News

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Grace removing invasive honeysuckle at White River Bluffs

“Is It Invasive?”

“Should I get rid of it?”

“What’s the best way to eradicate it?”

“What should I put there instead?”

Our stewardship team gets a lot of great questions about invasive species! Continue reading

Grace van Kan

White River Steward

Grace grew up roaming the woods, creeks and wetlands around the Chesapeake Bay watershed. From an early trout-raising project to a “gap year” spent restoring coral reefs in Thailand, her interest in aquatic conservation has only grown. Now she cares for several riverine nature preserves as CILTI’s White River Steward.
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Hoosier National Forest photo, public domain

Formation of Hoosier National Forest

Guest blogger Ed Pope contributed this historic overview of the Hoosier National Forest’s formation.

Even in the earliest years of the American republic, there were those who were concerned about the future of our forests. This was mostly for practical, rather than environmental reasons. At the time, wood was the most common building material, used in everything from homes to ships. Continue reading

Ed Pope

Guest Blogger

Ed Pope is a retired engineer from Rolls-Royce and a CILTI member since 2002.
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Meltzer Woods aerial, by Kyle Doles

National Self-Care Awareness Month: Find Your Zen in Nature

September is National Self-Care Awareness Month, a time to focus on personal health. One of the best ways to boost well-being is to spend time in nature.

We believe that everyone deserves access to nature. Part of our land protection mission is to enable Hoosiers to enjoy the benefits of the outdoors. Many studies show that time in nature promotes mental health and reduces stress. It can even enhance problem-solving skills. Continue reading

Shawndra Miller

Communications Manager

Shawndra 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.
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Trout lily sample

Growing our Library of Botanical Knowledge

Clear scientific data is crucial in restoring and protecting land—especially data about a site’s plant life.  Just as E. Lucy Braun collected and pressed plants in her botanical studies, our field team collects specimens to document plant communities.

Continue reading

Grace van Kan

White River Steward

Grace grew up roaming the woods, creeks and wetlands around the Chesapeake Bay watershed. From an early trout-raising project to a “gap year” spent restoring coral reefs in Thailand, her interest in aquatic conservation has only grown. Now she cares for several riverine nature preserves as CILTI’s White River Steward.
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White River Bluffs

We Met Our Match!

We are excited to announce we met our match challenge grant because of your support! Because of your generosity this summer, we received a $50,000 matching challenge grant from the Herbert Simon Family Foundation. 

Not only were your gifts doubled, but the acreage we can restore, the plants and animals we can protect, and the trees we can plant were doubled, too. 

We are blown away by how you show up for nature. Your donations have a lasting impact on our world and ensure these special places will be around for future generations. Thank you for helping us protect land forever! 

Look out for more ways to double your conservation impact!

Bridget Walls

Communications and Outreach Intern

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.
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Jeanette Jaskula presenting at Oliver's Woods

Jeanette Jaskula Is Mothing in Indiana

This month’s Golden Hour was led by Jeanette Jaskula, the President of Friends of the Sands and a moth enthusiast! What’s so special about Jeanette’s passion for moths is that it goes against the grain of common wisdom. People sometimes think of moths as lesser, believing moths are dull in color, gross, and (creepily) only out at night. You’ll also always hear the butterfly glorified over the moth. But Jeanette introduced the joy of moths, reminding attendees of moths’ stunning colors, patterns, and important roles in our ecosystem. ⁠ Continue reading

Bridget Walls

Communications and Outreach Intern

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.
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Photo by Dick Miller

A Legacy Lives on: John and Phyllis Holliday

“God made Indiana, and then he made the rest of the world to make it round.”

After her father’s death, Mary Holliday Rogers found this unattributed quote among his belongings. The sentiment, written in his handwriting, sums up how John Holliday and his late wife Phyllis felt about the state they called home—and offers a clue about why they left a portion of their estate to Central Indiana Land Trust. Continue reading

Shawndra Miller

Communications Manager

Shawndra 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.
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Marjorie Jones in 2011, by Rachel Eble

Marjorie Jones: One of Nature’s Heroes

The true heroes behind our work are the people who make it happen. Whether tireless volunteers, generous landowners, or donors, they make it possible to protect land forever. One of these heroes is the late Marjorie Jones, who donated her family’s land to us upon her passing in August 2021.  Continue reading

Bridget Walls

Communications and Outreach Intern

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.
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