Betley Woods trail, by Daniel Woody
Betley Woods trail, by Daniel Woody
Tomorrow’s Conservation Leaders
Written By: Olivia O'Neal
Date Published: September 3, 2025
Olivia O'Neal
We asked our outgoing communications intern, Olivia, to interview each of our interns and seasonals. Here are profiles of the wonderful people who helped our team this summer, including Olivia herself!
Adam Burdsall
When he was growing up, Adam Burdsall’s family was always hiking and spending time outdoors.
“Now, I kind of want to understand it,” he said in regards to the natural world.
Adam first discovered CILTI when he was working with the DNR Division of Nature Preserves with Max Gerke, CILTI Stewardship Specialist. Even prior to working for CILTI as a seasonal worker, Adam saw the value of the land trust as a partner in the restoration space.
Through Max, he learned about the opportunity to become a summer seasonal worker and was “very happy to jump at the opportunity.”
He finds restoration to be some of the most important work in the conservation landscape.
“I wanted to be a part of that, restoring and conserving Indiana’s most endangered or indicative landscapes,” he said.
He fondly recalls taking several days to plant trees out in Putnam County, ending the day with grabbing some barbecue.
Adam has been able to compare state government operations to private organizations after making the switch to CILTI. He has found similarities in their goals but differences in how they can pursue projects.
“It’s been refreshing at CILTI to see how singularly focused I think the organization is and its willingness to move quickly on the projects it deems important,” he said. “It’s been nice to really feel like you can just dig your hands in something and really get going.”
He loves doing restoration work at Mossy Point Nature Preserve on account of its location far from development—combined with the sandstone bluffs and interesting plant communities.
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Caleb Pesek
Caleb Pesek grew up reading books about animals, and whenever someone asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he always knew it would involve working with them.
“I eventually learned that if you want to help animals, you’ve got to help protect their homes,” he said.
Working as a stewardship intern with CILTI was a way for him to participate in habitat restoration and create spaces for wildlife to thrive in. He also learned the significance that plant life and vegetation play in keeping natural spaces livable for native wildlife. He said he has learned how to identify various plants—a goal he had for this internship—aside from recognizing their importance in native ecosystems.
“I’m very grateful for that,” he said.
A student at Ball State University, Caleb’s major is Natural Resources.
His favorite CILTI preserve is Betley Woods at Glacier’s End.
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Abby Thornburg
Abby Thornburg isn’t quite sure what she wants to do after graduating from Franklin College, but she does know she wants to be outside. She’s an incoming junior majoring in Ecology/Conservation and Environmental Science. Interning with CILTI helped her to narrow down her career path and learn about native and invasive plants.
Now, when she goes hiking with friends, she’ll point out the various trees and plants she has learned.
During her summer with CILTI, she learned a variety of important conservation information. Abby was able to experience what it’s like to work in the field, from pulling up Japanese stiltgrass to helping conduct a bee survey to seeing native orchids. She most enjoyed working at Betley Woods at Glacier’s End.
“I’ve just always been outdoors my whole life, hiking, camping and traveling,” Abby said.
She’s visited a variety of parks, as far away as national ones, like Yosemite National Park, and closer to home, such as Turkey Run State Park. This has given her an appreciation for restoring and preserving ecosystems.
One of her favorite CILTI memories is going canoeing on the White River with the stewardship team. It was her first time canoeing and she enjoyed seeing blue herons and turtles.
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Olivia O’Neal
Olivia O’Neal first heard of CILTI when she was seeking out an internship that combined her two favorite things: writing and the outdoors. Growing up on a small farm in Central Indiana, Olivia spent her days always outside. She remembers picking wild black raspberries in the woods behind her house, hiking through numerous state parks, and kayaking on the Ohio River.
When a professor told her about CILTI, she was sold.
Following her freshman year at Franklin College, she spent the summer working as CILTI’s communications intern. She wrote profile stories, discovered the people and projects involved in preserving land, and spent time under the tutelage of Shawndra Miller, CILTI’s Communications Director.
The experience has helped her grow as a writer, from catching dangling participles to shortening overly wordy sentences. Through her internship, she’s also been able to see the many faces behind what makes a land trust like CILTI so unique and special. She values the conversations that she has had with many of CILTI’s members and volunteers.
“Hearing their stories and sharing them is another step towards supporting CILTI and as a result, supporting land preservation,” she said.
Of all the projects Olivia has worked on, her favorite was writing a piece on Fern Station and how the preserve has supported a variety of avian wildlife. It was an opportunity for her to explore a variety of creative wordings and descriptions. It was especially enjoyable to describe the many warblers that live at Fern Station, such as the endangered cerulean warbler. (Read the story here.)
In the future, Olivia hopes to continue supporting nature preservation through her writing. CILTI has become a major step in doing so.
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We are so appreciative of these young people, who brought their passion for nature to work every day. And thanks to the generous support of our members, CILTI continues to invest in tomorrow’s conservation leaders!
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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