World Meditation Day FB Inst May 2020 blog post Mar 2023
The Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow. Photo by Karen Wade.
Women Conservation Heroes of Indiana
Written By: Cliff Chapman
Date Published: March 30, 2023
Cliff Chapman
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are honoring notable women, past and present. Right here in Indiana, we can point to many female conservation heroes. Here are just a few.
Dr. Shirley Heinze. Dr. Heinze’s love of nature and the Indiana Dunes ran deep. The Porter County resident devoted herself to the fight to save the Dunes, doing all she could to protect this special part of Indiana and inspiring others to do so as well.
An endowment was created upon her death to protect what she loved so much. Shirley Heinze Land Trust was founded in her memory.
Edna Banta. Ms. Banta is responsible for putting Jefferson County on the map as a biological hotspot around the turn of the last century. While university professors and botanists focused on the three counties along the Lake Michigan shore where we have the highest biodiversity in the state, Ms. Banta combed the countryside in Jefferson County, showing it was the most diverse county anywhere else in Indiana.
Her plant collections were found in a corner of a nonprofit’s meeting room about 30 years ago, though no one knew why they were there or understood their significance. They are now safely stored at the Deam Herbarium at Indiana University, her records serving as breadcrumbs for later generations to find and protect natural areas.
Dr. Laura Hare. Dr. Hare was passionate about nature, and her family’s land in Fishers has been protected as Richey Woods Nature Preserve for decades. Upon her death a foundation was created for the protection of natural areas in Central Indiana. It grew to give grants statewide and even nationwide protecting nature.
There are several “Laura Hare Preserves” across the state now where her foundation supplied the lion’s share of funds to conserve the site. Many of these are open to the public, places where one can soak in natural beauty and thank her for her love of nature and generosity. We are honored to have her name on two of our preserves: The Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow and The Laura Hare Preserve at Turtle Bend.
Dr. E. Lucy Braun. Dr. Braun was a famous Buckeye but lived close to Indiana and ventured west often, collecting rare plants in high-quality natural areas. Her important work Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America was published in 1950 and quickly made her one of the most respected forest ecologists in the country.
Her visit to a very special natural space in Franklin County became local legend. The authoritative expert from Ohio came to tour a forest that featured openings where prairie plants grew. The National Herbarium at the Smithsonian holds her collection of a rare species from this very place, which remains unprotected. The species she collected still grows there: yet another example of a conservation leader leaving breadcrumbs for future generations.
Ellen Jacquart. Ms. Jacquart’s contributions to conservation earned her the Carl N. Becker Stewardship Award from the Natural Areas Association, a national award. She kicked off her career while living in Indianapolis and, in her spare time, founded the Central Indiana Land Trust and served as its first president.
She then became Botanist for the Hoosier National Forest. Seeing there was no source for materials to restore areas in need, she created a native seed nursery on site.
She later became Stewardship Director for The Nature Conservancy of Indiana, one of the first women in that role nationwide. In that role she oversaw the restoration of Kankakee Sands in Northwest Indiana, one of the largest efforts of its kind in the nation.
We are fortunate, in our own conservation work, to stand on the shoulders of these giants.
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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