I was looking for a land trust of some sort to engage with and I was very pleased to find it.”
In 1993, he mailed his first donation check.
After a little over two years of being a “minimal member,” Ted decided to up his involvement. This began with attending a stewardship work day at a nature preserve. From there, he began participating in stewardship work and attending board meetings.
As a newcomer on the conservation scene, CILTI didn’t have a comprehensive land acquisition and stewardship plan at the time. Ted stepped up and became acquisition chair.
As CILTI gained a firmer step in the land trust path, he remained there to help. He was involved in hiring the first official staff member, past executive director Marissa Codey. Believing in sustainable funding, he started an endowment fund with the Johnson County Community Foundation.
Ted also played a part in CILTI’s acquisition of Burnett Woods—having made the deal with the landowners. It’s one of his favorite CILTI nature preserves because of this.
Sanctuary Oaks, now owned by Ouabache Land Conservancy, is his other favorite. He enjoyed volunteering to steward this wooded property.
“I would make a day trip down there and pull garlic mustard and stuff like that,” he said.
He described his experience with CILTI as being “fulfilling,” and he has found a deep satisfaction in the “high-quality, well-maintained” nature preserves.
“CILTI has done a very good job at looking at conservation needs around the state, and one of the things they’ve been exceptional about is partnering with other organizations,” Ted said, mentioning CILTI’s partnership with other land trusts and the DNR’s Division of Nature Preserves. “As a result of that partnership, a lot of additional land has been protected.”
Ted Harris in Faroe Islands, 2024
In 2001, Ted left CILTI, retired after working 30 years at the printing company, and moved to West Lafayette. He became involved in NICHES Land Trust, serving on the board for 10 years and being president for four. Later, he played a role in starting Ouabache Land Conservancy. It seems that CILTI was a sort of prologue to Ted’s land trust tale throughout the state.
This future was foreshadowed from the beginning, however.
“Probably ever since I was a small child, I’ve been interested in wildlife, starting with playing with snails at the apartment building where my folks lived back when I was four or five years old,” he said. “Given the way our country and the rest of the world is taking over natural areas, seeing the need to protect natural areas for the sake of the wildlife has always been important to me.”
He appreciates the fulfillment that CILTI has provided, and is excited for what’s next.
“I’m completely supportive of them, proud of what they’ve accomplished over the years,” he said. “I give CILTI my sincere best wishes for a long and definitely successful future of protecting nature.”
His story still has many more chapters to be explored in the name of land conservation.
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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