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Shagback hickory (Carya ovata) in the study, estimated to be 320 years old
Trees “Ring” with Historical and Ecological Data
Written By: Max Gerke
Date Published: September 17, 2026
Max Gerke
Have you ever been walking through woods and thought to yourself, “How old are these trees?” Me too!
This question was the inspiration for our upcoming dendrochronology project: to see how old some of the trees are at Meltzer Woods, our old growth forest property. Well, that and a recent conversation I had about the wealth of ecological information that we can glean just by looking at the growth rings in tree trunks.
ISU professor James Speer’s notations on the shagback hickory shown above
Dendrochronology comes from the Greek words “dendro” meaning tree and “chronology” meaning the study of time. It allows us to examine events through time that are recorded in the tree-ring structure or can be dated by tree rings (Speer, 2011). We can, of course, simply count the number of rings to see how old a tree is. That is already really interesting, especially in light of all the events in the world or our state that a tree may have been growing through.
It gets even more fascinating when comparing the tree ring sizes to other specimens from the site. This is called crossdating. It involves matching where the patterns of wide and narrow rings are to represent date correlations between trees. Then we can start aligning when the trees were growing in relation to each other. This can help backfill a timeline of several hundred years if trees sprouted in different years.
We can also tell a lot about environmental factors and natural history of a site. We can see if there was fire on the site and how frequently that may have occurred. Fire scars can be identified in the rings. Scarring happens when the tree bark gets damaged as fire passes over the base of the tree. Not to worry! Many of our hardwood trees are adapted to this disturbance and can withstand the fire because of their thick bark. Fortunately for us, it leaves some damage that the tree then begins to heal. The burn mark eventually gets tucked away in a growth ring for us to interpret later.
By counting rings between scars, we can determine how often fires may have burned through the woods. This can help us build a better picture of what natural disturbances may have been a part of that forest or plant community, which in turn we can incorporate in our management of the site.
Burr oak in the study
Meltzer Woods is considered a flatwood forest. Flatwoods are characterized by flat topography (you may have guessed!). They seasonally hold surface water in winter and spring due to more clay soils. The water table in the soil may be closer to the surface, which can be an environmental regulator for certain plant and tree communities. Tree rings can interpret this natural history too. Analyzing how the rings change in width and growth pattern over the life of the tree can help us reconstruct how the hydrology of the site has changed over time.
Prior to settlement, Meltzer Woods would have been surrounded by similar forest type. As Indiana became more settled and more land was converted to farmland, water drained more quickly. These changes can impact the surrounding water table and hydrology of the woods—which can lead to changes in plant composition. We’d like to know if that history has changed to better inform our decision making.
So much more can be learned from dendrochronology than just what I talked about here. It’s even used as an archaeology tool to date beams in old buildings. Pretty wild stuff.
If you’re out walking one of our preserves, you’re almost certain to come across a tree we’ve cut to keep the trail clear. I encourage you to take a minute to try to figure out the age of the tree.
Note: The trees selected for this project were already dead and had fallen by natural causes. We purposely did this to ensure the least amount of impact on the remaining large trees while still helping us get useful information from the site.
Reference: Speer, 2011, page 4, Ch 1: Introduction
Mary Callaghan
Assistant Outreach Biologist, International Crane Foundation
Mary Callaghan is an Assistant Outreach Biologist for the International Crane Foundation. Her work aims to educate Indiana communities on Whooping and Sandhill cranes, their habitats, and how we can all work together to mitigate threats that these birds face. She is responsible for monitoring populations of these species on their wintering grounds across Indiana, most importantly tracking movements of the endangered Whooping Crane. Her Golden Hour presentation was one of our most popular events of 2026.
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.
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
Director of Advancement
Born and raised in Central Illinois, David spent many days as a child wandering around the river, forest and lakes there. Now he enjoys working with CILTI donors, helping them to protect nature through their giving. 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.
Robert McCrea
Land Protection Director
Robert grew up in Bloomington, IN, where he opted for exploring the hills of southern Indiana rather than the expected high school extracurricular pursuits. This formative time set the tone for his career in conservation. Most recently, Robert was an attorney at Conservation Law Center and provided counsel to land trusts and conservation partnerships throughout Indiana. As CILTI's Land Protection Director, he works to protect Central Indiana’s remaining natural areas.
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.
September 17, 2026
Have you ever been walking through woods and thought to yourself, “How old are these trees?” Me too! This question was the inspiration for our upcoming dendrochronology project: to see how old some of the trees are at Meltzer Woods, our old growth forest property. Well, that and a [...]
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