FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2022
The Central Indiana Land Trust, Inc. (CILTI) has acquired 109 acres of environmentally significant forest land in southern Johnson County, resulting in a total of more than 1,500 acres in that area that is protected forever.
The forest, known as Callon Hollow, is home to a wide range of plants and animals, including such Indiana species of concern as worm-eating warblers, hooded warblers and broad-winged hawks, as well as a plentiful population of spotted wintergreen, a plant species on the state watch list.
The land is part of an area of focus for the land trust known as Hills of Gold, which includes the Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow and Betley Woods at Glacier’s End, one of the most biodiverse places in the region, and two conservation easements protecting private lands.
“By adding to the Hills of Gold area, we are protecting crucial habitat for so many rare and endangered species. Indiana doesn’t have a lot of big blocks of forest remaining so adding this preserve within a larger conservation area does a lot to help plants and animals to thrive,” said Cliff Chapman, executive director of CILTI.
The purchase of Callon Hollow was made possible by these generous donors: the Sam Shine Foundation, the Anonymous Fund of the Indianapolis Foundation, contributors to CILTI’s Evergreen Fund for Nature, and American Electric Power (AEP), Indiana Michigan Power’s parent company, under a legal settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, eight states, and 13 citizen groups.
See the Franklin Daily Journal story here.
See the Inside Indiana Business story here.
Jen Schmits Thomas
Media Relations